Exquisite VIP Tasting at Wheatbaker Hotel

Ahead of the proposed new addition to its menu at The Grill Room (a la carte restaurant), The Wheatbaker Hotel recently organised a special VIP Tasting for a select group of media practitioners and influencers, including comedian Okey Bakassi and Chico of Classic FM, Lagos.

While guests waited for what turned out to be an exquisite night of culinary experience, the waiter served a cocktail of fruit drink accompanied by crunchy peanuts, plantain chips and olives, before the guests moved to The Grill Room, where champagne was served with canapés for cocktail to set the tone for the evening. The canapés were a selection of Mint and Pea Rissoto, Lamb Bobotie and Avocado Ritz on Bruchette prepared by the in-house chef Jannie Melis.

In-between meals, the General Manager of the hotel, Simon Grindrod, took time to give insight into the dishes, even as the chef provided details of each of the meals served.

According to Grindrod, it has become a tradition for the hotel to introduce new dishes to its menu every six months, which is inline with its commitment to treating customers to finest cuisines.

“It is with great pleasure I welcome you here tonight. The meals you will experience are made with locally sourced ingredients and our chef curates them. I hope you enjoy tasting them,” he said before the seven-course meal.

The dinner started with Amuse-Bouche, steak wrapped in herbs with a dash of tasty sauce. Next was Prawn Tom Yum soup, a very spicy fragrant prawn soup that was served with bread and a dollop of margarine.

Starter for the night was Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Delight. The salmon was a mousse paired with an asparagus terrine and caper remoulade. The plating for this dish was great and it looks really inviting. The asparagus was plated differently from the usual long leafy greens.

The main menu for the evening was Sticky Braised Pork Belly in an Asian Broth with noodles and pak choi; it was a delight for the evening. The pork was well cooked as the fat melted in the mouth while the noodles were well saturated in the broth.

The second main dish was Slow Roasted Rack of Lamb, Sauté Spinach, Roast Potato and Herb Infused Sauce. The lamb tasted heavenly as the herbs used in its preparation were well marinated and I could taste them with each bite. The roast potatoes blended perfectly with the spinach. It is a tasty dish worth trying.

The tasting ended with two desserts, a Pistachio Chocolate Brownie served with mixed berry compote and vanilla ice cream and Macaroon Delight a combination of peach jelly and berry coulis.

In his closing remarks, the Sales and Marketing Manager of the hotel Niyi Ladipo thanked guests for finding time to be part of the event, even as he reiterated the hotel’s commitment to its loyal customers.

“At The Wheatbaker Hotel we pride ourselves in great customer experience. It is the experience that we sell to our customers; we always want them to come back here. As you could see in what you experienced here tonight; it’s all about excellent service and customer experience,” he said.