Good food, good wine and great company marks another evening of camaraderie in the spirit of Escoffier at The Wine Club. In a gathering of old and new friends, Disciples of Escoffier Philippines celebrates one man's culinary legacy in another memorable reunion...
The freshest seafood and the finest wines come together at The Table of Disciples of Escoffier showcasing the succulent seafood dishes of Chef Dan Koh of Kokomo Seafood Raw Bistro and Kokomo Raw Bar down south and Banfi Wines from The Wine Club. Here's a peek at what went down at the basement of The Wine Club...
The regular and continuous implementation of gastronomic demonstrations remain an integral part of the three-pronged mission of Disciples of Escoffier in the Philippines along with the transmission of knowledge to the next generation of chefs and to honor the memory and culinary legacy of Auguste Escoffier. Recently, the Disciples of Escoffier Philippine Delegation led by Founding Chairman and Chef Philip John Golding and current President and Chef Jose Gabriel Prats held The Table of Disciples of Escoffier featuring Chef Dan Koh and Banfi Wines at The Wine Club (for more on Disciples of Escoffier dinners, see my previous posts, Disciples of Escoffier Presents Sake Night at Bondi & Bourke from late last year, Disciples of Escoffier Hosts Wine and Tapas Night at The Wine Club from 2022, One Dinner. One Menu. Across Thirty Countries. Celebrating the Culinary Legacy of Auguste Escoffier with an Epicure's Dinner by Escoffier Philippines at One World Kitchen from 2021, Here's What's Cookin' and Grillin' at the Kitchen in Wine Depot from last year, Good food, Wine, Music and Company with Escoffier Philippines at Segreto!@Caruso from two years ago, "Simply Classic Cuisine" by Chef Robert Lilja for Disciples Escoffier at Makati Garden Club from 2021, Chef Alain Raye Lights Up Poblacion with a Lavish Dinner for Disciples Escoffier at Dr. Wine Manila from two years back and Seafood Soiree: A Tribute to Auguste Escoffier by CCA ICDE Master Chef Jeff Brouck at Lemuria from 2019).
In the words of August Escoffier, "good food is the foundation of genuine happiness" and each event from way back 2019 all the way to this year's latest edition of the The Table of Disciples of Escoffier shows that the spirit of Escoffier is alive and well.
Now, it's time to head down the basement...
At The Wine Club, the Fresh Oyster Bar is prepped by Chef Dan Koh's team. Flown in from Aklan, succulent oysters are part of Kokomo Raw Bar and Kokomo Seafood Raw Bistro's repertoire of seafood specialties. For southies, Chef Dan Koh, Kokomo Seafood Raw Bistro and Kokomo Raw Bar are familiar names synonymous with the freshest seafood. His take on classic American and Asian seafood dishes from Crab Rolls to Uni Butter Pasta and Fish and Chips as well as regular offerings like the Kanifornication Unli Wok & Roll Sushi keeps Kokomo Raw Bar and Kokomo Seafood Raw Bistro high on everyone's list of dining destinations down south. And guests to The Table of Disciples of Escoffier get to experience one of the south's hidden culinary gems down at the basement of The Wine Club.
The evening's sumptuous seafood feast by Chef Dan Koh is paired with fine wines from Banfi exclusively distributed by The Wine Club. Michael William Reyes of The Wine Club shared some of the Italian label's premium selection including Banfi Col di Sasso Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon IGT 2021, Banfi Le Rime Pinot Grigio IGT 2021 and Banfi Chianti DOCG 2020 to complete the evening's feast.
Back in the kitchen of The Wine Club, Chef Dan Koh added the finishing touches to a lavish cheese and charcuterie spread...
...for tasty bites before the seafood courses paired with wine.
The impressive spread that evening featured a variety of gourmet cheeses...
...including a unique smoked cheese with its distinct notes...
...anchored by the impressive Cognac Cured and Beetroot Marinated Salmon Gravlax by Chef Dan Koh with Mustard Honey Dill Sauce and Clotted Sour Cream. The fresh and premium Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified seafood used for Chef Dan Koh's courses were provided by Meliomar Sustainable Seafood Solutions including the ASC Salmon and ASC Selva Shrimp.
Chef Dan Koh then opened the Fresh Oyster Bar with plump Aklan Oysters on the half shell served with a trio of sauces including his specialty Dragon Water, a fiery Thai inspired chili sauce. Other sauces served were his Baltimore Cocktail Sauce, an homage to his childhood growing up in Maryland and a traditional French Mignonette.
