Hilton's Gourmet Circle holds 70th party
From left in the back row are Lee Byoung-chul, newly appointed manager of Seasons at Millennium Hilton, Seoul; Ahn Yong-hyun, former manger of Seasons; Lee Ok-sun, captain of Seasons; Seo Won-sun, sommelier; and Park Sang-kyu, assistant manager. In the front row, sous chef Kim Han-shik, left, and Park Hyo-nam, executive chef. / Courtesy of Millennium Hilton Seoul
By Kim Ji-soo
A sample of the dessert that will be served at the 70th edition of the Gourmet Circle Dinner that wil be held at Millennium Hilton from March 15-16.
The 70th edition.
That’s the figure the Millennium Seoul Hilton’s Gourmet Circle Dinner will be earmarking next weekend.
On March 15 and 16, the hotel’s French restaurant Seasons will host its 70th dinners to mark the arrival of spring. The Gourmet Circle is a seasonal or quarterly epicurean experience that the hotel and the restaurant began in 1996. With a seasonal theme, the Gourmet Circle hosts 80 customers to a seven-course meal paired with wines respective night.
The menu always remains a secret up to the day of the dinner, and the guests are kept waiting in suspense to try out what award-winning chef Park Hyo-nam and his crew has prepared.
“Our goal is to have the guests go wow once the dinner menu is revealed. First impressions are the most important and it’s the same for food,” said Park, 52. But he gave slight peek into what may produce the “wow” factor this time.
“Caviar. Caviar for appetizers,” Park said. He didn’t go further into the menu. The aim is to surprise, delight and satisfy the epicureans once they start savoring the dishes.
Priced at 222,000 won (service and vat included), the Gourmet Circle brings the ingredients of the season to the table coupled with six wines.
Wines are offered on an unlimited basis. For the hotel, continuing with the Gourmet Circle has been both a challenge, a source of pride and a motivator
“I mean, it’s not about the food really. At the end of the day, it’s the customers who continue to come, each day and for each edition,” said Ahn Yong-hyun, manager of the hotel’s F&B-Banquet Service who has done 69 of the Gourmet Circle meetings. Ahn said that there were customers who delayed a business trip to the United States by a week just to attend the Gourmet Circle. The customer had to postpone it again for another week when for internal reasons the hotel had to push back the event by one week. Ahn also remembers guests who would recommend a toast at the end of the two nights in thanks for the event, and donate their talent like Kim Jeong-tae a musician with SBS to play for the customers.
“It’s great that we have such customers who keep on coming and remain loyal,” Ahn, 53, said.
While the Gourmet Circle may have started out as a good strategic business plan, its continuity is an immense source of pride.
“For us, presenting a new menu every season and getting customers’ feedback is crucial to seeing us through until a new menu comes out three months later,” said Park. “At the same time, it’s a great motivator that prompts us to push ourselves and not just be content with the representation Seasons has now.”
Park said that seasonal food produce do not vary largely, so the key to coming up with a new menu every season is to think over how to present it to give it a Seasons touch.
“We have a big portion of customers who come every season. So we have come up with new ways to present,” Park said.
With the same pride, sommelier Seo Won-sun carefully picked the wines for the 70th Gourmet Circle dinner.
“I try to match wines so that the original intent and taste of the food comes through,” said Seo, 43. He chose, among others for whites a 2008 Pugliny Montrachet and 2009 Chablis Premier Cru. For the reds, Seo chose a 2007 Chateau Canon and 2007 Chateau Leoville Barton. They will be served along with the champagne and a dessert wine.
Park, Ahn and Seo have all worked nearly two decades at the Millennium Hilton. Because of the years they’ve worked together, they said it’s easier to keep the Gourmet Circle going.
“Our goal right now is to do another 70 Gourmet Circle dinners. We think it may well be possible,” Park said.
The 71st Gourmet Circle Dinner is scheduled to be held in June before the onset of summer.