Getting To Know Capella Singapore’s Gabriel Danis

July 2, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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Famous author and lover of all things French, Julia Child, once declared, “Wine is one of the agreeable and essential ingredients of life.”  Indeed, these words could not ring more true for Capella Singapore’s new Restaurant Manager and Sommelier of The Knolls Restaurant, Monsieur Gabriel Danis.

Originally hailing from Roanne, a commune in the Loire region in central France, Gabriel has spent just over 14 months in sunny Singapore.  Indeed, it is fitting that coming from one of France’s most renowned wine regions – he is now half-way round the world sharing his passion for French wine.

Starting from a humble beginning in 1995 as a commis waiter in Troisgros, a world renowned three Michelin-star restaurant in France, Gabriel learnt all the basic skills of fine dining service at the highest level.  Since then Gabriel has continued to grown restaurant knowledge, working in premier locations throughout the world.  During that time, Gabriel developed a special passion for wine and in 2000 he earned the highest level of certification in wine education from Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Wanting to learn more about wine, I followed Gabriel around to observe his duties and walk in the shoes of a wine sommelier for a day.  Apart from running wine tasting information sessions and offering expert advice and service to guests, Gabriel also manages wine procurement, wine storage, and wine cellar rotation.  Working along with Capella Singapore’s culinary team, Gabriel has also created wine pairing to complement each and every dish.

After an interesting afternoon, the charismatic and gentlemanly sommelier left me with three useful tips to for even the most novice wine lover:

  • Don’t be shy to ask the restaurant to pack up your wine bottle, especially if it is one that you thoroughly enjoyed. Remember to keep the label!
  • Decanting is not always necessary, as the wine will get plenty of air in the larger wine glasses while we swirl.
  • If you do not own a wine refrigerator, find a place in your house which is dark with a fairly constant, moderate temperature.

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Singapore’s Place in the Sea

June 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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Capella Singapore’s restaurant Cassia offers not only delicious meals, but also a bit of a historical reminder of one of Singapore’s distinguishing characteristics.  Named after the fragrant cinnamon spice, Cassia is reminiscent of the ancient spice routes between India and China that passed through Singapore in the early settlement days.  It is these spice routes that have helped to define Singapore identity even today.

True to the notion that everyone has different strengths, Singapore while being small with not many natural resources has one rather unique trait; a strategic location at the tip of the Southeast Asian peninsula.  It is no surprise that during the British colonial period in the early 19th century, Singapore fast became a bustling entrepôt trading center in Asia with many commodities such as silk and spices as well as raw materials passing through its harbors.

Here on our little island of Sentosa, up on a knoll where Capella Singapore is comfortably perched, we are endowed with a truly magnificent view of the South China Sea.  On evenings, looking out over the glistening waters of our cascading pools, I often see numerous dancing lights in the horizon coming from the ships and containers passing through our port.  A beautiful sight it is indeed, especially because it makes the deep night sky come alive.  It almost looks like the very same silk that once changed hands amongst traders now lives forever amongst the stars and sea.  And the ships that sail into the horizon are like shimmering sequins delicately sewn across the silk.

Perhaps it is being up on a hill that gives me this unique perspective and opportunity for retrospection.  Perhaps it is the lush green landscape which I am surrounded by that provides the perfect setting.  Indeed, while I watch the ships in the distance, I cannot help but reflect on Singapore’s history and be deep and innately thankful.  Thankful that our bustling port is indeed the cornerstone of our prosperous and vibrant country.

Nevertheless, regardless of our rich history, it definitely is a unique sight to behold.  Many a time guests have confided about how much they adore the view and it would be in a sense incomplete without those boats in the background.  I am often told that while in the midst of soaking up the tranquility of the resort, seeing those boats in the distance still reminds them that this is Singapore and that the lively cosmopolitan experience is a mere stone’s throw away.

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Tom Kerridge Visits Capella Singapore

June 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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I caught an episode of a reality cooking television show once, and the flaring tempers and highly stressful work environment forever tainted my perception of what Michelin-starred chefs are like – until I met Chef Tom Kerridge.

The British Celebrity Chef and owner of Two-Michelin starred Hand & Flowers restaurant and bar in the UK was recently at Capella Singapore as our Guest Chef to host a series of quintessentially British lunch and dinner events during the last week in May.

