AN EXQUISITE FOUR-HANDS DINNER

Chef Anne-Sophie Nicolas of the legendary Gaddi's joins Remy Carmignani of Pen Manila

- MILLIE & KARLA REYES

MILLIE: When two brilliant chefs come together to curate an outstanding four-hands dinner at The Peninsula Manila, sheer perfection happens.

Over the weekend, we were honored to have witnessed and tasted the excellent culinary creations of The Peninsula Manila executive chef Remy Carmignani and visiting chef Anne-Sophie Nicolas from the legendary Gaddi's Restaurant at The Peninsula Hong Kong.

The elegant three-hour fine-dining experience began with a welcoming bubbly, nothing less than a Baron de Rothschild "Concordia" Brut Champagne NV (note that NV stands for non-vintage) served with amuse bouche selections, the first with a lightly salted fish roe I can only find in Paris called tarama in a bite-sized cannoli with caviar, and the second, a smooth salmon mousse with Jerusalem artichoke.

KARLA: Le King Crabe was a stunning dish featuring a light tart shell with a generous filling of king crabs and smothered with caviar and gold leaves. It was also served with a lobster jelly beautifully decorated with heirloom radishes and chervil.

MILLIE: Our French wine sommelier from Cork Mademoiselle Eloise Chappard was quick to pour the Grand Bateau Bordeaux Blanc Sec 2023 which was chilled, light and refreshing, perfectly paired with the King Crab tartelette.

KARLA: The next course, Le Fagettini d’Agneau, was probably one of the most surprising dishes for me. Homemade fagottini pasta stuffed with shredded Moroccan