The World Gourmet Summit is upon us again, and one of the more interesting events in the glittering roster of gourmet epicurean things to do is a special whisky and wagyu beef pairing event that will take place on Wednesday, 2 April 2014 at Stellar at 1-Altitude.

The elite 6-course dinner will be designed by One Rochester Group‘s director and group executive chef Chris Millar, whose culinary career spans stints as executive chef in Melbourne’s legendary Windsor Hotel, the executive chef as the Pavilion on the Park in Sydney, and later the executive chef for the Fig Leaf Restaurant at Singapore’s Fort Canning Country Club.

Millar will look at pairing his specially crafted wagyu beef dishes to go along with old vintages of The Macallan. We speak to him about the World Gourmet Summit, wagyu beef and whisky.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself – how you stumbled into being a chef, and how you made your way from Melbourne to Singapore?

I started cooking by necessity when I was doing my Marketing degree in Melbourne. I moved out of home at 18 so I had to support myself.

I was a part time-waiter first and found my way into the kitchen. As most young Australians I decided to travel. I worked my way through some great kitchens in London during these travels. From here I really knew my passion was food. After 6 years in London and stint back in Melbourne and Sydney I found my way to Singapore where I have been for 11 years!

2. How are you going to be involved in World Gourmet Summit this year? What are you most looking forward to during the whole series of events?

We are a hosting venue again for Epicurean Delights and will be hosting the young and upcoming Michelin star chef Alexandre Gauthier. We will also have a special dinner with The Macallan where we will pair single malt whisky with Wagyu from Japan.

There is always a great sense of anticipation for us when it comes to hosting a chef like Alexandre (Gauthier) as it pushes us to achieve extreme standards. It is a great culinary exchange.

3. So tell us more about the event where you’ll be pairing whiskies from The Macallan with wagyu beef – how are you preparing that prized meat, and how do you approach pairing whiskies with it?

Well first we have to drink a lot of The Macallan! Then we have to taste a lot of wagyu!

We were curious to see how food can pair with spirits as opposed to wine.

But seriously, we were curious to see how food can pair with spirits as opposed to wine. This will be a unique experience for those who are passionate about their beef and single malt whisky.

4. Do you adhere to any guidelines when doing food pairing, whether it’s with wine, whisky or other spirits?

The team at The Macallan have provided a good deal of background on the whiskies and the characteristics of each.

From here we can then balance the courses according to the richness of the whisky and texture and flavours in the wagyu dishes.

5. What do you think would be the most challenging for your whisky-wagyu event?

Having to wait for The Macallan Oscuro of course! This whisky really shines with the wagyu.

6. If there’s one – just one – reason to attend your event, in your most humble opinion, what would that be?

Be brave. Try something different!

The World Gourmet Summit “The Macallan Whisky And Wagyu Dinner” as designed by Chef Chris Millar will take place on Wednesday, 2 April 2014 at Stellar at 1-Altitude from 7pm to 11pm. Price is at S$348+ per person, limited 54 seats in total. Reservations are required.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.