I was fortunate enough to meet him, and get the opportunity to observe the talented chef work behind the scenes and handle the media with grace and effervescence.

But what surprised me the most, was his effort to greet every single person that he came across, with a genuine concern and sincere smile. It wasn’t just the very important guests and upper management that he paid special attention to. I spotted Chef Tom having conversations with the service and housekeeping staff, always taking a moment to ask how they were when he walked down the corridor.

Not surprisingly, it was a joy to have Chef Tom Kerridge at Capella Singapore and he fit in perfectly!  Before leaving I had to get a recipe for one of his most popular dishes, Beef Jelly with Raw Beef.  (Don’t be fooled by the name— this is delicious!)

INGREDIENTS
150g dried beef fillet raw
100g sliced beef fillet and corn flour for dusting
1 kohlrabi diced
1 bunch breakfast radish
1 Granny Smith apple diced
Kohlrabi cress to garnish
Tabasco
Salt & pepper
1 Trisol batter mix
500ml good beef stock
Sosa Vegi Gel x 10g
4 large Langoustine Tails, blanched and peeled
100ml white wine vinegar
100g sugar
Wasabi mayonnaise
1 tube wasabi
3 egg yolks
1 tbs white wine vinegar
300ml oil
Season with salt

METHOD
1.  Mix the beef dice and kohlrabi together and season with salt, pepper and tabasco.
2.  Place into bowls. Bring the beef stock to the boil and add the vegi gel.
3.  Leave to cool a little and pour onto the beef in the bowls.
4.  Leave at room temperature.
5.  Bring the vinegar and the sugar up to the boil and allow the sugar to dissolve.
6.  When cool, add the apple to take on the pickle flavour.
7.  Dust the sliced beef in corn flour and fry till crispy.
8.  Season to taste.
9.  Deep-fry the langoustine in the batter and serve on the jelly and garnish with the pickled apple, cress, radish and crispy beef.
Serve.

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Capella Singapore: A Global Hub

May 2, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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With Singapore’s reputation as a global hub, it really isn’t surprising that my peers at Capella Singapore hail from all different parts of the world.  Even more so, the fact that Capella Singapore is home to guests from every part of the world is yet another reflection of our welcoming nation and the interconnected world that we live in.

Luis Ugarte, Assistant Club Manager at The Club at Capella Singapore (our longterm living accomodations), is a member of the Capella family who has found his calling at Capella Singapore.  Originally from Mexico, Luis is a favorite amongst many of our guests, greeting and striking a friendly conversation in Spanish with his fellow ‘amigos’.

Luis moved to Switzerland at 19 years of age to study Hospitality Management and the opportunity to work in Singapore presented itself soon after graduation.  What Luis enjoys the most about working in a foreign environment amidst various cultures is the constant learning process.

Speaking to Luis over a cup of coffee recently, Luis explained to me his great passion for his work at The Club.  “The world is so diverse that there are small things that you would not be able to know unless you experience a culture or a place first hand.  Luckily, colleagues and guests are always sharing stories about their countries, languages and cultures.  It makes coming to work a constantly eye opening experience for me.”

Luis continued, “The guests at The Club at Capella Singapore generally stay for an extended period of time, and because some of them do not speak English as their first language, speaking to them in their native tongue wherever possible helps the conversation to go more in depth, enabling the guest to relate to better relate to staff members, instead of being limited by pleasantries.  It is also not rare for native Spanish speakers to approach me for requests because we have similar backgrounds and they are able to elaborate and explain through cultural references.”

“During the quarterly in-house events that are held exclusively for the guests at The Club at Capella Singapore, our team helps to introduce the new guests to the existing ones.  Once the theme was a Mediterranean night, and we included favourite activities such as Spanish wine-tasting, Mediterranean cuisine and even live belly-dancing acts!”

Indeed Capella Singapore really is quite a special place.

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The Secret of Bamboo

April 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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As I was showing some guests around Auriga Spa this morning, they were pleasantly surprised and intrigued at the beautiful lush bamboo gardens attached to each of our treatment rooms.  I have to agree that it is quite an elegant sight to see those slender stately stems reach high and tip over ever so slightly, almost like a graceful ballerina.

