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| St.
Petersburg - Russia |
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Society - World
Level Perfection
May - 2009 |
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6 Stars
& 7 Stripes
Overall - 'Cuisine & Service' |
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The
Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and
Stripes® |
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| A visit to the Caviar Bar in the Hotel Europe, St.
Petersburg will most likely conjure up visions of the former grandeur of
Tsarist Russia reminding us that the spirit of the past often lends glamour and
drama to the present. In grandiose fashion, the restaurant is bedecked with
cameo reliefs on its walls depicting centaur-like creatures carrying bunches of
grapes. Table settings include Imperial Russian Porcelain, from a tradition
established by Empress Elizabeth in 1744 to produce wares exclusively for the
Romanov family. Add to this the ‘eye-candy’ appeal of six to eight
bottles of exquisite Russian vodka placed over ice in a large silver bowl
greeting you as you enter the premises. Although the experience is a lot to
process for a first timer at the Caviar Bar, the mood is further enhanced by
the trio of Russian musicians playing soft ballads in the folkloric fashion. In
the past few years of dining at the Caviar Bar, we have marveled at the ability
to maintain consistency and quality in service and cuisine. The dynamic
leadership and innovation of Executive Chef Alexey Kostichkin, a man who has
passion for his work is putting a fresh fun spin on a chic cuisine thereby
boldly carrying on this high level of culinary accomplishment. The service in
the restaurant is expertly maintained by a band of servers dressed
Russian-style in traditional bright red garments under the watchful eye of
Restaurant Manager and Sommelier
Dmitry
Zakharchenko. |
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| After a delightful amuse
bouche of Cold Smoked Halibut, Sevruga Caviar, Light horseradish sauce,
rolled and bound with chives and topped with glistening globules of delicate
black Sevruga roe, we moved on to the main tasting menu prepared by Chef
Alexey. We speculated that he would add his personal signature to some of the
traditional items that we were so fond of during our previous visits to the
Caviar Bar and we were not to be disappointed. |
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| Beef a la
Stroganoff |
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| An annual favorite of ours Caspian Treasure
continued to exemplify the attention paid to quality and freshness of the
salted pearls of the various sturgeons. The caviar’s magical fragrance
when holding a small dollop on a caviar spoon close to the mouth only enhances
the luscious savory succulence once it is placed on the palate. A difficult
wine pairing made easy by Sommelier Dmitry’s suggestion of Lanson Black
Label, Brut, brought a bright citrus flavor to the palate enveloped in a
fine mousse balanced by a modicum of smoke. Next came the House Made
Salmon, marinated in Russian vodka and served with potato dranik, a sort of
fried pancake made from potato batter. I don’t know how they do it but
there is a certain unique velvet softness that makes the salmon simply melt as
you are consuming it, further underscoring the subtle smokiness. This course
was paired with a bottle of Château Timberlay A.O.C., Robert Giraud,
Bordeaux France 2005, a splendiferous and alluring Semillion –
Sauvignon Blanc blend offering an attractive floral aroma translating to a
crisp wine with well-balanced acidity and fruit. Another course of Roasted
Half Quail with parsley, mashed potatoes, ceps and quail jus was served
subsequently and was plump, juicy and full of flavor complimented by the earthy
essence of the ceps (porcini mushrooms). Chassagne Montrachet, Louis Latour,
2001, a Premier Cru with a beautiful structure and acidity offered the
right amount of seduction with its exciting cultured aromas festooned with
orange blossom and jasmine. |
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| Roasted
Half Quail |
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Chef Alexey now set out to
torque-up the menu with his personal rendition of Poached Sterlet with
fresh vegetables and vodka beetroot sauce. We were curious about the way the
Sterlet was shaped into a chambered spiral undoubtedly inspired by the
Nautilus, an elegant marine mollusk. With the addition of both green and white
asparagus along side an almost crimson hue of beet sauce, our senses became
filled with passion, energy and fire. The Sterlet itself, a type of Sturgeon
held in high esteem by Russians for its tasty flesh and fine caviar, was
flawless while exhibiting a fresh clean taste on the palate. |
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| Our sommelier Dmitry offered a California selection of
Triple Overtime Chardonnay, 2006 as the compliment to this scrumptious
entrée. Although on the surface an American wine, it has its roots in
Russian passion in that Igor Larionov, the retired NHL hockey player named this
wine in his portfolio after the game-winning goal in the 2002 Stanley Cup
playoffs. Characteristically this chardonnay has California written all over
it, despite considering its famous Russian patron. It is smoky and balanced
with vanilla and filberts hinting of a broad mouth feel and full finish. Who
comes to Russia without eating caviar or stroganoff? Well, Traditional Beef
a la Stroganoff with salted cucumbers was the final entrée selection
and we were not to be disappointed, as this was produced from a family recipe
adapted from the original Baroness Helene de Lundinghausen-Stroganoff. Chef
Alexey knew just how to captivate our senses with his turn-of-the-century
rendition of melt in your mouth thin slices of beef tenderloin, topped with
crimini mushrooms and sour cream with a cap of salted matchstick cucumbers. On
the side of the dish was an artistic streak of horseradish sauce in the support
role adding the necessary piquancy and zest to the rich and tasty beef. Wine
for the entrée turned out to be Muga Prado Enea, Gran Reserva,
Bodegas Roda, Rioja Spain 1998, made with indigenous tempranillo grapes
displaying a striking similarity to pinot noir. The deep red cherry color
exploded with floral notes of rose Ragusa culminating in faint minerality and
acidity. |
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| 2009
Award-Hand-Out: Caviar Bar & Restaurant, St. Petersburg -
Russia |
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| Finally, there was a lackluster Strawberry Mousse
with Fresh Berries and Ginger Ice Cream coupled with a very fine Muscat
de Beaumes de Venise, 2004. The aromatic Muscat grape of this dessert wine
was resplendent with dried apricots, honey and spice. It is safe to say that
the Caviar Bar in the Hotel Europe has stood the test of time with superb
innovative cuisine, steady unobtrusive and professional service while using the
highest quality ingredients. |
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by
Thorsten Buehrmann & Edmund Buehrmann
Editor: John
Lomitola
Editor-in-Chief: Ingrid Lemme |
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| © 2009 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes, Inc. |
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