12 June, 2012
Eat & Drink

Chez Patrick Catering – fine dining in your own home

12 June, 2012

It goes without saying that us Sassy girls delight in great food, great drinks and great atmosphere… and this is quadrupled when we all come together! When our team meets for a catch-up session, it’s sure to be quite a night, but also one that involves thoughtful planning. But here’s the catch – could you find a fussier audience to host than a group of women who live to find the newest and coolest in HK?!

To take away the pressure of playing host, we decided to try Chez Patrick’s catering service. We already love their restaurants throughout HK, so we couldn’t wait to see what they could whip up for us in the comfort of Jaime’s own living room – and the night was a haze of innovative dishes, gorgeous presentation, and the joy of knowing someone else was in the kitchen prepping and cleaning up!

Chez Patrick’s new catering service is filled with fantastic authentic French flavours for all types of occasions, budgets and menu. We decided to try the Canapés menu with a few extras; Chez Patrick’s Chef Laurent was on cooking duty and having worked in kitchens from London to Japan (under renowned Chef Joel Robuchon no less), has some serious experience under his belt.

After all us Sassy girls got settled, Chef Laurent introduced six gorgeously presented canapés with mouth-watering descriptions (the team also bring all their crockery, so no need to worry about that either!). First up, a fig foie gras on a gingerbread base – the sweet and salty combination tasted wonderful, and the gingerbread beneath added a warm spiciness that was novel in combination with foie gras. Everyone approached a savoury crème brûlée with foie gras and truffle curiously but the torched sugar crust on this inventive dish worked just as well with a savoury bottom as the original sweet dessert; I thought the heavy flavours of truffle and foie gras might be too overwhelming together, but the mixture was light and balanced.

After also trying some smoked salmon mousse with wasabi cheese, a spoon of salmon cream with lemon herbs, and smoked yogurt with cucumber, we ended with a three-layer canapé of lobster jelly, chicken broth with caviar, and cauliflower-curry sauce. We really had to scoop our spoons down our glasses to hit all three levels of this, but the combo was delicious, and the surf and turf style of lobster and chicken melded surprisingly well. Throughout, the waitress topped up our wine, cleared dishes, and offered crusty French bread… all we had to do was focus on the food and company – what a treat!

Next were two hot dishes – some pan-fried scallops in a vegetable broth were subtle, light and an ideal start to a summer dinner. The second dish was a heartier fish soup made of lobster and rockfish; Chef Laurent advised us to drop the accompanying crouton in for the best flavour and the crunch of the lightly soup-soaked crouton was terrific.

The third act of the evening was the cheese course. Chef Laurent expertly walked us through the selection and advised us to start with the Reblochon, then an aged Compte, an Epoissie burgundy cheese, then Roquefort, Brie, an exotic Wasabi Goats cheese, and finally Grolourin.  From nutty to creamy to smoky, the cheeses did not disappoint so make sure you save room for some creamy cheesy goodness! What made them go down even better was getting a bit of the backstory for each one from Chef Laurent, who clearly knew his fromage.

After a mild gazpacho to cleanse our palettes, we ended the meal with three mini desserts. Even though many of us were complaining we couldn’t eat another bite, we all safely managed to try a few nibbles of each sweet (purely for testing matters, of course!). The mini chocolate and coffee éclairs were bursting full of rich cream, whilst the raspberry and chocolate macaroons were delicate, crispy, chewy delights. Adding a bit of freshness to the selection, the lemon meringue tarts made for a sharp and clean ending.

The staff left as swiftly as they arrived, leaving Jaime’s kitchen looking immaculate. It seemed almost fantasy that twelve dishes were produced from this very setting… until we peeked in the fridge and noticed several leftover treats for an indulgent next day!

As we sat back, satiated and happy, all our minds were ticking. With various events and special occasions looming in the distance, how much easier would that dinner party next week be if it was catered? How relaxing would a summer BBQ be if the clean-up was finished before the night was over? How fantastic would that birthday party be with an experienced French chef at the helm? Chez Patrick Catering really is the perfect solution!

Canapé catering from $200 per head, dinner party $700 per head with minimum charges applying and BBQ from $500 per person.

For bookings and more information, please contact [email protected]

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