Very Vulin: Michelin-Starred Chef Fabrice Guests at the Sofitel Wanda

Confession: I have a terrible French accent.

This isn't ever really a problem, except when I try to talk to French chefs, query the maitre'd, or most recently, repeatedly rave about Le Pré Lenôtre. Last Thursday (Dec 8), I visited them for the opening meal of their Michelin-starred guesting chef event, featuring Fabrice Vulin. It was all I could talk about for the next six hours. Before the meal, I had heard of Le Pre and its stellar reputation. And still, I was impressed.

For this event, there are two menus available, the five-course tasting (RMB 688+15%) or the seven-course taster (RMB 1088+15%). The five has some flexibility (you can select one of two options in the fish and meat courses). Of the two, I think the seven is definitely a bit more special, though expect some richer flavors (foie gras, truffle, champagne, camembert) if you opt for that.

Potato gnocchis, watercress and mash. Gnocchis could have done with a little less cooking, but all in all, a great play between the natural starchy sweetness of potato and the freshness of the watercress cream.

Now might be a good time for me to assert that Le Pre has some of the best complimentary bread 'n butter in the Beej. I'm pretty serious about bread. Slightly sour and with walnut halves scattered throughout, their bread is a feast unto itself (and perfect for mopping up the watercress cream!)

Royal sea bream with bouillabaisse foam and snail dumplings. Damn good piece of fish. You can't see the snail dumplings, but they were filled with snails and parsley - very light, and less cloying than the traditional butter-garlic escargot.

Medallions of lamb and lamb shoulder wrapped in eggplant. This one was quite peasant-foody, in the good way. Fresh, slightly gamy and very moreish.

Camembert and pear chutney. I tucked into this one before I remembered to photograph (oops.) Just enough camembert and pear to pair, and left a nice fragrance on the tongue.

Orange-glazed brioche. Yes, they served us amazing French toast for dessert. Pillowy and sweet with just enough interest added by the various fruits.

Le Pre have a history of bringing in excellent guest chefs, and this is no exception. Call them to book on 8599 6666 ext 6528, event ends on Dec 14. For those of you who'd like to try them at a lower price point, their set lunches during the week are fabulous value (starting from RMB 388+15%) and they'll treat you just as well as if you had paid five times that. Their regular chef - Yannick Ehrsam - is also said to be world-class. Definitely worth the splurge.

Photos: Courtesy of Sofitel Wanda Beijing & Susan Sheng

This post was corrected on Dec 12; Le Pre Lenotre's set lunch menu starts at RMB 388+15%. Apologies for any confusion caused.