25. May 2013: Grand Chapitre du Printemps – Grand Dîner de Gala @Kongresscenter Basel
The “salmon smoked with cherry wood served with lemon purée and herb salad” was incredibly tender so the fork basically slid through it without you putting any effort into parting it. It was armoatic, rich and the combination with the lemon purée was very subtle and smooth. The “Furore bianco DOC, 2011, Marisa Cuomo, Costa d’Amalfi” was a great match – light but with the required intensity.
While “Peter Moser’s Flour Soup from Basel with a foam of Sbrinz” looked rather simple at first, it proofed very interesting and well-prepared. What was amazing was the wine which was served with it – a strong note of vanilla and this combination of smooth and almost sugar-like thick, definitely a wine which will soon be completing my wine cellar: “Chardonnay Rudhir IGT, 2010, Jasci & Marchesani, Abruzzen”.
The “jalousie of veal filet with port sauce, asparagus and chanterelles” was mind-blowingly good. Especially the meat in combination with the sauce. While in the first round the meat was cooked for a bit too long, the supplement showed to what the chefs are up to – perfectly rose and rich in taste and fit quite well again with the wine – in this case a “Villa Donoratico DOC, 2009, Tenuta Argentiera, Bolgheri” (from the 6 litre bottle).
The “cheese variation with fig mustard and nut bread” was a combination of tasty different cheeses – ranging from rather simple and less intense cheeses to the very intense blue cheese. In combination with the various fruits served it was a very sound dish to prepare the stomach for the final round completed by an intense and very tasty red wine – “Montepulciano d’Abbruzzo Riserva Rhudir DOC, 2008, Jasci & Marchesani, Abruzzen” – …
… the dessert buffet “Dreiländer Eck” which not only looked absolutely impressive …
… but also tasted great. Starting from simple things like icecream and chocolates to the créme brûlée!
Besides the great food, it was also ensured that we would not be bored – between each major course, some kind of show act (dancing, gymnastics, a magician) took place sponsored by the Europapark. Definitely lovely to watch between the courses and making the time go fly by rather quickly.
Besides the great food, we also experienced great service. Given the fact that there were around 400 people to be served in the room, the service was outstanding. Of course, there was not always someone exactly when your glass was empty but the waiting time between an empty glass and it being refilled was pretty much limited to a mere few minutes. Besides that the service was friendly and professional (all staffed by Käfer Gastronomie from Munich).
Of course the whole evening was not exactly cheap with CHF 295.00 per person (including wines, water, coffee, etc.) but it was absolutely worth it. Once more, I must say, it was a great experience to dine in the framework of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and I can definitely recommend every foodie worldwide to join.
Rating:
| Atmosphere: |   |
| Service: |  |
| Dishes: | |
| Price-Performance Ratio: | |
| Overall Rating: | |
Contact Details:
Grand Chapitre du Printemps – Grand Dîner de Gala @Kongresscenter Basel
Messeplatz 21
4058 Basel (CH)
Tel.: +41 58 206 28 28
Fax: +41 58 206 21 86
E-Mail: info@congress.ch
Homepage: http://www.congress.ch
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
