#SusanEats: Norfolk Fairmont’s Tatu Restaurant welcomes new chef

#Foodporn with Chef Doxis: Kamchatka #Crab tian, Avocado #tartar, #Saffron #soup, rouille and micro greens @norfolkfairmont Time to pour the broth!

#food #delicious #finedining #art #foodies #yummyinmytummy #susaneats

A photo posted by Susan Wong (@susanluckywong) on Dec 12, 2014 at 12:58am PST

 

Tatu may have been featured twice in the last few years on the prestigious annual list of the 101 Best Hotel Restaurants Around the World and has also enjoyed its reputation as one of the best steakhouses in Kenya; but there’s an ambitious new player stepping into the game, and he plans to deliver haute cuisine with a new signature flare to the landmark historic hotel. Greek-born Doxis Bekris is the new Group Executive Chef behind the latest culinary face-lift of Norfolk Fairmont’s Tatu and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Kenya’s other properties in the region.

Long before being based in Nairobi, Chef Bekris got his start in the culinary world with pedigree. The Runner-up for Chef of The Year for Middle East and Africa for the Hotelier Awards in 2007 spent time as the Culinary Director at The Westin Resort & The Romanos Luxury Hotel, and at Kempsinki Hotel (Emirates) and Swiss Hotels & Resorts (Zurich) as the Corporate F&B and Culinary Director.

Tatu, known for its classic dishes with modern flare and its philosophy of showcasing some of Kenya’s best produce, it was evident that Chef Bekris was an easy fit. Using food as a piece of art plated on a dish, Chef Bekris elevates the restaurant as a canvas for culinary art.

My latest culinary experience at Tatu began with Chef Bekris’ amuse-bouches: Apricot and Blue Cheese, Bacon-wrapped Salmon, and my favourite, Slow-cooked Pork Belly – a classic that has been featured by every Tatu executive chef, but this version was certainly one of the best with its sweet finishing, melt-in-your-mouth texture and a delicate audible crunch. The final surprise was a wafer-thin bread cone which added just enough crunch and texture to offset the soft texture of the Salmon Tartar and Black Sesame flavoured with lime, lemon zest, and sour cream – anchored in a blanket of rock salt, defying gravity much like an edible sculpture.

Then there was the Kamchatka Crab tian, Avocado Tartar, Saffron Soup, Rouille, topped with micro Greens – a layered stunning seafood bisque that was presented separately from the delicate tower of fresh crab meat finished with roast bell pepper sauce, awaiting the grand moment of when I would drizzle the aromatic broth with care around the elegant soup ingredients. Every time I see soup presented in this way, my heart skips a beat and I swoon.

The Greek Salad Re-invented with local tomatoes, cucumber, onions and peppers, Greek feta cheese and Kalamata olives arrived whimsically and completely deconstructed with every ingredient planted into a bed of light mousse that was finished simply with fresh Greek yoghurt. Like a lush garden and a forager’s dream, this plate was simplicity at its best, innovative and a delightful example of how Chef Bekris’ elevates classic comfort food.

The ambitious Chef Bekris is setting out to shake up Nairobi’s fine dining scene through transforming Tatu into the perfect culinary canvas. His ambitions are set high for Tatu and as he plans on taking advantage of the opportunity, get ready Nairobians.

Karibu, Chef Bekris.

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