The first Croatian Secret Dinner
Amidst an array of very attractive gastronomy events organized within the framework of this year’s first Restaurant Week, an event which lasts until March 4th, the first Croatian Secret Dinner was prepared for a lucky few.
The Restaurant Week project, which lasts until March 4th, has once again delighted many gourmets by offering exquisite gastronomy at reasonable prices. As an additional treat, a lucky few were given an opportunity to participate in the so-called Secret Dinner.
The idea was to organize something new, intriguing, tasty and affordable within the framework of this already well accepted project. The result was the first Croatian Secret Dinner. A total of 25 guests took part in the programme: they agreed to be taken to dinner not knowing where they were going, how to reach their destination, what they would eat or drink, or who their fellow diners would be. There were over a thousand applications from interested gourmets yearning for adventure. The project was organized via Restaurant Week Plus, a project intended to promote gastronomy through numerous humanitarian and educational activities undertaken by the restaurants participating in Restaurant Week. The selected guests left their designated starting points and set out into the unknown – towards The Regent Esplanade Zagreb hotel, where a surprise evening and diverse gastronomic pleasures awaited them in the Emerald Hall.
The dinner was prepared by the team of multi-awarded chef Jeffrey J. Vella, and it consisted of five courses and as many types of exquisite wines.
The meal started with an amuse-bouche with three different types of bread and Tomac Classic brut wine.
The second course included Involtini of Adriatic scampi, suckling pig pie and a creamy morel sauce with a glass of Mendek Mozaik Plavac Mali Barrique 2008 wine. The following course included a Carbonara – retrospective (basil, bottarga of tuna, 60-month-old parmesan, foam and powder, smoked chilli oil and egg yolk) served with Trapan – Malvazija Uroboros 2010 wine. The last savoury course included bitter winter lasagne and roasted pigeon breast, deboned veal ribs, purple potatoes and one hundred percent bitter cocoa, served with Saints Hills – Dingač 2009 wine.
To end this truly prestigious dinner, which cost the participants a symbolic 100 kuna, an exquisite dessert of chocolate-cheese waffles with 48-month-old parmesan, mascarpone, white chocolate and 90 percent bitter chocolate ice cream was served with a glass of Tomac Rose. Considering the originality of the idea and the truly exquisite menu, we believe that this project will cause an even bigger stir the next time it is organized. The next opportunity to be among the lucky diners will be presented very soon, during this year’s second Restaurant Week in late September.