Good Food and Good Company with Disciples of Escoffier at Smith Butcher and Grill Room

An elegant dinner was hosted by the Disciples of Escoffier and Breville Philippines at Smith Butcher and Grill Room as part of the on-going simulation training for Junior Master Chef Louise Mabulo, the country's representative to the Disciples of Escoffier Young Talent Trophy competition in Hongkong.

The special Escoffier Dinner was held last June 30, 2015 at the new Smith Butcher and Grill Room along H. V. Dela Costa in Makati. As more guests arrived, Smith Butcher and Grill Room's Chef Steven Scudder (R) showed their premium steaks to Escoffier member Luciano Paolo Nesi of the L'Opera Restaurant Group before the special dinner.

At Smith Butcher and Grill Room, you can find a wide selection of premium steaks from Japan, Australia, France, and Ireland in a variety of cuts. The impressive inventory is displayed at an elegant glass-walled room, in full view from the dining area. 

But the evening belonged to Junior Master Chef Louise Mabulo (L), already busy at Smith Butcher and Grill Room's kitchen prepping for the special dinner for over thirty guests on the list. A four-course dinner for members and friends of Disciples of Escoffier is no easy task. But Louise, in her calm demeanor, is up for the challenge.

Disciples of Escoffier's Chef Philip Golding and Eiffeline Salvador Howard welcome guests to the special dinner, including Disciple of Escoffier members from as far as China and the US gracing the event. As with all events organized by Disciples of Escoffier, the transfer of knowledge remains the primary aim, seen  with the mentorship of Junior Master Chef Louise Mabulos, as well as strengthening the bond between members with a passion for food. Chef Philip Golding described each Disciples of Escoffier event as "stories within stories," with so many layers weaving into a fluid tapestry for a memorable evening. And that night at Smith Butcher and Grill Room was exactly the way I expected it to be. Good times.

Junior Master Chef Louise Mabulo fires up the dinner service at Smith Butcher and Grill Room with her four signature dishes. After sampling her unique and elegant dishes in a previous simulation training run at A Space Manila Kitchen (for more on Louise Mabulo and her preparations for the upcoming Disciples of Escoffier Young Talent Trophy competition in Hongkong, check out my previous post here at http://dude4food.blogspot.com/2015/06/deconstructing-filipino-flavors-with.html), Junior Master Chef Louise Mabulo goes to the next level in her training with a formal dinner for thirty guests, all in preparation for the Disciples of Escoffier Young Talent Trophy competition in Hongkong set for September this year.

The kitchen at Smith Butcher and Grill Room comes alive with a flurry of activity, as each component of each dish is prepared. In the middle of all the action is Junior Master Chef Louise Mabulo (L), setting the pace as Breville PhilippinesCorporate Chef Emman Galves (R) adds the final touches before the dishes are expedited. 

With clockwork precision, each task is coordinated in the assembly of each dish. Timing becomes critical as the dishes are plated, ensuring each of the components are at its peak in terms of flavor. The first course is served, and Junior Master Chef Louise Mabulo starts the prep work for the next course...

Displaying grace under pressure, Junior Master Chef Louise Mabulo keeps the pace at a high level, as the rest of the team keep up. Inside the kitchen, I get a unique perspective and experience a real kitchen at work. The heat from the stoves and grills, the flurry of activity and the constant arrival of the different components of each dish add to an almost surreal vibe, and you can't help but admire how each member of the kitchen knows precisely what to do, and when to do it, working like a finely tuned and well-oiled machine.

Each course is prepared and completed in an orderly fashion, with Junior Master Chef Louise Mabulo sending out clear instructions to the team as they complete the second course.

Like an efficient assembly line, Junior Master Chef Louise Mabulo led the intricate plating for each dish supported by the rest of the team...

Chef Philip Golding keeps a close watch at the kitchen, sending out instructions and the final nod before the dishes are served. The real kitchen environment, with Chef Philip Golding's inputs, are exactly what the young culinary team need to gain experience and confidence. And it's great to actually see one of Disciples of Escoffier's stated missions, the transfer of knowledge, happening right in front of you.

As things heat up in the kitchen, Chef Philip Golding shared a light moment with Fontainebleau Miami's Executive Chef Ryan Wilson, bringing a smile to Junior Master Chef Louise Mabulo and her team as they served the final course.

The evening's special dinner consisted of Junior Master Chef Louise Mabulo's Line-Caught Yellow Fin Tuna Kinilaw with Pako Fiddle Fern Salad and Bagoong Vinaigrette...

...followed by the hearty main course of Braised Boneless Short Rib Kaldereta with Laing and Monggo Potato Cakes and Root Vegetables...

...and finally, Junior Master Chef Louise Mabulo capped the evening with her duo of signature desserts, the Deconstructed Bilo-Bilo with White Chocolate Coconut Reduction and Milk Champorado withChocolate Mousse and Dark Chocolate Caviar with Salted Coco Jam (more on Junior Master Chef Louise Mabulo's elegant four-course Filipino-inspired signature dishes here on my previous post at http://dude4food.blogspot.com/2015/06/deconstructing-filipino-flavors-with.html). The complexity of flavors, and the creativity behind each dish is impressive. Junior Master Chef Louise Mabulo is definitely ready for the Disciples of Escoffier's Young Talent Trophy competition...

The entire team receives a well-deserved round of applause from the guests for an exceptional dinner experience at Smith Butcher and Grill Room. Young apprentices alongside veteran chefs join diners in another successful event by Disciples of Escoffier.

Junior Master Chef Louise Mabulo chats with the guests, adding even more stories within stories in an already memorable evening.

Bonds with old friends strengthened, and new ones established, it's what makes dining with Disciples of Escoffier so special.

A rich, robust, and frothy cup of comforting Latte caps my evening at Smith Butcher and Grill Room, extracted from the world's first innovative and cutting-edge "manual-automatic" espresso machine, the Oracle, by Breville (R). 

The number of wine bottles consumed is often proportional to the level of fun, and the wine bottles in front of Chef Philip Golding and the bar teams from Smith Butcher and Grill Room and Breville Philippines is pretty much an accurate gauge of how the evening went. Good food, good company. Good times.