Featuring the craftsmanship of Chef Christoph Zoller this event started the year in style. Chef Christoph, born in the “Bodensee triangle” (Lake Constance) where Austria, Switzerland, and Germany meet, delighted us with exquisite, authentic Austrian treats.

The whole occasion was greatly supported by the Fairmont Hotel Beijing’s General Manager Michael Ganster, a fellow Austrian, His Excellency Dr. Friedrich Stift, the Ambasador of Austria, and Austrian Vice-Ambassador, Mrs Regina Figl. 

Mozart’s music greeted us in the hotel’s Champagne Bar where delicious canapés and glasses of Austrian Netzl Muskatina 2015 awaited us. Dinner was then served in The CUT restaurant. The courses were accompanied by fine Austrian wines.

MENU

“Amuse bouche”
Traditional beef jelly, herb vinaigrette
Netzl Grüner Veltliner Classic 2015

“White trout trilogy”
Layered trout cake, trout mousse, trout tartare
green apple, horseradish
Netzl Chardonnay 2015

Pumpkin consommé
Styrian pumpkin seed oil, candied pumpkin seeds

 “Kärntner” dumplings, dried mint
warm cabbage salad, bacon, nut butter
Fuchs Sauvignon Blanc 2015 - Steiermark

Cucumber and gin sorbet

Grilled venison steak
celeriac, beetroot, carrot, cranberry, red wine gravy
Martin Passler Zweigelt 2013 - Burgenland
Pleil Zweigelt 2013 - Niederösterreich

Fluffy “Kaiserschmarrn”
(Austrian shredded pancake flambéed with rum
powdered sugar, homemade plum compote)
Netzl St. Laurent 2014

Highlights of the menu were: the dense dark green oil from Styrian pumpkin seeds, the cucumber sorbet, the venison, and the dessert (the Austrians are noted for the best desserts worldwide) which was pure decadence.

How did the dessert get its name?

Generally it’s agreed it was first made for Emperor Kaiser Franz I. His wife Elisabeth, from Bavaria, instructed the chef to make a light dessert in order to maintain her tiny waistline. The result didn’t impress her. The Emperor asked to see this schmarrn (“nonsense” in German), hence its name Kaiserschmarrn.

All in all it was an amazing night with amazing food and amazing people! As we left, Mozart seemed to still be playing in our ears. A big thank you to Chef Christoph and his team at the Fairmont Hotel Beijing for an extraordinary culinary road trip through Austria.

Steven Schwankert
Vice-Chargé de Presse