Success is usually a composite of drudgery and luck. But for the Bangkok Chefs Charity Gala Dinner, a unique formula that has allowed this annual event to run prosperously into its fifth year is nothing more than a combination of pure generosity, well-built camaraderie and top-notch ingredients.
So far, no other dining affairs in the Kingdom have gathered such an awe-inspiring number of hotel executive chefs, nor have they cultivated such a high amount of charitable donations. And the figures keep rising.
Initiated in 2009 by Gourmet One, one of Thailand's leading fine-food suppliers, the grand dinner event, which will be held again this year on Wednesday, July 17, in the Royal Grand Ballroom of Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, aims to raise funds to help improve the quality of education and well-being of underprivileged schoolchildren in remote areas.
BOOKING DETAILS
The 2013 Bangkok Chefs Charity Fundraising Gala Dinner will take place at the Royal Ballroom of the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, on Wednesday, July 17, at 6 pm. The event will again be presided over by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. The evening will kick off with a grand Champagne cocktail and canapes reception at 5.30 pm in the foyer of the Royal Ballroom. Tickets are 12,500 baht net per seat (for a table of 10). For reservations, call Rachanee (F&B dept), Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, at 02-659-0302, or contact Gourmet One at 02-403-3388 ext 504, or 081-732-1018.
The inaugural event kicked off in 2009 with 16 executive chefs of 10 nationalities from five-star hotels coming together to cook up a multi-course menu for 350 philanthropic guests at a dinner presided over by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
Through ticket sales and a series of auctions, the evening raised 3.4 million baht, the full amount of which went to charity.
As the project matured over the years, the generosity has flourished and yielded even greater results. The fourth Bangkok Chefs Charity affair, held in July last year, was presented by a team of 22 executive chefs and raised as much as 12 million baht.
The majority of the funds has been donated to the Sai Jai Thai Foundation and the Border Patrol Police School under Her Royal Highness' patronage.
The rest of the money was used for the improvement of buildings and facilities for needy schools in the North and the Northeast, as well as for providing school supplies, scholarships and food for the students. In 2011, the organiser also extended its support to deprived residents of Bangkok suburbs who were badly affected during the flooding crisis.
Another important factor that always inspires participants at the Bangkok Chefs Charity project is the strong camaraderie among those in the so-called "big-ego" profession who gather for the event.
It started with 16 chefs in the first year. Then the sensation, conviviality and challenge of this congregation captured the interest of more chefs and the number of those joining increased to 19, then 22.
For the upcoming event there will be 26 executive chefs, led by Norbert Kostner of the Mandarin Oriental, from 24 five-star hotels and one from our national carrier, Thai Airways International, working together to create an extraordinary 10-course dinner.
The grand menu for 2013 has been expertly conceptualised to honour classic cookery, while highlighting modern culinary skills.
It presents a series of magnificent dishes prepared with top-quality imported ingredients from the world's best sources, as well as premium local produce from the Royal Project. The sumptuous menu will be paired with a selection of fine wines provided solely by Siam Winery, Thailand's leading wine maker.
Siam Winery's president Chalerm Yoovidhya, who has been the top benefactor of the Bangkok Chefs Charity fundraising dinner for three years, said: "This kind of event deserves good products and good support. For me, it doesn't matter who supplies the wine, but whether the wine is of good quality. So when the organiser asked me if I'd like to contribute the wine I was more than happy to help."
As a distributor of almost all of the world's biggest wine specialists including E & J Gallo from the US, Vintners from Australia, Nicolas from France and Concha y Toro from Chile, the viticultural portfolio for the evening ranges from Chateau de Goelane from France, Gran Reserva Chardonnay from Chile, and Tempus Two's Pewter Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia, as well as two outstanding wines from Thailand _ Monsoon Valley Chenin Blanc and Fortified Muscat from Hua Hin Hills Vineyard.
"One of my missions is to see Thailand having our own wine culture. Since Thai food is celebrated internationally, it's ideal to be able to pair Thai wine with Thai food," said Chalerm.
"I also believe that overseas tourists coming to Thailand want to sample local cuisine together with good local wine.
"This will be beneficial to the country's tourism industry, while helping to raise the country's gastronomic standards. And judging from the number of international awards Hua Hin Hills Vineyard has received over the years, I'm sure Thailand can be a competent manufacturer of great wine just like countries in the West," he said.
Chalerm, who also leads the globally famous Red Bull empire, noted that the culinary quality of the Bangkok Chefs Charity cuisine has always been above par.
''The keen ardour and passion of these talented and energetic chefs has shown in their food. You can see that through the menu creation, presentation and taste. And the fact that the number of participating chefs has increased every year is proof that the project has been solid and well received.
''But what impressed me most in the Bangkok Chefs Charity is the fact that all the money collected has been and will be going to the underprivileged children upcountry. This encourages me to participate every year, no matter if I win the auction or not,'' added Chalerm.
Another prominent supporter of the Bangkok Chefs Charity event is Vichai Bencharongkul, the president of Benchachinda Group, one of the country's leading telecommunications and network solutions companies.
Promising to attend the event for the fourth time in a row, Vichai, who was the 2012 second highest bidder with a 4.2 million baht offer, said: ''It's always my strong objective to support goodwill activities, especially when all the proceeds go to HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn's foundation to help those really in need.
''The Bangkok Chefs Charity Gala Dinner has proved that it's all for a good cause. Therefore, I take it as a good opportunity for me and my family to [show] support, while also having a chance to enjoy great food,''said the telecommunications tycoon.