Quintessentially Asian, beyond be aesthetically pleasing, bamboo plays a large role in Buddhism.  Ancient Buddhist teachings instruct believers not to do anything cruel to animals.  Therefore most forms of food such as meat, eggs and fish were not encouraged in the diet.  However, people still needed nutritious options, thus, the tender bamboo shoot became a good alternative.  The bamboo shoot is nourishing and eating it will not violate the Buddhist cannon.  Even today, the bamboo is used in many traditional Asian dishes.

Besides its culinary benefits, Bamboo also plays a very important role in traditional Chinese culture, bearing many symbolic meanings and is often used as an object lesson for a person’s behavior.

Given its tall upright stature, tenacity and hollow heart, the bamboo is often associated with integrity and elegance, even though it may not be physically strong.  Ancient Chinese poets wrote many metaphoric poems praising the bamboo, and referring to how people should be like a bamboo plant and expressing their understanding of what is a real gentleman should be like.

Bamboo in itself is said to be able to bring with it a very peaceful and wise energy.  The Chinese believe that it teaches the ultimate wisdom: how to be flexible and hollow (open) on the inside, so that the spirit can freely flow and heal your being.

The next time you visit Capella Singapore, do take some time to visit Auriga Spa for a relaxing treatment and remember to enjoy a moment in the bamboo gardens. Who knows, you just might pick up a few life lessons from it.

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Getting To Know Eric Guth, EAM of Food & Beverage

March 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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Not too long ago, the team here at Capella Singapore welcomed our new Executive Assistant Manager of Food and Beverage, Eric Guth.  He hails all the way from France, a fairly long way from our little island here in Asia.
Just recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to have a chat with him and to find out his thoughts on working in Asia.

What do you like about working in Asia?
I’ve always wanted to come out to Asia!  My Grandfather and Uncle had visited and experienced the culture and would return with such amazing stories.
Now that I’m here I have to agree.  Asia is truly a continent of opportunity and it’s growing very fast, especially economically.  The countries and people here are creative and competitive and there are so many different cultures, each with their own special traditions which are reflected in their food, beverage, art, architecture and so on.  It is a very different experience altogether!

What was your biggest “surprise” coming to Asia?
Everything was surprising!  The smells and the sights – it’s a completely different environment from home.  The Asian way of life is always bustling and always alive.  You can go out at any hour of the day, even in the middle of the night and you can still find a café or eatery that is open and bustling with business.
I was also surprised and impressed by the Asian people.  Culturally they are very caring with a strong sense of community and tradition.

What do you find most interesting about Singapore?
I think Singapore is exciting because the entire city itself is so multi-cultural and cosmopolitan.   It’s amazing how fast the people here adopt different cultures from the rest of the world.  Moreover, everything around here is so organised and efficient.

You are the Executive Assistant Manager of Food and Beverage, so I have to ask, what is your favourite local cuisine?
Something I’ve noticed is that Singaporeans love their food.  I think it’s amazing how some of the local hawkers (non air-conditioned food centres) here have been in operation for two or three generations.  They cook from secret recipes that have been passed down through the generations.
My favourite local dish would have to be Roti Prata (an Indian fried flour-based pancake that is cooked over a flat grill. It is usually served with a vegetable or meat based curry).  I find Roti Prata is absolutely fascinating because of the way it is made – when it is fresh, it has many layers, almost like a puff pastry.  Plus, you get to eat it with your fingers!
The other cuisine I really enjoy here is Chinese food, which I feel is an extremely refined cuisine because it is very product driven and there is a large variety.  I love the simple dishes such as a steamed fish with a good soy sauce.  Soy sauce, I have to say, is a lot like wine; not just because it’s made from fermented beans, but because it is so nuanced!  Different flavours and ingredients and mixtures produce different consistencies and grades of soy sauce.

What is it like being the EAM of F&B at Capella Singapore? 
It’s amazing and exciting. The hotel itself is a landmark with its amazing architecture and concept.  Rarely do you find a beautiful stately colonial building blended so nicely with modern architectural curves and designs.
More importantly, I believe that the people who work here and the quality of the product that we offer here are really great. Capella Singapore has got unbelievable potential and I’m proud to be part of the best hotels in Asia.

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