On 19th June, Executive Chef of Aster, Helena Puolakka, is set to welcome godfather of the restaurant industry, Pierre Koffmann, to her critically acclaimed Nordic-French restaurant. The first in a series of evenings in which remarkable chefs will be ‘in conversation’ with Richard Vines, Bloomberg’s chief critic; a special menu will be created by Helena Puolakka in collaboration with the guest chef. £5 from the sale of each ticket will be donated to Hospitality Action, the trade charity offering a crucial lifeline to people of all ages, working and retired, from the hospitality industry.
Having worked as head chef at La Tante Claire when she first arrived in London in 2001, Helena is no stranger to working alongside Pierre, and like many of the city’s top chefs, considers him to be one of her greatest mentors. Reunited in the kitchen at Aster, together the pair have designed a five-course tasting menu incorporating their individual styles whilst staying true to Aster’s Nordic-French roots. Standout dishes will include the likes of pan-fried foie gras with smoked eel and apple salad and pig’s trotter “Pierre Koffmann” with pomme mousseline and a port wine sauce. A wine pairing devised by Aster’s sommelier, Marco Marcuzzo, featuring selections from the world’s best vineyards will also be available to complement each dish.
As curator of the Aster Chef Series, Richard Vines will be ‘ in conversation’ with the chefs, offering a rare opportunity for those in attendance to learn more about these distinguished chefs and the motivations behind the dishes served. Richard remarked on the series, “This is a great chance to get to know some of the world’s leading chefs and I am delighted to be involved”. Guests will also be invited to take part in a prize draw in aid of Hospitality Action, with one winner to be announced during the event.
With a stellar line-up of up-coming collaborators to be announced in due course, Pierre and Helena will set the bar high for one of London’s most exciting collaboration series to date.
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