Chef Pascal Aussignac, awarded one Michelin star, showcases the flavours of his roots at Shangri-La Chiang Mai
“My region – Burgundy, Toulouse and Gascon – is France’s Golden Triangle of food and wine,” beamed Chef Pascal Aussignac, owner and chef of London’s one Michelin starred Club Gascon as he introduced Chiang Mai’s salivating media to the upcoming seven-course feast. “I have discovered and used mostly Chiang Mai produce, from cheeses to vegetables, and will be serving dishes which are rich and bold, the flavours my region is known for.”
Our first dish arrives like the spring; a citrusy, bright, light courgette flower primavera filled with flavourful quinoa, spicy carrot jus and a sharp dill vinaigrette which makes the dish sing. Paired with a fresh and chilled glass of delicate Verve du Vernay Brut, the key was set for the culinary orchestra to come.
While our first dish had us thinking of fields of daffodils in spring, the second dish was all about Chef Pascal’s roots with the rich flavours and velvety texture of foie gras mixed in with bites of crab meat in a piparade served with what almost appeared to be a mini Yorkshire pudding, the flavours and textures coming together in the mouth like a melody.
The next dish was an homage to champignons, with a special twist to the traditional mushroom pie. Chanterelles are served in a Swiss-roll type mousse of mushrooms with a fricassee of wild mushrooms served on a bed of vibrantly coloured parsley oil and black garlic. The dish tastes and presents almost like a forest floor with the earthy mushroom flavours sitting on a fresh bed of moss, perfectly paired with the leathery, earthy hints of the full bodied Lirac Lou Camine.
Our journey continued with the boldly presented and perfectly cooked fillet of firmly white meat of black cod which came with a blood red dashi sauce, luminescent seaweed pearls and black logs of salsify, the splash of green sauce completing the almost abstract presentation.
There was some tittering amongst the press as we awaited our next dish, fortifying ourselves with a swig of Burgundy left from the cod pairing, as we anticipated the pig trotter croquette and confit pork neck to come. Served with anchovies, crispy capers and a glazed baby beet, the croquette ended up being our favourite element, a bite of crunch before the complex textures of the trotter and potatoes, fittingly served with the highly quaffable Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
A playful twist to the traditional macaroons acted as the bridge between the richness of the main course and the dessert swansong to come, with sweet macaroons surprising the palette with their savoury local goat’s cheese fillings which when picked up with the fingers – by Chef Pascal’s orders – and dipped and mashed into the gooey caramel walnut and whisky sauce, had us still licking our fingers as the feast came full circle with the playfully named Red Hot Chilli Peppers, a harmonious medley of late spring berries which concluded our Babette’s feast.
We can’t recommend this special culinary journey enough. Chef Pascal will be here only until the 12th August, working with the Shangri-La kitchen team and Chiang Mai’s only resident sommelier, to create an orchestra of flavours, aromas, textures, colours and experiences which any food lover in Chiang Mai should clamour to book.
There is a five course lunch set for only 1,388++ baht per person from 11.30pm-2.30pm or for the full seven course experience, go for dinner at 1,888++ per person. There is also an option to pair each dish with wine selected by Shangri-La’s sommelier.
Advanced booking is required as there is limited seating available.
8th August – 12th August 2018
Lunch 11.30am – 2.30pm
Dinner 6pm – 10pm, 7 course menu
Dhala Pool Garden, Level 1, Shangri-La Chiang Mai Hotel
053 253 888, restaurants.slcm@shangri-la.com