Luxury dining establishments can no longer rely on a stand-out, signature dish to create a memorable experience for those who choose to visit for a meeting or a private experience. Like a collection of haute fashion, every aspect of luxury dining needs to be curated; carefully created with seemingly imperceptible details that, when brought together with excellent ingredients, fine cooking techniques and intuitively personalised service, will deliver a truly holistic luxury dining experience.
Today, a selection of InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts’ finest and rising culinary talent from around the region gathered at Publico Ristorante, InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay, where – through a multi-sensory showcase of tastings and commentary – they explored the intricacies of the luxury dining experience and delved into some of the industry’s biggest trends.
Clarence Tan, Managing Director for South East Asia and Korea, InterContinental Hotels Group said, “We know that for our guests, luxury is a mindset, a way of experiencing life. It always comes back to attention to detail and customised experiences.
“At InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, we know that to provide exceptional experiences for guests who enjoy living the InterContinental Life, we must holistically invest in the creation of this. Our dedication is shown through our specially designed restaurants and bars which cater not only to our guests, but residents and neighbours looking for luxury dining options nearby, whilst remaining committed to our role as an incubator of fine dining specialists, seeking out and nurturing only the very best talent with the craft, passion and commitment to deliver on and help bring to life those guest expectations.
“Today we’ve gathered some of our brightest and most talented chefs and talent who showcased how they and their teams bring exceptional luxury dining experience to life for our InterContinental Hotels & Resorts guests every day.”
The Age of Aesthetics
The rise in technology — especially social media — means fine dining is no longer a private experience between you and your dining companion; it’s about sharing with your community. Since flavours can’t be shared digitally, the visual element is quintessential, now more so than ever.
Chef Sebastian Reischer, Chef de Cuisine at the award-winning Fireside Grill & Bar in InterContinental Bangkok, shared: “Aesthetics have always played a key role in the dining experience. However today, discerning diners are seeking greater opportunities to share the exceptional creations served to them in luxury dining establishments via their social media feeds, so the ways chefs craft and style their dishes are ever more important.”
Demonstrating this point, Chef Sebastian presented his ‘Trilogy of Pumpkin’ amuse bouche, a unique trio of pumpkin prepared three ways, featuring truffle and fois gras. He shared: “There is constant pressure and demand for chefs to keep reaching new aesthetic heights, so as to continually surprise and delight diners. Increasingly, guests also want dishes that trick the eye — what you see may not necessarily be what you taste.”
“One way chefs do this is by presenting everyday ingredients in new and exciting ways. A humble ingredient like pumpkin can be transformed into something so visually and texturally unique, combining the sense of familiarity with something completely brand new and unforgettable,” he continued. “Other trends right now include bold, fearless plating, playing with new colours and fresh takes on molecular cuisine.”
