After 15 years, a reunion dinner
MICHELIN-STAR chef Yoshiaki Ito of Paris-based L’Archeste restaurant and Epilogue resident chef, Hiroyuki Meno were once colleagues at the prestigious Hiramatsu restaurant chain. The Hiramatsu group is a publicly listed company from Japan, headquartered in Tokyo, and engaged in the operation of French and Italian restaurants. The Hiramatsu group operates several successful restaurants all over Japan, and has also one in France under its eponymous brand, the Restaurant Hiramatsu Paris.
The group also opened a number of Paul Bocuse restaurants in Japan, named after the iconic French chef. Paul Bocuse was considered as one of the pioneers of French nouvelle cuisine, and a three-Michelin star chef since 1965 (for restaurant L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges near Lyon). In 2011, the Culinary Institute of America bestowed upon him the highest honor imaginable in this profession as Chef of the Century. Paul Bocuse passed away early last year at the age of 91. Both chefs Yoshiaki Ito and Hiroyuki Meno are disciples of the Paul Bocuse technique of French cooking.
FOUR HANDS COLLABORATION DINNER AT EPILOGUE
Chef Ito opened his French restaurant, L’Archeste, in Paris on September 2016, and in just five months of operations, the restaurant was able to get a Michelin star, one of the fastest awardings. Chef Meno on the other hand had worked with various Michelin-starred restaurants in both Japan and France before bringing over his culinary talent to the Philippines via Epilogue. Epilogue has already created quite an impeccable reputation among local fine-dining aficionados since it opened at the S Maison, Conrad Hotel Manila almost two years ago with Chef Meno at the helm.
These two gifted Japanese chefs have not had the chance to be reunited, much less, to work side by side since their Hiramatsu days back in 2004. That is, until recently, when Epilogue pulled off this culinary coup of sorts with the Ito-Meno Four Hands Collaboration Dinner on Aug. 16 and 17.
Even though I can be silly and superstitious at times, given that August is Chinese Ghost Month (my mom used to tell me not to drive off my regular routes during this time of year), and even though Aug. 16 and 17 were just days after the ominous Ghost Festival Day (the 15th day of the seventh month of the Chinese calendar), I still would not miss this for the world.
Thank you to my good friend too, Hansel Dee, for the kindest invite and great company during the dinner.
ORIGINAL FARE
The dinner menu for the two-day Ito-Meno Collaboration was as high-quality, creative, and eclectic as I have ever encountered both here and even in my foreign travels. Using some of the best ingredients — including truffle, foie gras, Hokkaido scallop, Iberico pancetta, giant grouper fish, and Wagyu tenderloin — this multiple course meal, without beverages, could easily be sold at over €100/head elsewhere, but it was offered to Epilogue patrons for much less than that (for a reasonable P3,900). The menu, which came with an optional wine pair per course (for an extra P1,300/head), reads as follow:
St. Jacques/ Hokkaido Scallop, Ginger Oil, Singkamas Remoulade
Beignet/ Pumpkin Flower, Parmesan 24 mos., Dalandan Jam
Pissaradiere/ Iberico Pancetta, Summer Truffle, Mornay
Gazpacho/ Red Bell Pepper Mousse, Burrata, Basil
Yellowtail & Crab/ Liveche Mayonnaise, Eggplant, Radish, Parsley
Giant Grouper/ Bouillabaisse, Lemongrass, Banana Heart, Chayote, Fennel
Foie Gras/ Poached Foie Gras, Adlai Risotto, Moringa
Wagyu Tenderloin MB7 (meaning Marbling grade 7)/ Béarnaise, Summer Truffle, Sisig Inspiration: Pork Mask with Pedro Ximenez
Vacherin/ Café Biscuit, Mango Calamansi Sorbet, Ivoire Mousse
The two chefs added some Filipino flair to their culinary creations with use of local ingredients like singkamas (jicama), and fruits: mango and the citrus fruits dalandan and calamansi. The main steak course with Wagyu even featured their version(s) of local favorite sisig (chopped up pigs face and chicken liver).
Each dish was masterfully presented and aesthetically plated, with the sequence of the dishes very well-thought out. I could not have asked for a better starter than the trio of Hokkaido scallop, beignet and summer truffle on Iberico pancetta. Each course really built up to the next. The giant grouper with bouillabaisse was super delectable, and the Wagyu tenderloin could not have been more succulent than it was. This experience was as close to Michelin star dining as you can get in the country.
Congratulations to Epilogue and to Chefs Ito and Meno for this memorable dinner. For all gourmands out there, let us just hope that it will not take another 15 years for another collaboration dinner like this.
You can visit Epilogue at the G/F, S Maison, Conrad Manila, Seaside Blvd. corner Coral Way, Pasay City. For reservations, contact them at 816-7088 or contact@epilogue.ph.
The author is a member of UK-based Circle of Wine Writers (CWW). For comments, inquiries, wine event coverage, and other wine-related concerns, e-mail the author at protegeinc@yahoo.com. He is also on Twitter at twitter.com/sherwinlao.