The top chefs, the epicurean menu, the fine wines
For its fifth edition, the 2013 Bangkok Chefs Charity Fundraising Gala Dinner, at the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, on July 17, sees 26 executive chefs from five-star hotels in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai and one from Thai Airways International blending together their culinary expertise to create an epicurean 10-course menu for the evening.
They've been working on the menu in teams of two, except for the main course and canapes. The main course sees a team of three of BCC's founding chefs preparing a delightful wagyu beef menu, while a team of five chefs are presenting a fine selection of delicious canapes items.
Each dish will be paired with some of the finest wines provided free of charge by Siam Winery, a supplier with a charitable heart. Here, from the canapes to starters, mains and desserts, is the full epicurean offering that guests at the 2013 Bangkok Chefs Charity Fundraising Gala Dinner can look forward to.
CANAPES
Crab macaroons, ginger and mango
Rice crackers, cucumber, coconut fluid and hamachi
Scallop, vanilla, carotte, lettuce mousseline
Labskaus of veal with beetroot and apple
Almond gazpacho with sea urchin and Iberico touch
Smoked cod on pisto and chickpea crisp
Marinated salmon with crab and coconut
Duck rillette, minted cabbage and hazelnut Dukkah
Foie gras toffee pops with ginger bread
Green pea, tarragon and prawn macaroon
THE CHEFS
Thomas Jakobi, Okura Prestige Bangkok
Bastian Mantey, St. Regis Bangkok
Kristoffer Baek, Crowne Plaza Phuket Panwa Beach Resort
Andrew Brown, Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok
Sarah Briegel, W Bangkok
THE CHAMPAGNE
Nicolas Feuillatte, Brut Reserve, Epernay, France
Nicolas Feuillatte, Rose, Epernay, France
STARTER
Cold steamed Canadian lobster and tartar of claw, pickled salsify and green asparagus, citrus zest, chervil and blossom avocado sauce
THE CHEFS
Stefan Trepp, Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
Antony Scholtmeyer, Sukhothai Bangkok
THE WINE
Mud House, Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Marlborough, New Zealand
FIRST COURSE
Remoulade of Alaskan king crab, celeriac and avocado, wattle seed wafer and wild sorrel coulis
THE CHEFS
Mark Hagenbach, Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok
Michael Hogan, JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok
THE WINE
Chateau Cavalier 2011, Cotes de Provence, Provence, France
SECOND COURSE
Double boiled consomme royale of golden neck pheasant from the Royal Project with truffled egg custard
THE CHEFS
Pierre Andre Hauss, Grand Millennium Sukhumvit Bangkok
Michael Gremer, Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit
THE WINE
Chateau Cavalier 2011, Cotes de Provence, Provence, France
THIRD COURSE
Tortelli filled with porcini mushrooms and Parmesan set on a light parsley sauce
THE CHEFS
Gaetano Palumbo, Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers
Martin Fischl, Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre
THE WINE
Famille Castel, Grande Reserve Chardonnay 2011, Bordeaux, France
FOURTH COURSE
Roasted Chilean seabass, fennel boulangere, pea tendrils, piquillo peppers, clam sauce
THE CHEFS
Leslie Stronach, InterContinental Hotel Bangkok
Jose Martin Ruiz Borja, Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel
THE WINE
Grand Reserva, Chardonnay 2010, Rapel, Chile
FIFTH COURSE
Pan-seared foie gras with caramelised daikon onion confit and raspberry duck jus
THE CHEFS
Frank Bohdan, Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok
Freddy Schmidt, Conrad Bangkok
THE WINE
Monsoon valley Chenin Blanc Late Harvest 2012, Hua Hin Hills Vineyard, Thailand
SIXTH COURSE
Challans duck breast stuffed with Creances carrots, leg confit and mushroom cromesquis, fig duck sauce
THE CHEFS
Thibault Chiumenti, Plaza Athenee Bangkok, A Royal Meridien Hotel
Philippe Gaudal, Landmark Bangkok
THE WINE
Chateau de Goelane, 2009, Bordeaux, France
SORBET
Exotic rose apple sorbet and lemon balm granite
THE CHEFS
Santo Zoppis, Thai Airways International
Pisit Jinopong, Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai
MAIN COURSE
Carved whole roasted fillet of wagyu beef with cabernet sauvignon red wine sauce and smoked marrow, wild summer chanterelles and palette of day fresh market vegetables
THE CHEFS
Norbert Kostner, Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
Nicolas Schneller, Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok
Erwin Eberharter, Dusit Thani Bangkok
THE WINE
Tempus Two, Pewter Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Coonawarra, Australia
DESSERT
Raspberry tart, geranium and raspberry jelly, lime and Valrhona chocolate mousse
THE CHEFS
Aurelien Poirot, Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit
Ansgar Schlemmer, Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok
THE WINE
Monsoon Valley, Muscat Fortified, 2011, Hua Hin Hills Vineyard, Thailand
PETITS FOURS & COFFEE
Hand dipped chocolates, petits fours and mignardises
Freshly brewed coffee, selection of fine teas and soothing herbal infusions
THE CHEFS
Santo Zoppis, Thai Airways International
Pisit Jinopong, Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai
WINE SUPPLIER WITH CHARITABLE HEART
Here is a list of the champagnes and wines to be served at the 2013 Bangkok Chefs Charity Fundraising Gala Dinner. They are all supported by Siam Winery, Thailand's leading producer of fine wines.
