If you have been reading the blog these few days you would have seen how busy we’ve been the past long weekend, preparing and gorging on gastronomic delights. When I cook at home I like to prepare simple hearty dishes that invoke memories of large family gatherings, sitting around a kitchen table surrounded by loved ones. I am a sucker for simple food done well. I love being wowed by complex food pairings that I wouldn’t have thought of and expanding my flavour knowledge when dining out. I have in turn discovered many flavour pairings I may not have previously understood.

Our weekend began with a sit-down seafood dinner exploring the impressive range from Snorre Food. Thankfully, we were guests and it gave us a chance to rest and relax before our marathon, back-to-back home dining schedule that was to unfold.

The chef of the evening was Anderson Ho, who during his tenure at the Raffles Hotel, had worked with European master chefs such as Alain Ducasse, Alain Senderens and Gerard Boyer, honing his skills in contemporary French cuisine. He is a chef advisor and mentor to the Singaporean National Culinary team, a cookbook author, food stylist and all-round great guy  who I have had the pleasure of working with and learning from for the past several years. As always, I was very impressed with Chef Anderson’s delicate pairings and the respect he always gives to his ingredients, taking us on a multi-sensorial journey through the seafood Snorre provided.

Amuse Bouche – King crab, radish salad, yuzu gelee & avocado creme

Appetizer – Fennel & coriander cured salmon, citrus fennel salad, salmon roe and creme fraiche

I do love the theatrics of having piping hot soup poured into my dish by the chef

Soup – Seared scallop and poached oyster Jerusalem artichoke veloute

The two hungry diners patiently awaiting our next course

Ice – Shaved tomato ice, basil syrup sour plum dust

Main – Sterling white halibut , marjoram oil, sago pearls and mousseline Potato

Dessert – Strawberry symphony ( I love the textural play of the microsponge, strawberry gel sheet and crunchy meringue)

I am pleased to say that the dinner was fantastic. I was grateful for the opportunity to support Chef Anderson, who did a wonderful job despite the limited resources for the evening.

We left the dinner well satisfied and when we got home, we found our cocker spaniel Savannah comfortably propped on a seat for our scheduled lunch the next day. That girl has an appetite for good food that may well dwarf my own hedonistic desires. She’s always grateful, doesn’t mind if the service is a tad slow and always comes back for more. What more could a chef want?