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On Sunday the 5th of October I will fly again for 11 hours towards Japan. We will organize the Ciel Bleu Food Festival for the second time in the French restaurant, ‘De Belle Epoque’, of Hotel Okura Tokyo. Dennis Huwaë, our Junior Sous Chef, will assist me during the ten days of our visit.
The last few months we worked very hard to get everything done in time. We first worked out the lunch-and diner menu's with recipes and pictures of what the dishes should look like. We took previous experiences about Japan into account, we now know what ingredients we can and can't obtain in Tokyo. Certain species of fish are not the same as they are in the Netherlands. For example, Turbot and Sea bass have a different structure and different measurements. We are really spoiled in Holland when it comes to fish. I remember the first time when we organized this festival. We were surprised about the different structures of the fish. After preparing the fish, it is more firm, it enlightens differently (a little bit grubby) and the taste is a world of difference. This was very interesting and we learned a lot! We don't have to worry about meat and poultry. This year we serve pigeon called Anjou, one of my signature dishes, witch will be freshly delivered twice from France. We composed a delightful 4-course lunch menu and a magnificent 6-course menu for diner.
We are going to organize this event to introduce the culinary public of Tokyo to the kitchen of Ciel Bleu Amsterdam. After arrival on Monday the 6th of October we will first sit around the table with the chef of ‘Belle Epoque Restaurant' to discuss the ingredients we will need to order. Then we will do mise en place (preparations) on Tuesday and Wednesday so we are well prepared to start with the lunch on Thursday.
Personally, for me it is always really special to return to the kitchens of Okura Tokyo. I will see five Japanese colleagues again who worked with me in the kitchen of Ciel Bleu Amsterdam, which is really nice! It always is very emotional to see each other again and they are really happy that we are going to cook dishes they are familiar with for a week. I know that the boys of Belle Epoque will strengthen us during the festival and I look forward to this culinary cooperation!
We are going to pack our suitcases as efficiently as possible, because we also have to bring ingredients with us which we can not purchase in Japan. Furthermore we are going to share our experiences with you regarding the event in Hotel Okura Tokyo from the 5th until the 15th of October. I will refresh the weblog when I am in Japan every other day with nice texts and pictures about our experiences so that you can be there with us a little bit!
Q-linary greetings,
Onno Kokmeijer
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To get a good impression of the Ciel Bleu Restaurant we kindly invite you to have a look at the photo's and films . 
Follow Executive chef Onno Kokmeijer and his team searching for the best. 
An exceptional culinary experience , get a glimpse into the culinary secrets of the Ciel Bleu Restaurant. |
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