Dining at the SeaSens restaurant at the Five Seas Hotel in Cannes is most definitely an experience.
Chef Arnaud Tabarec’s touch is at the heart of the restaurant. The concept, we are told, is an exotic fusion, inspired by his travels in South East Asia. Elements have been carefully selected, extracted and curated from different cultures and blended, culminating in a tantalising and explorative result. The result is nothing short of exotic and certainly a gastronomic odyssey!
We opted for the Expression Menu, with the wine pairing to accompany the unknown.
Our first entrée was the Burnt mackerel with dashi, accompanied by a Loire-valley wine. The smoky mackerel was tender with a jolt of spice, a welcome and unexpected addition. A bouillabaisse type sauce acts as a base – a tribute to Cannes’ reputation as home of this fish speciality. The Loire wine, which was to accompany us for the next two courses had a peachy nose, with a soft minerally taste. A smooth, pleasant induction for this feast.
The second plat was the Smoked trout roll with roe on top and wasabi mustard, with a sprinkling of parsley. Not a parsley eater, I was pleasantly surprised as this gave the deliciously delicate trout a punchy flavour, balanced out by the salty roe on top and the hint of wasabi with its foam like decoration. There is also a dollop of iced crème fraiche to accompany but this is almost superfluous.
Up next was the ‘Egg Signature’. Cooked at 63 degrees to an inimitable tenderness, with shimeji (Japanese) mushrooms, this was an utterly delicious dish (9/10 according to my companion). Umami is the Japanese word for ‘a pleasant savoury taste’ and this dish epitomised this concept. Chef Tabarec’s Asian influence from his time in Singapore is evident in the dish: it is at the same time tremendously delicate in texture and yet robust in taste, with a harmonious mushroomy blend teasing your taste buds.
Coupled with this was a Burgundy wine with the grapes Grenache and Clairette. This had a light, mineral nose and a strong, fruity palate. This medium-bodied wine was also to carry us to the next round. (We strongly recommend asking the sommelier for pairings.)
The Pollock with Jerusalem artichokes was next. This was an outrageously delicious dish. Then again we were partial to artichokes so it would be hard to disappoint! A sea of green is presented: artichoke hearts adorn the plate with a soft Pollock in the middle. The combination is irresistible. The Pollock, lightly seasoned and quite tender, is complimented by the strong flavour of the artichoke – a perfect marriage.
A 2012 Burgundy is up next, with a textured very minerally nose, and robust minerally taste. This was a mature white wine that was structured and loud.
The piece de resistance, though, was our last dish. The Mint cappuccino chicken with pea puree. This dish was just delicious. The pea puree provided a kick of vegetable carbohydrates to drape on the lightly bronzed chicken – all topped off by a strong, mint froth (cappuccino). 10/10 for this. It was the simplicity of the chicken as a base with subtle and oh-so-perfect accompaniments that made the dish irresistible.
Onto the sweets….
We are presented with a bite size temptation first: a melt-in-your-mouth lemon sphere meringue with crushed lemon tart inside and a dollop of vanilla ice-cream. A pleasantly sweet induction.
Dessert consisted of a trio: a chocolate and praline tube, lemon jelly with grilled a grilled nut-caramel ensemble, and vanilla ice-cream. For those with a sweet tooth, it is worth coming to the restaurant for this alone. The sweetness of the praline tube with a chocolate outside was countered by the tangy lemon jelly and smooth vanilla ice-cream. A sweet, but not overpowering dessert and finale to our degustation of the chef’s culinary prowess.
If you are looking for a tour de force in French gastronomy with an Asian flair or a pleasant indulgence, visit the SeaSens restaurant.
http://www.fiveseashotel.com/restaurant-seasens
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