The fresh, clean and briny sweetness of the Aklan Oysters punches through draping the palate with a lingering richness followed by a gentle soothing heat from the Dragon Water...
...washed down perfectly by a sip of Banfi Le Rime Pinot Grigio IGT 2021 cleansing the palate with its dry and crisp finish. From one of the many fabled wine producing regions of Italy, the selection of Banfi wines added that celebratory vibe to an evening of good food and company at The Wine Club.
Rooted in the rich and fertile Tuscan region of Italy, Banfi offers a wide selection of wines from their vineyards in Montalcino and Chianti, Piedmont and the Tuscan coast considered the cradles of great Italian wine. The Wine Club is the exclusive distributor of Banfi, and your source for some of the best Italian wines (be sure to check their regular Open That Bottle Night on their FB Page at https://www.facebook.com/wineclubph).
The Wine Club General Manager Michael William Reyes welcomed guests down at the basement...
...as Disciples of Escoffier President Jose Gabriel Prats kicked off the evening's culinary festivities with a toast.
Chef Dan Koh then served the first course for the evening starting with the crisp and savory Crab and Artichoke Rangoon, crunchy deep-fried wontons paired with a sweet chili sauce. The delectable play on textural contrasts and bold flavors was just the first in a series of tasty seafood courses by Chef Dan Koh paired with Banfi wines.
For the second course, Chef Dan Koh recalls his very first experience with an authentic New England Lobster Roll with chunks of Maine Lobster draped in a creamy sauce on a hot dog bun decades ago. That evening, Chef Dan Koh recreated the enduring New England classic with his own elevated version, Lobster Roll Puffs with prized Maine lobster on crisp and flaky butter tartine slathered with creamy and silky smooth lobster sauce topped with fresh micro greens. And for that nostalgic Maryland touch from his childhood roots, Chef Dan Koh adds Chesapeake Cheddar at the bottom of the Maine lobster.
The succulent Maine lobster is perfectly complemented by the creamy lobster sauce, coming together in an elegant and flavorful weave completed by the buttery tartine and crisp micro greens with that final burst of richness from the Chesapeake Cheddar.
For the next course, Chef Dan Koh presented his intricate Tornado Prawns using mangrove-raised ASC Selva Shrimps from Meliomar Sustainable Seafood Solutions. Delicately wrapped in kataifi or thin Greek pastry dough and served with his sweet and spicy Bang Bang Sauce, each bite delivers a flavorful freshness best enjoyed with another sip of wine.
The crispness of the thin pastry dough strings and the fresh audible snap of the soft yet firm ASC Selva Shrimps with each bite is perfectly finished by the sharp notes of the Bang Bang Sauce. Another sip of the Banfi Le Rime Pinot Grigio IGT 2021 completes the textural and flavorful play on the palate.
The Uni & Shiitake Ravioli with Truffle Oil & Roulade drizzled with katsuboshi cream sauce offers subtle yet refined nuanced notes with the mildly vibrant burst of briny richness from the uni followed by the deep earthy hints of the shiitake and truffle oil.
Elegantly plated, the final course by Chef Dan Koh celebrates another memorable evening in the spirit of Escoffier.
Fresh from the oven, sweet tarts capped the evening's culinary delights followed by even more wine from Banfi.
As members and officers of Disciples of Escoffier Philippine Delegation celebrate another evening of strengthening bonds and relationships in the local culinary scene, plans for even more gatherings are in the pipeline.
Chef Dan Koh's lavish seafood feast along with the premium ASC certified seafood from Meliomar Sustainable Seafood Solutions and wine selection from Banfi provided flavorful layers to The Table of Disciples of Escoffier at The Wine Club.
Fine wine, great food...
...and even better company ends the evening with a whole lot of good vibes for a fitting tribute to the culinary legacy of Auguste Escoffier. The spirit of Escoffier is alive and well at The Table of Escoffier in The Wine Club. Now that deserves another toast...
The Wine Club is located at the basement of Cacho Gonzalez Building, 101 Aguirre corner Trasierra, Legazpi Village, Makati or call 8893 7784 for inquiries and more information. You can also visit their FB Page at https://www.facebook.com/wineclubph/ for updates.
For more on Chef Dan Koh, visit his restaurant's FB Page at https://www.facebook.com/KSRB21.
For more on Disciples of Escoffier Philippines, visit their FB Page at https://www.facebook.com/EscoffierPH/.
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