For the Bailliage’s celebration of World Chaîne Day they decided to explore “The Tastes of the World” with a five-course lunch at the Hyatt Regency cooked by five Chefs representing five countries.

Fuji Taukatelata (Tonga) presented a fantastic Kingfish ‘Ota Ika
Executive Chef at the Hyatt Regency, Fuji’s choice of Kingfish 'Ota Ika was inspired by her Tongan heritage. A Pacific Island dish, featuring raw kingfish marinated in citrus (lemon/lime) and mixed with coconut cream, onions, tomatoes, and cucumber, the acid briefly “cooks” the fish, creating a fresh, ceviche-like salad.

Gert Pretorius (South Africa) cooked a memory with a Bobotie Samosa
Vice-Chancelier Gert (who joined the Chaîne as a Maître Rôtisseur) posted on the Social Media Wall that it was an honour to be serving a memory at the World Chaîne Day celebrations for the Bailliage of Brisbane. Bobotie samosas were the first dish he prepped 15 years ago when he was an apprentice with the Institute of Culinary Arts (ICA) at their restaurant, L'Olive, From this modest beginning his culinary journey started in earnest and he was now able to look back on a successful career. Bobotie samosas are a South African fusion snack combining traditional Cape Malay spiced, fruity minced beef (bobotie) with crispy fried or baked pastry. Typically made using phyllo or spring roll sheets, they are filled with curried beef, raisins, and chutney, often served with apricot dipping sauce.

Americo Fernandes (Portugal) served up Crumbed Alheira
A Paris born chef to Portuguese parents, Americo’s first experience with food started with his mother and grandmother who collectively taught him the fundamentals of farm to table cooking. They inspired his love of food and cooking, which then lead him at age 15 years old to an apprenticeship at the esteemed Michelin-starred InterContinental Hotel, Paris. Following a 10-year culinary career in France and Europe, his desire to travel took him to Melbourne, and ultimately Brisbane where he has worked in restaurants all over the city. Crumbed Alheira (often called bolinhas de alheira or croquettes) is a popular Portuguese snack, featuring mashed, smoked poultry-and-bread sausage coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried until golden. They are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and commonly served as appetizers or tapas (petiscos) in Portuguese bars.

Seongbae Im (Korea) chose Beef Galbi-jjim to be the main course
Galbi-jjim (braised short ribs). In traditional cuisine, galbi-jjim was traditionally eaten at Chuseok - a major Korean mid-autumn harvest festival. As galbi jjim is usually made from only the centre part of ribs from a calf while the rib ends are used to make soup stock, galbi was more expensive than other cuts of beef in South Korea and therefore has always been regarded as a high-class dish.

Thi Van Anh Kim (Vietnam), Lotus Nerikiri
Lotus Nerikiri is a delicate, hand-shaped Japanese sweet (wagashi) typically featuring soft pink or white petals, a yellow centre, and green details, designed to represent lotus flowers. Made from shiroan (white bean paste) and gyūhi (soft mochi), these artistic confections are created to match seasons and are usually served with tea.

At the end of the lunch, the five chefs receive their accolades, following an outstanding culinary journey.

Besides the chefs and their chosen menu items, other things to mention were:

As always, the Bailliage’s mascot “Mademoiselle Shayne” (a koala soft toy) was ready to “par-tay” and managed to bomb most of the photos. Nothing new there then!

Bailli Shymal Dhar sang a welcome to World Chaîne Day for the members and their guests.

April 25th is ANZAC Day, a significant day in Australia when the country commemorates personnel who served in the Australian and New Zealand military. A traditional game played on the day is Two-Up, involving a designated ‘spinner’ launching two pennies from a board into the air. The tradition was honoured by Bailliage members.

It was the birthday of Barb, mother of the Bailli. The Hyatt’s chefs made a cake giving her a fabulous memory on World Chaîne Day

Many thanks went to Vice-Échanson Matthias Lohmann who matched the wines perfectly with the bespoke menu.

Prepared by a Chaîne News Online Staff Writer. E&OE