Most of us who have watched the movie Titanic have at times admired the lavish dinner served to its first class passengers, that included so many courses that Jack, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, has to be taught to choose the cutlery for the right dish.
Well, you don’t have to admire it through a TV screen anymore. For two nights only, (Friday and Saturday), Bord Eau in Abu Dhabi’s Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, is treating guests to that final 10-course meal served onboard the Titanic on April 14, 1912.
Gulf News tabloid! spoke to the two-Michelin star chef who is behind the concept and got an exclusive preview of the menu.
“People don’t just come to this dinner for the food. It’s about the whole experience. The restaurant will be completely transformed and it will be like you are on the Titanic,” said Mansour Memarian, the executive chef at Bord Eau.
From jazz music, carefully decorated dining hall and staff dressed in classic white coats, Memarian said the restaurant will try and create the authentic Edwardian era atmosphere, so that “every guest should feel like a star from the moment they enter the restaurant.”
The event which is in its second year, saw guests dressed up in ball gowns and suits last year, which Memarian said was never mentioned on the invitation.
“It was just like a scene out of the movie, the only thing missing from the picture was Leonardo DiCaprio,” Memarian jokes.
At the heart of the experience is of course the food, which Memarian said was developed after in depth research. The German executive chef’s knowledge about the original menu, the dining manners of the 1900s and food fashions of the time is truly impressive.
According to Memarian while Bord Eau’s food experience follows the original first-class menu – which was discovered when Titanic was found — it is more condensed and has a modern twist.
The luxurious dinner starts with canapes of beautifully cooked mushroom pie and oysters, followed by scallops, poached salmon, fillet mignon, lamb loin, roasted squab, cold asparagus, Foie Gras and dessert.
This was after all part of an experience that first-class passengers had paid an equivalent to US$124,000 (Dh 455,421) in today’s currency.
tabloid! tried five of the 10 courses and they were all simply exquisite.
The thinly sliced poached scallops are so delicious that they leave you wanting more.
The flavoursome lamb is tender, cooked to perfection and complimented by a mint and creamed pea, while the cold crunchy asparagus leaves you feeling refreshed. The Foie Gras is filled with so many flavours that you will not be able pin point any particular ingredient.
Memarian points out the differences between their menu and the original, which generally differ in quantity and the style of cooking.
“For example the lamb, for sure it was not cooked the way we cook it. The way we cook it now, we bring a little bit more freshness into it, make it lighter.
“We only serve half of the pigeon breast. But in those days they would have served half a pigeon. The meals were very heavy, more cream and butter, and the portions were much bigger than today.”
The nouvelle cuisine as we know it now, he says, has only been around for around 40 years or so. Then the idea was the heavier the food, the better it tasted.
So how did they eat so much in those days?
They did not necessarily finish their dishes as it was fashionable to leave food on their plates, Memarian explained
He highlighted items such as the asparagus and the Foie Gras would not be served as the eighth and ninth course and after three main courses in modern times.
Memarian said the event will not only provide guests a memorable evening experience but it will also give them a glimpse of the Edwardian era cuisine.
Don’t miss it
What: Experience the Last Dinner Served on the Titanic
Credit Card: Yes
Price: Dh496
Location: Bord Eau, Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi
When: April 14 and 15, 6.30pm
Phone Number: 02 509 8555
