Galilieo Restaurant at The Observatory Hotel in Sydney will next month, host a unique culinary extravaganza with celebrity Iron Chefs; Hiroyuki Sakai and Kenichi Chen along with their own chef, Haru Inukai serving up a gourmet feast for both food lovers and die hard Iron Chef fans.
Held over three consecutive nights from Tuesday 6th November, the exclusive dinner events at The Observatory Hotel’s Galileo and Globe Bar, will give diners a chance to experience dishes reflecting the three chefs’ shared passion for Japanese and Szechuan cuisine, cooked with traditional French techniques.
Dinner guests will be treated to welcome cocktails followed by a lavish degustation menu consisting of seven courses. Dinner will be accompanied by matching white and red wines chosen by Galileo’s head sommelier Christian Baepplers.
Hosted by Sky News’ popular Senior Anchorman John Mangos, this dinner series will truly showcase what really goes on inside the kitchen – via an array of large plasma screens positioned throughout the restaurant giving guests a unique and live insight into Galileo’s kitchen.
Mr Patrick L. Griffin, Regional Managing Director Orient Express Hotels Australia is hoping this year’s Iron Chef Dinner will prove as entertaining and enjoyable as previous years.
“We didn’t imagine we would ever succeed in topping what was, a momentous occasion last year with Hiroyuki Sakai and Chef Haru whipping up a delightful meal for guests. However, with the addition of another Iron Chef, Kenichi Chen in the kitchen this year, I believe we will be hosting the best Iron Chef dinner to date.” Said Mr Griffin.
Seats at the Iron Chef Dinner (an identical menu will be served over the three evenings) are $495 per person. For bookings, please phone The Observatory on + 61 (0) 2 9256 2210
Take advantage of a special overnight offer and stay in a Deluxe Room at The Observatory Hotel for an additional AUS $413 per couple, with valet parking and full breakfast for two in Galileo Restaurant.
For further information on Iron Chef Dinner 2007 or The Observatory Hotel please contact Kim Salt on 02 8248 5281 or email ksalt@observatoryhotel.com.au
High resolution images can be downloaded from www.orient-expressimages.com
Notes to Editor:
- Iron Chef is a Japanese TV show that currently airs on SBS at 8:30pm on Saturday night.
- Galileo Restaurant is located at The Observatory Hotel 89 – 113 Kent Street, The Rocks, Sydney. www.observatoryhotel.com.au
Background Information - Chef Profiles
Iron Chef French Hiroyuki Sakai
As a young boy, Hiroyuki Sakai wanted to become a chef so that he would never go hungry. Born in Kagoshima, he began learning his craft aged 17 at a restaurant in the Shin Osaka Hotel.
At 19, Chef Sakai began to rebel against the culinary world's feudalistic system of apprenticeship and travelled alone to Perth to build his skills at the Hotel Oriental. After a year and a half in Australia he returned to Japan and spent three years studying at Ginza Shiki with the late Fujio Shito, his predecessor as the leader of French cooking in Japan. When he was 38, Sakai opened his own restaurant, La Rochelle, in Aoyama. Several years later he moved the restaurant to Shibuya, where it remains today.
While retaining the essence of traditional French cuisine, Sakai's groundbreaking Japanese-French style incorporates Japan's finest cooking techniques. His dishes fuse the flavours of Japan's four seasons with a French ‘esprit’. Since his dishes have superb detail and colour, they are often compared to paintings, earning him the epithet ‘The Delacroix of French Cooking’. Sakai is also known as the ‘French Iron Chef’ and wears the red chef’s uniform in Kitchen Stadium for the Iron Chef television program, broadcast in Australia on SBS.
Iron Chef Kenichi Chen
Born in Tokyo, Kenichi Chen is the son of Kenmin Chen, who was an acclaimed Chinese chef well known for his sauces and credited with introducing Szechwan cooking to Japan.
Chen is the longest serving Iron Chef and has fought an amazing 97 battles, he also had a run of 14 consecutive victories, the longest of any Iron Chef. Outside of the program he is responsible for running the Shisen Hanten group of restaurants and continues to develop his Szechwan cooking which is considered among the most progressive cuisines in the world.
Known for his good-humoured and expressive face, Chen aims to offer happiness through his food, promoting his overall philosophy “Cooking is love”.
Chef Haru Inukai
Known for his artistic fusion of French and Japanese cuisine, Chef Harunobu Inukai’s trademark is his expert ability to marry traditional French cuisine with cutting edge Japanese inspirations. The result is an exquisite fusion of delicate flavours and beautifully presented dishes.
Trained under the likes of renowned Chef Joel Robuchon, Haru’s credentials are exceptional. He has entertained a myriad of high profile names including Bill Clinton and Keanu Reeves and has worked in exclusive restaurants and hotels both internationally and locally.
Formerly of Restaurant VII, where he was awarded two hats and Best New Restaurant by The Sydney Morning Herald, Harunobu maintains his reputation for innovation and is redefining Sydney’s culinary landscape, offering diners a unique sensory experience at Galileo Restaurant. Haru joined Galileo as Executive Chef in 2003.
