Among those fortunate enough to purchase a home in Hawaii, how many receive the bonus of a fancy thank-you dinner? Buyers at Park Lane Ala Moana, luxury condominiums being built on Ala Moana Boulevard next to the mall, did.
And the chef for their unforgettable meal was someone we hadn’t yet seen touch Hawaii shores.
Here’s a bit about their special evening, something for the “How the Other Half Lives” file.
To launch Park Lane’s Signature Chef Event series Nov. 11, no less than three-star Michelin chef Thomas Keller agreed to serve a six-course meal to some 100 guests at Halekulani’s La Mer restaurant. The dishes came straight off his menu at the French Laundry in Napa Valley, where only the most impeccable ingredients are utilized.
On the menu:
California White Sturgeon Caviar served with buckwheat savarin, scallion mousseline, English cucumber and kaffir lime; Carnaroli Risotto Biologico, Castelmagno cheese, brown butter and shaved white truffles from Alba; Alaskan King Crab Zingara, French Laundry Mangalitsa ham, champignons de Paris mushrooms, Savoy cabbage, black truffle with Oloroso sherry vinaigrette; Snake River Farms Calotte de Boeuf, beef served with caramelized onion crust, Musquee de Provence pumpkin, pickled onions, broccolini and whole grain mustard jus; Blood Orange Sorbet, poached vanilla meringue with French Laundry Garden Daylily Jelly; and Chocolate Bombe, Valrhona chocolate mousse with milk jam and whipped cream.
Guest Lynn Lally, 64, said the experience was better than at the actual French Laundry because Keller himself came out to the dining room to explain each dish as it was being served.
“He was so very personable, I was impressed,” she said. “I felt the experience — the ambience, the menu selections — was spot on. The preparations, the presentation, the flavors — oh gosh! — I loved every choice they made.”
To put such a meal together, Park Lane turned to Halekulani executive chef Vikram Garg for assistance. The developer wanted top talent from outside the isles. Did Garg think they could get Keller?
“I said I’d sure ask, so I approached chef Keller and he agreed to come,” said Garg, who along with his staff assisted Keller and crew.
Though most meals prepared in Hawaii by visiting chefs tend to focus on local ingredients, this dinner was different.
“The main focus was providing guests with the French Laundry experience, down to the style of service and the napkin folds. There was nothing local about it except for a few things, the cucumbers and kaffir lime,” Garg said. “They brought in a lot of ingredients with them. They grow their own vegetables and they cure their ham there. The meal was about the best of the world: the rice from Italy, caviar from California, Alaskan King crab, just like at the French Laundry.”
Lally said it was a meal she’ll long remember.
“We just returned from three weeks in Europe, but this was … better than Europe. I’ve never experienced anything like it.”
