The royal menu of Ribe
During the past few years Estonia has seen a number of royal guests, the most recent being the King and Queen of Spain. Preparations for a state visit begin long before the actual arrival, and an important part of that is the food.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbKEBtKehGY
The time of preparations is busy for Tallinn’s top restaurants. The caterer is usually selected by contest. The state dinner held in honour of the King of Spain was prepared by Carmen Catering and restaurant Ribe.
Until May 21 all visitors have the opportunity to feel like a royalty and enjoy the same dishes.
Ribe’s chef Evgeny Ermoshkin and his team put the menu together, proceeding from the requirement to rely as much on local raw produce as possible.
Estonian food has always been simple. That was also the guiding principle for the four-course menu starting with Tallinn sprats and ending with rhubarb cake. The whole menu can be seen here.
Flavours of Estonia tried two of those dishes.
The beetroot cream soup looks modest, its taste, however, is anything but that. Sour cream foam balances the intense flavour, giving it a smooth and velvety feel. And the potato-barley ball makes the simple peasant soup positively royal. Bravo!
Contrary to tradition, the wines selected by Ribe’s sommelier Margus Linkgreim originate from different continents, but there is a good reason for that.
Even before the main dish was determined a wine was selected to go with it - Jean León Cabernet Sauvignon 2002. He was a stubborn man who started in America as a taxi driver and ended up as the owner of the first world-famous restaurant in Hollywood. He also founded a winery, named after himself, in Penedés, Spain.
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were virtually unknown in Penedés until Jean Leon became determined to start growing them there. The Estonian Põltsamaa Kuldne is produced with the same kind of determination. The third wine, missing from the photograph, is Riesling from the Washington state in America.
Even before the main dish was determined a wine was selected to go with it - Jean León Cabernet Sauvignon 2002. He was a stubborn man who started in America as a taxi driver and ended up as the owner of the first world-famous restaurant in Hollywood. He also founded a winery, named after himself, in Penedés, Spain.
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were virtually unknown in Penedés until Jean Leon became determined to start growing them there. The Estonian Põltsamaa Kuldne is produced with the same kind of determination. The third wine, missing from the photograph, is Riesling from the Washington state in America.
The warm rhubarb cake is an unpretentious but distinctive companion to the stubborn wine. Ice-cream coated with Kalev chocolate, and Vana Tallinn liqueur sauce for the cake … that says it all!
The royal menu can be enjoyed in Ribe for two weeks from Monday to Thursday starting from 17.00 until May 21. The price is 450 kroons, 650 kroons with the wines.
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