Staff from Colette, a two-star restaurant in Averbode (Scherpenheuvel-Zichem in Flemish Brabant), travel to Monte Carlo next week to host an exclusive dinner for Prince Albert of Monaco. An eight-course menu including scallops and veal, as well as salsify and chicory will be served to the prince and other guests.
"It’s quite an honour," chef Thijs Vervloet tells VRT. Prince Albert of Monaco is in for a treat next Tuesday. Staff at the two-star restaurant have been working on a special eight-course menu for seven months. The menu is part of a grand gala dinner with special wines.
Seven months of preparation have resulted in a menu that lacks nothing. "It will be a classic eight-course menu using a main product like scallops, veal or caviar. For each course a seasonal product like salsify or chicory is added and also a sauce," chef Thijs explains.
Each dish will also be paired with a wine. The prince is dining with wine organisation ‘’Francs de pied”. That organisation wants certain, unique vines to be classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and that is why they are organising the gala dinner, where wines from all over the world will be served.
Hosting the dinner is quite an honour for the team, says Thijs: "It certainly gives me a sense of recognition as a chef, and that makes it extra special. There’s a bit of healthy stress, but most of all we are really looking forward to it. We are travelling to Monaco two days early to prepare everything."