The 'art' of perfect pairings

Who says good food has to always be matched with wine? The latest new buzz in town involves the pairing of food with art and it’s taken Bangkok’s dining scene by storm. Heading the trend is the St Regis, which recently hosted a “Meet the Artist” evening, bringing together the best Italian cuisine with an exhibition by rising Italian artist Aliadi Cortelletti.
That evening of Italian art and cuisine was the brainchild of GM Krister Svensson, who is determined to turn his hotel into Bangkok’s epicentre of contemporary sophistication where food connoisseurs can explore the world of art while enjoying good food. The dinner was part of the St Regis’ signature Aficionado program, a series of events that offer private access to the world’s premier collections
The event took place at the hotel’s VIU International Grill Restaurant. Artist Cortelletti transformed the restaurant into a gallery, exhibiting her collection of sketches and paintings using ink and acrylics. The hotel’s executive chef Leonardo Concezzi created a special four-course menu to accompany the exhibition.
Divided into four colour themes, the four-course menu included Celeriac mousse, Atlantic scallops wrapped in Colonnata lard, Burrata cheese spuma in caramel nuts, snow fish carpaccio, homemade artichoke cepes ravioli in pea green buffalo mozzarella foam and warm wagyu beef tartar, slow cooked venison, Tuscany farm bruschetta & La Granda Aged beef and Curacao granite, sous vide tropical fruit infused in fresh Thai herbs, room temperature sweet egg yolk cold San Pellegrino & Bollicine liquid.
Guests turned out in force to enjoy both a visual feast and the culinary delights. Some had the opportunity to have their artworks hand signed by the artist herself. Given such a warm reception, guests started wondering when the next food and art pairing in the series is going to be.
For more information, visit www.StRegis.com/aficionado.