How do you feel about spending the night with your customers?
To me, hosting the guests for The Gachetronomer’s Night is not so different from inviting a group of friends over to my place for dinner. As the dine-around experience takes place once a month and requires an advance reservation, it gives me and my team plenty of time to prepare and get as much information as possible about the guests’ preferences and interests. We will be spending quite some time together throughout the three-course meal and, though food itself makes for a great conversation topic of course, it always helps to know what makes your guests tick to customise the experience around things that they are passionate about.
Do the staff scrub the kitchen any harder than usual?
While it’s tempting to think that being a special guest of the executive chef means you will be treading the red carpet as you navigate the kitchen and every pot and pan will be given an extra polish before your arrival, in reality, back areas don’t get any special treatment before the dine-around, as our kitchens (all six of them) are always kept in sparkling condition – Gachetronomer’s Night or not.
What do you think a Gachetronomer would find most surprising about going behind the scenes?
After trying their hand at noodle pulling in the Asian restaurant and sampling the dim sum, I take the guests on a tour of the steak-house kitchen. Spending five to 10 minutes there changes the dynamic of the night; you no longer feel like a visitor but rather as part of the Ritz-Carlton culinary team as you enter the restaurant through the service door with a new-found knowledge of what a complex mechanism a five-star kitchen is. It’s this discovery that surprises the Gachetronomer the most, I believe.
What’s the best way to take advantage of the opportunity?
In a nutshell, The Gachetronomer’s Night is a dine-around experience, giving the guests an opportunity to try four distinctive dining venues in one night without breaking the bank while getting to know the executive chef up close and personal. To make the most of this experience, I would recommend outlining your expectations at the time of booking. If you are a foodie and your idea of the perfect day off is trying out a new recipe, this is your opportunity to get into the thick of things in a professional kitchen, grill the chef about cooking secrets or get your hands dirty by making noodles from scratch. For a group of friends or a family who would rather stay on the sidelines while enjoying great food and ambience, The Gachetronomer’s Night has plenty to offer as well.
The Gachetronomer’s Night will be held this Saturday and every first Saturday of the month; group sizes can vary. The evening commences with snacks at Sorso bar, followed by dim sum and noodle pulling at Li Jiang, steak grilling and eating at The Forge, topped with an array of desserts from the Dolce cafe. The evening is priced from Dh450, with drink pairings offered at Dh650. To book, call The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal at 02 818 8282 or email restaurant.reservations@ritzcarlton.com
