Defining Gastronomy

Curiosity is sometimes presented as a bad thing but great things have come out of several curious minds. Let’s take the new Chophouse menu at the Radisson Blu as an example. When first presented to you, the menu reads like a small booklet in fine dining cooking with words such as ‘crudo style’ and ‘tuille’ causing a brow or two to wrinkle in confusion. A more knowledgeable foodie would explain to you that these are words you find in a place that’s trying to give you a gastronomic experience.

The first time I heard the word gastronomy was when sampling this new menu that held promises of food cooked in novel styles that would impress both my eyes and palate. There has been a renaissance of sorts in the Nairobi Food scene with multiple buzz words popping up all over the place. These words are meant to let patrons know that the place they are about to dine in is serving the unexpected. Among those words is gastronomy. A collection of constants and vowels that roll of the tongue with an air of importance. The word commands your attention and your appetite.

Many a time the word isn’t defined. You hear it roll off the waiter’s tongue and give them a brief nod that lets you know that you’re in the know. Let’s start with a definition so that we’re all on the same page then. Gastronomy is defined as the study of the relationship between food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, the cooking styles of particular regions, and the science of good eating. If there are two things Nairobi is full of it is food and culture. When the two are brought together by a creative culinary team then a gastronomic experience is inevitable.

Providing this level of experience involves a lot more than cooking good food. It means touching on more than one of the five senses and immersing your patrons in the world of food for the entire during of their meal. A good meal starts in the kitchen where a chef combines flavours that may or may not usually be paired together then presents them in mind-blowing ways. This doesn’t mean your plate has to levitate. Sometimes it can be as simple as Mombasa crab wrapped in thin slices of avocado cleverly served on a pillow that looks like it could be sitting on your couch but is actually solid stone. Before your mouth can devour what is on your plate, your eyes must first feast. Whether it comes in the form of rolling sheets of dry ice over which a 5-layered chocolate cake sits, delicate sugared architecture or towering pillars of flames that light up expertly cooked scallops, presentation in a gastronomic meal is important.

It does, however, all come down to taste.

What good is it if the food looks good but doesn’t taste as such? You can get disappointment anywhere but not at a place that promises a gastronomic experience. At Chophouse, the focus is not just on how the food looks but how it tastes. This is why they went the extra mile and installed two Dry Agers right outside the restaurant. These advanced fridges, the first of their kind in East Africa, take the cuts of meat placed in them through a slow process that produces melt-in-your-mouth steaks cooked over salmon pink Himalayan salt blocks. When you hear the chefs talk about each dish, then you are assured that what you receive in front of you is a labour of love. Their vision involves producing meals that incorporate Kenyan elements so it’s not surprising that their bone marrow is served with a broth that is poured out of a traditional cow skin gourd and that most of their ingredients are 100% Kenyan grown. The skill, attention to detail and dedication of this team lets you that this isn’t your average fine dining restaurant and what is you see now is the tip of the iceberg of Chophouse Restaurant’s gastronomic revolution.