ABU DHABI: A lavish 10-course meal served just hours before the legendary Titanic sank, killing over 1,500 passengers and crew 104 years ago, is being recreated for the first time in the UAE by a French restaurant in Abu Dhabi.
On April 14, the posh Bord Eau in the Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri will restore the legacy of ultra-fine dining by presenting the lavish spread originally dished out to the first-class passengers aboard the British passenger liner before it collided with an iceberg and sank in the North Atlantic that night in 1912.
The cost of the passage ticket for the Titanic’s first-class passengers becomes almost Dh500,000 ($124,000) in today’s valuation, but the meal can be booked for only Dh406 (plus taxes) or Dh496 (plus taxes) if paired with grapes.
“According to our research we have found this to be the first attempt in the Middle East to recreate this 10-course menu from the Titanic,” says Thomas Guss, the hotel’s general manager. “As you know there has been a lot of discovery in the last few years during the deep diving excavations which brought to life the day-to-day elements used by the passengers. When we came across the menu we found it was heavily influenced by what we now call traditional French cuisine. This made sense to recreate it using exactly the same ingredients as aboard this inaugural launch.”
To roll back the years, Bord Eau’s magnificent dining room will be transformed into the Titanic’s first-class restaurant, with executive chef Mansour Memarian creating a symphony of flavours that will transport up to 22 couples back to the Edwardian era of haute cuisine. Guests will be entertained by jazz favourites across the decades. They are being advised to dress elegantly to suit the occasion. “The tone will be high end and all will be invited to dress to the occasion in their finest evening wear,” says Guss, who is encouraging guests to book the limited number of seats available in advance.
For reservations and enquiries, contact restaurantreservations.slad@shangri-la.com or call (971 2) 509 8555.
