Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi: Renowned chefs stop in Hanoi en route to Shanghai for Expo 2010 (China)
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Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi: Renowned chefs stop in Hanoi en route to Shanghai for Expo 2010 (China)
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Category: Asia Pacific - China -
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2010-04-13
Cooking for France in China, but first: Cooking at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
All of a sudden, everyone is bullish on Hanoi. PricewaterhouseCoopers recently identified the city as the fastest growing city in the world. And now, one of France’s most renowned chefs, Jacques Pourcel, is swooping in for a one-night culinary extravaganza, April 19, at the legendary Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi.
The Hanoi stop is a prelude to Pourcel’s larger regional responsibilities. He and his twin brother, Laurent, are en route to Shanghai where they’ll reign as culinary ambassadors from France at the Expo 2010.
But first Jacques and a culinary accomplice, Alain Caron, will fire up their craft in Hanoi. That they’ve identified the capital as a destination and an opportunity to showcase their talents is a measure of Hanoi’s rising prominence and a feather in the cap of one of Asia’s most iconic hotels.
“Le Beaulieu is the oldest continually run restaurant in Vietnam, and our new French chef, Denis Groison, is orchestrating a French culinary revival at the moment,” said Kai Speth, the hotel’s general manager. “The arrival of Messieurs Pourcel and Caron is a testament to the hotel’s rising stature as a must-stop on Asia’s culinary circuit.”
So, what does a Pourcel dinner look like? The Wine Dinner gets underway with shelled scallops accompanied by tapioca in a passion fruit sauce. From there, it’s on to pan-fried langoustines, to seared lobster, to oven-baked sea bass, to roasted squab fillet and to conclude, a fruit minestrone.
Each of the six courses will be paired by wines presented by Sieur d'Arques. The Pourcel appearance will be a highlight, if not the highlight, on Hanoi’s culinary calendar for 2010.
Jacques, alongside brother Laurent, won a third Michelin star at their restaurant Le Jardin des Sens (Window on the World) in Montpellier, France in 1998. Since then their success and reputation has continued to grow.
In 2000, they started developing their business overseas, earning a reputation as two of the most dynamic chefs in the world. Today they are on the map in Bangkok, Tokyo, Casablanca, Geneva, Marrakesh and Algiers.
Their work in Shanghai will be a key part of a major promotion by France at Expo 2010. The budget for the event, including construction and fitting-out of a national pavilion is 50 million Euros.
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