The Bailliage started 2019 with a dinner at the residence of the Romanian Ambassador, His Excellency Nicusor-Daniel Tanase, and his wife Lina.

Fabulous efforts were made to have the menu as authentic as possible. So much so, many ingredients had been shipped in specially to achieve this.

We started with Romanian Mondial potatoes with Alba truffle and Dijon mustard, followed by a splendidly-presented trilogy of goat cheese and roots - red, golden and white - with crayfish, cherry tomatoes, herb-infused olive oil and micro cress avocado mousse. Rehydrated goat cheese prepared molecular cuisine style was a most innovative way of preparing the dish.

The sous-vide cooked sea grass-fed lamb was an absolutely delicious main course. This came after the wintery mushroom middle course which was a medley of chanterelle, trompette and wild mushrooms.

We ended with traditional Romanian desserts and a cheese selection delight of Telemea, Brânza de burduf, Kashkaval and the Transylvanian Nazal.

Romanian Telemea was traditionally made of sheep’s milk. However, nowadays the term encompasses cheese made out of cow's milk, and in some cases of goat's, or buffalo's milk.

Brânză de burduf (English: lit. kneaded cheese) is a salty type of Romanian cheese, made with sheep (or occasionally buffalo) milk. It has a strong flavour and slightly soft in texture.

Kashkaval is a type of yellow cheese made of cow’s milk, sheep’s milk, or both. The name is derived from the Italian caciocavallo. In Romania the term is often used to refer to all yellow cheeses.

Năsal is a traditional Romanian cheese bearing the same name as the village where it is produced. It is made from cow's milk and produced in a natural cave where its characteristics and flavour are imparted by unique microbiological conditions.

At the end of the evening it was clear to all the attendees that the team from the Sheraton Hotel - especially its Executive Chef Frank Noack - along with the Ambassador and his wife had enabled members and their guests to enjoy and experience a genuinely Romanian Gala dinner.

Vive la Chaîne!

Soumaya El-Azem
Chargée de Missions