The creativity of Chef Michel Sarran at the Mandarin Oriental Jakarta
Although many people can cook, only a few have the ability to express themselves through their culinary creations.
Toulouse, France-based two Michelin-starred chef Michel Sarran is undeniably one of those rare gastronomic talents, and I was very lucky to have the chance to experience his elegant and expressive creativity at a delightful luncheon on Tuesday.
Collaborating with the Mandarin Oriental Jakarta, Chef Michel is showcasing his award-winning Midi-Pyrenees-inspired French cuisine for lunch and dinner, on Sept. 18-20, at the hotel's Lyon Restaurant. His creative yet surprisingly classic cuisine has earned him an international reputation, and Jakarta's food aficionados now have the chance to enjoy an unforgettable dining experience as well as learning about the mesmerizing stories behind each of his creations.
The six-course meal I had at the Lyon began with Chef Michel's signature and award-winning dish, Soup de Foie Gras, comprising a warm Périgord duck foie gras soup served with belon oyster.
Depicting the meeting of land and sea, areas to the southwest and southeast of Provence in his native France were Sarran's main inspirations in creating this dish. The soup also harks back to early in his career, when he began working with one of France's culinary legends, Alain Ducasse.
I was wrong to expect a condensed, rich-flavored appetizer. The foie gras soup turned out to be light and savory, while the oyster gave the soup a subtle seafood flavor.
The second dish served was Canadian lobster marinated with aquitane caviar together with seaweed tempura and spiced mango condiment with combawa lemon.
The Japanese influence was immediately noticeable from the seaweed tempura, made of lobster meat wrapped in nori and spinach. The combawa lemon and the spiced mango condiment added a fresh sour flavor and exotic influence to the tender lobster. Having been a globetrotter throughout his life, Chef Michel's travels are reflected in his flavor combinations from different cultures.
Sole golden roasted with lemon confit butter was my next gastronomic surprise from Chef Michel. This artistic dish was beautifully combined with cappelletti pasta with tome cheese from Soulor and fava beans. The golden sole was crunchy and tender at the same time, while the cappelletti was smooth and savory in my mouth.
Having been a globetrotter throughout his life, Chef Michel's travels are reflected in his flavor combinations from different cultures.
Black angus beef from Nebraska and foie gras tonkatsu-style showcased Chef Michel's modern, open-minded approach in appreciating cultural diversity. The beef was moist and tender, while the lemon zest provided a fresh burst of zing.
Subang gold pineapple with lemongrass broth was served for the fifth course. This light dish was poured with a sweet sauce containing sparkling gold powder in it.
To end the six-course meal, Chef Michel served another of his signature dishes, Tarbais beans in vintage light rum and coconut emulsion with glazed marron ice cream.
With the sound of excitement in his voice, he showed the curious guests a bag of tarbais beans that he had brought all the way from Toulouse.
“The beans come from the village of Tarbes in the southwest of France and are grown within the breathtaking vista of the Pyrenees mountains,” Sarran explained.
Warmly served in the rum and coconut emulsion, the tarbais beans blended perfectly with the cold, glazed marron ice cream. It was a delightful end to an exquisite meal.
To experience your own personal French dining experience with Chef Michel Sarran, the Mandarin Oriental Jakarta is offering a three-, four- and six-course menu, ranging in price from Rp 388,000 (US$32) to Rp 1,588,000 per person. An even more intimate dining experience is also available for four to six guests, with a starting price of Rp 2,588,000 per person.
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