Norfolk’s TATU sizzles with Valentines’ dishes

The hotter the love the better, they say, and especially in the 21st century. So how about some chilli?

Since as far back as I can remember, chocolate has always been the aphrodisiac of choice. Chocolate in soup, chocolate in roses, chocolate in popcorn, popcorn in chocolate, and the list goes on.

With the dawn of 2012 however, Chef Hubert des Marais of Fairmont The Norfolk decided to step things up…

In his exclusive line of fresh Valentine dishes, Hubert starts you off with chilli sprinkled prawn, lightly grilled and slightly soaked up in sugarcane juice.

The chilli stings and the juicy bits soothe, and your palate opens up for the next serving of mouth watering starters…


1: DESSERT peppered strawberry meringue – vanilla bean whipped cream and passion fruit


2: Scottish oyster – wasabi, ginger, chilli and lime


5: Sugar cane skewered prawn – Red bullet aioli


6: Skirt Steak with garlic potatoes, broccoli and kachumbari

(Pictures by TAHIR KARMALI).

Savoy’s culinary excellence comes to Tatu

Chef Michael Stenekes and Natalie Culleton visit Tatu Restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya (photo: Susan Wong Sept 2011)

A bit of London glitz and glamour has arrived at Tatu, the signature restaurant of Nairobi’s Fairmont The Norkfolk.

For this entire week, Executive Chef of the River Restaurant at London’s The Savoy, Michael Stenekes, will be dazzling Nairobians with classics, whilst incorporating fresh local Kenyan produce with Modern French culinary techniques finshed with his whimsical yet timeless touches.

The Savoy’s pastry chef Natalie Culleton will also be bringing the glamour back into afternoon tea and desserts during dinner service at The Norkfolk with her creative and delicious masterpieces.

For those that are less familiar with The Savoy and the iconic hotel’s history since 1889, the recently restored hotel is truly a gem in the hospitality industry as its glamourous English Edwardian and Art Deco interiors have hosted some of the most high profile people in the World for more than a century.

Aside from the timeless and elegant interiors of the hotel, The Savoy is also renowned for its culinary excellence, which was first started by the legendary Auguste Escoffier. The renowned Gordon Ramsay has returned to the Savoy Grill and now with the reopening of the River Restaurant that overlooks the stunning River Thames, the young and talented Michael Stenekes will ensure that The Savoy’s tradition of culinary excellence will be continued.

Chef Stenekes and Pastry Chef Culleton will be showcasing their Savoy classics from September 20th to 24th. Don’t miss out on this rare opportunity to wine and dine in Nairobi with a taste of London’s character and charm.

 

FOODBLOG: Photo Credits Susan Wong © All rights reserved.

Chef Michael Stenekes and Natalie Culleton visit Tatu Restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya (photo: Susan Wong Sept 2011) Chef Michael Stenekes and Natalie Culleton visit Tatu Restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya (photo: Susan Wong Sept 2011)

Chef Stenekes butterflies fresh prawns for the Pan Roasted Prawns with pineapple carpaccio, melon and sauce vierge

 

Chef Michael Stenekes and Natalie Culleton visit Tatu Restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya (photo: Susan Wong Sept 2011) Chef Michael Stenekes and Natalie Culleton visit Tatu Restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya (photo: Susan Wong Sept 2011)

The precision of Chef Stenekes plating style is showcased in all dishes including the Canapés: Smoked Salmon scone with wasabi cream; Bocconcini and baby vine tomatoes; and Ham with goat cheese, chives and truffle.

 

Chef Michael Stenekes and Natalie Culleton visit Tatu Restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya (photo: Susan Wong Sept 2011)

The Grilled Beef Tenderloin with stilton potato wontons, forest mushroom, wilted spinach and red wine sauce was incredibly flavourful.  The tenderloin, Morendet Gold Primer Natural Beef, was succulent and velvety tender.

 

Chef Michael Stenekes and Natalie Culleton visit Tatu Restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya (photo: Susan Wong Sept 2011)

Pastry Chef Natalie Culleton showcased her artistry and refined techniques with this Mango Melba of vanilla ice cream, raspberry coulis and spun sugar.  A remake of the 1893 classic dessert from The Savoy, Culleton incorporated fresh Kenyan mangoes and used Kenyan sugar for the spun sugar instead, as a result creating a new and unique version of the Melba.

Raising the steaks at Tatu

Tatu Restaurant photographed by Susan Wong 2011

Kenyans love their meat.  If they could, they’d probably eat Nyama Choma (roasted goat or beef) everyday.  With the booming restaurant business in most urban centers in the country, Kenyans are gradually taking to steaks like they are to some good Nyama.

So what does a good steak taste like? Can you tell how delicious a steak is going to taste only by looking at it?  You bet you can, and the team at Fairmont Kenya clearly has that figured out.  It’s not simply about raising cows, but literally raising a great steak.

The new menu at Tatu , located at The Norfolk Hotel, features a diverse range of specials such as Indian Ocean Spiny Lobster, charcoal grilled pork chop and lamb racks, and even nutritious Fairmont Lifestyle Cuisine dishes.  However, the star on the menu is definitely the Morendet Gold Primer Natural Beef.

The Morendet Gold Primer Natural Beef comes from crossbred steers that are custom raised for Fairmont Kenya in Naivasha.  The cows are exclusively grain fed for 180 days with premium corn, silage and alfalfa – ensuring that each cut of meat and steak has a great balance of marbling and flavour.

Just like soil can affect the quality of wine, a cow’s diet can drastically change the quality of its flesh.  For example, grass-fed cows may seem environmentally friendly however the lack of consistency in flavour, marbling and overall look of the meat  make these steers less desirable.

The various cuts of the Morendet beef at Tatu, New York Strip, Tenderloin and Cow Boy Ribeye will surely surprise your palettes with their unique flavours and velvety tenderness. Enjoy!

Tatu Restaurant photographed by Susan Wong 2011

 

Other dishes to check out at Tatu: Photo Credits Susan Wong © All rights reserved.

Tatu Restaurant photographed by Susan Wong 2011

Indian Ocean Tuna Tasting: charred tuna, tuna tartar, tuna sashimi

Tatu Restaurant photographed by Susan Wong 2011

Local Grilled Quail

 

Tatu Restaurant photographed by Susan Wong 2011

Indian Spiny Lobster with Lemon Butter

 

Tatu Restaurant photographed by Susan Wong 2011

Charcoal Grilled Pork Chop