Culinary Elitism @ 9th World Gourmet Festival
To be elitist in Bangkok seems to be on vogue these days. So let’s be straight out elitist. As it’s this glorious time of the year again with the World Gourmet Festival @ the Four Seasons Hotel. From September 22nd to 28th.
Well, the cheapest event at the festival, the Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch Whiskey Tasting, will set you back some 600 baht. The Gala Dinner 8,500++. The Gourmet Festival though is not about money.
It’s about a unique chance to eat off the plates of some of the world’s best chefs: Award-winning master chefs under one roof for a week-long celebration of outstanding food, exquisite wines and, yes, cooking classes with the masters.
Flown in chefs are: Siggi Hall of Siggi Hall Restaurant, Reykjavik, Iceland; Maurizio Quaranta of La Speranza, Farigliano, Italy; Glen Ballis of Nedal’Nij Vostok, Moscow, Russia; and the U.S. chefs Michael Laiskonis, Executive Pastry Chef of Le Bernardin, New York; Jeffrey Jake of The Carneros Inn, Napa Valley, California; Michael Ginor of Hudson Valley Foie Gras, New York; and the only female chef Celina Tio of Julia(n), North Carolina.
Their bios read like a who’s who of the world’s leading cuisines. Michelin-starred Maurizio Quaranta remains dedicated to the Italian-Mediterranean style. Michael Laiskonis is an alchemist of desserts and master of the science of bread(!). Jeffrey Jake can’t count the culinary accolades and titles anymore. Siggi Hall’s passion is Icelandic and Nordic food.
Glen Ballis, born in Australia, keeps on traveling the world to get acquainted with new dishes. Michael Ginor joins the World Gourmet Festival for the record 9th time. Celina Tio finally, considered one of the most outstanding chefs of the United States, is still busy cooking for her loyal guests, friends and family, as she does since the tender age of eight.
To download the schedule right-click here. If you think you can’t make it home safely after this culinary sojourn, Four Seasons Hotel has a Gourmet Package which includes deluxe overnight accommodation with all the bells and whistles. Starts at 13,650 baht/night per couple. For bookings call 02 250 1000.
Food pornography in Bangkok; it’s almost the perfect city to stage this celebration of the radical divide that is accentuating the chasm between the rich and poor in the world. Instead I will take your advice from your earlier article and experiment in gluttony elitism in Bang Saen …
Booked. You’d be a fool to miss this world class event.
Politics and economy are straight going down in Thailand, fascist people occupy the Government House, others are killed in demonstrations. And you have nothing better to do than to report such a stupidity that is a shame for humanity and an offence to poor and suffering people. You should be deeply ashamed.
Hi, JJ! I hope you will be suffocated by this delightful food.
Peters! (strange, same IP addresses …)
This site sets some value on lifestyle.
Read the header’s fine print: “The Elaborate & Profane of Big Mango” …
As an earlier commentator said, if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
I applaud your verbal solidarity with the poor and downtrodden, but most likely you never enjoyed true gourmet food prepared by a decorated chef.
A dish may look similar to anyone’s kitchen, but how concentrated, balanced and technically flawless flavors are, well …
Some spend money on new gadgets. Others like to invest in their mental and physical well-being by means of outstanding food.
BangkokDan
For Pete’s sake, where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked? I’m Petering out here… need some glutton-feed now! The other imposting Peters have Peteriosis. I’m panning those Peters. Please don’t lump us Peters all together BD! Peter Dustbin indeed!
BKK-Dan and elite?
I’m sure we can find better and more reasonable food at most major hotel’s buffets.
Why not go to the PAD demonstrations and enjoy a free soup there and do some more on-ground PAD bashing/analyzing upfront than just from your sofa, where you not have the chance to speak to the people there plus not understand Thais in the first place (did you ever interview a PAD member)?
Coach-potato journalist, doing the work mostly at home via internet, but then buzzing off to over-expensive treats, only to be thrown again into the sofa, overfed and overfull?
Doesn’t sound like politically correct correspondence and blogging to me.
But for the food, should be your delight, if you love to mingle along the elites yourself.
Andy!
Not many people can withstand the attraction of the free food served at Govt House. I proudly declare that I can. Yes, they even got pizza and McDonald’s deliveries paid for by silent donors. I’m not saying that food is a main attraction over there, but cut the free food and the movement dies down instantly.
The free food is a key ingredient of the PAD.
We all know how viciously the Thai mind works/reacts when a hint of appetite is not immediately satisfied.
What’s worse, what’s more honorable: Eating food “elitist circles” provide – or paying for your own elitist food.
Peter I!
How could I, you’re nearly staff in here.
Maybe I should close this thread …
BangkokDan
I’ll let you know if I survive the feast.
But what’s your problem Andy?!
This is one of the sharpest, most accurate blogs on Thai politics and more out there.
Maybe you should refresh your browser once a year, you seem to be stuck with a same old page.
Getting off the sofa here to humor Andy: Maybe it’s the same “dork” Andy I used to know who loved to literally wind people up on the Bangkok streets … although this comment belongs to the PAD forum, where we are compiling some real questions for reasonable people to ask the “Women and children who know about the real economy of Thailand @ the Government House Squat.”
In the meantime you can get primed for a journalistic session with “PAD” at The Nation.
(…)
BKK-Dan is Banharn-wise slimy like a snake(…)EDITED
(BangkokDan: For foul language please use the PAD stage. Nothing against personal insults if they are substantiated. As a rule of thumb for further commenting be referred to New Mandala’s policy: “New Mandala encourages vigorous debate (…) There will, of course, be space for pithy, humorous, eccentric and cheeky input. Short and sweet will usually trump long and involved. Repetitive ranting, unimaginative point-scoring and idle abuse will not be entertained.”
I hope you gorging yourself on elitist food – you deserve it and congratulations on your absolutely first year, from a recent fan!
My short & sweet point scoring no longer makes the cut over at New Mandala – no foul language from me, and academics should be used to dissent, so it must just boil down to me being too unimaginative.
I think Khun Dan’s shown editing is a transparent way to go about moderating comments. I think similar suggestion was made at New Mandala, but the webmasters there seem to think that the secretive ways of trashing comments is preferable.
[...] purse, I already had to stomach quite some criticism last year because of my enjoyment of the culinary elitism at the Four Seasons Hotel’s 9th World Gourmet Festival. But no regrets whatsoever; especially [...]