Cebu's largest simultaneous French wine and gourmet food tasting

The event was the Soirée Beaujolais Cebu 2010 and Marco Polo Plaza Cebu (www.marcopolohotels.com, phone 2531111) has been the favorite destination of patrons for those who want to indulge in French culinary traditions the last four years.

This year, Britanny, a region in northwest France, was featured and my beloved readers know that this region is known for its galettes (thin pancakes eaten with eggs, ham and other fillings, also known as crêpes) and this is accompanied by cider or buttermilk. Troubadours from Brittany flew in to entertain the patrons with authentic traditional folk music.

The uncorking ceremony of the Beaujolais Nouveau 2010 is still the showpiece of the festivities and it all began when a wine produced from this region was marketed by Georges Duboeuf and it became a race to bring the first bottles of the new wine to Paris and later the rest of the world. In Cebu, the wine was flown in by plane from France and was delivered via the Kwarta Padala helicopter of French Honorary Consul Michel Lhuillier to Marco Polo Plaza GM Hans Hauri.

For members of the press, medyo double time on our work because the day before the uncorking, we had to sample the food that was to be served during the festivities. For appetizers, there were at least seven terrines available and we even had a lecture by Cheese Master Richard Poirier on the ten types of cheeses that were to be served.

For the main dishes, we had several favorites like the Quiche Lorraine, Classic French Steamed Mussels, Toulouse-Style Cassoulet, Coq au Vin (Braised Chicken) and the Boeuf Bourguignon (Burgundy beef). And this time, your favorite food columnist has the confidence to discuss the nuances of these dishes because I tasted these dishes, excuse me, in France and I am guided by the video of Rick Stein’s French Odyssey.

Let us take one dish, the Boeuf à la Bourguignonne which was the best tasting dish served during lunch. It is a “stew prepared with beef braised in red wine, traditionally red Burgundy and beef broth, generally flavored with garlic, onions and a bouquet garni, with pearl onions and mushrooms added towards the end of cooking.”

And the advantage for French Chefs is that there is a standard recipe to make an authentic dish through the efforts of Auguste Escoffier who codified the recipe. With some constructive criticism (meat, a bit tough) and modification, many guests who were present during the dinner at Soirée Beaujolais Cebu 2010 were in agreement that it was the best dish there.

That evening, I invited Director Kelly O’Meara (Humane Society International) who arrived a day before from New York and she was amazed at the beautiful people, the quality of food and drinks and that a fabulous party could be held this side of the globe.