By MICHEL DRESSLER
Bailli/President of Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Algarve
More than 20 confreres (members) and friends of the Algarve Bailliage (Chapter) of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs visited the beautiful Monte Rei Golf & Country Club on Saturday, April 13 for an exquisite lunch on the terrace of the elegant Vistas Restaurant.
Our host was Confrere Salvador B. de Lucena, who is the General Manager of the resort, and the Chef is Jaime Perez from the ex El Bulli in Barcelona which had, in the years before its closure in 2011, the reputation as “the best restaurant in the world”. We could therefore partake in an exciting lunch with Spanish influence.
Although Monte Rei is a sophisticated luxury golf and country club in the Eastern Algarve, with its famed Jack Nicklaus signature golf course, it is now becoming an important gastronomic destination due to the culinary concepts developed by Jaime Perez.
The resort is set in over 1,000 acres between Vila Real de Santo António and Tavira, and boasts breathtaking views of both the Atlantic Ocean and the dramatic Serra do Caldeirão mountains.
Salvador Lucena graduated from the Hotel Management School in Porto and has over 20 years’ international experience in the hospitality industry in various establishments in a number of different countries.
Jaime Perez is responsible for developing the new culinary concepts within the resort and presented us with a successful combination of Iberian cuisine with a Mediterranean flair, and a focus on the finest fresh ingredients. As Jaime states, “only the best is good enough”.
 |  |
The proceedings commenced with a dry and fruity espumante from Sidónio de Sousa Branco Brut, accompanied by various tasty tapas of seafood, fish, meat and pineapple with coconut.
Once seated on the terrace we could enjoy the exotic amuse-bouche, which included a molecular mozzarella. This was followed by a Jaime signature dish of Tuna Tartar, Wasabi Ice Cream with Soya and Passion Fruit sauces and the contrasting creation was absolutely stunning.
Afterwards, the fish dish, which is also a Jaime signature dish and now on the new Vistas menu, was an extremely enterprising combination of Grilled Cray Fish with Sautéed Artichokes, Sunchoke Light Puree and Stew Sauce, and was amazingly light but with a variety of soft tastes so that nothing was overwhelming but all complementary.
Both of these dishes were accompanied by the 2011 White Quinta Seara D’Ordens Reserva from the Douro which was light, fruity and refreshing with the two contrasting fish dishes.
The main course consisted of Caramelised Suckling Pig (including crust) with Honey, Apple Mousse and Rocket Salad, which was really sumptuous and accompanied by a very dry and full Douro, the excellent 2009 Passagem Reserva. This wine was extremely fitting as a contrast to the suckling pig.
At the end we were served a light Coffee Delight with Chocolate Butter, Coffee Ice-Cream and Peanut Sauce, together with the Tawny Reserva Port from the Quinta Seara D’Ordens, which is a small but excellent port wine maker.
For anyone who enjoys the highest levels of cuisine the Algarve has to offer and has some charitable instincts the Chaîne would welcome them.
282 357 021 | 938 818 582
