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 Entertainment | Restaurants & Dining | November 2006 
Vallarta's Top Tapas Pros Compete at ProEpta
 Kathy Taylor - PVNN
| Photos by Kathy Taylor - See more photos HERE. | 
| | First Place Cafe des Artistes "Falso Sushi" | 
| | Second Place Kaiser Maximilian's Tapas Tree | 
| | Third Place Grand Velas Seafood Tapas | 
| | Winning Chefs and Judges | 
| | Macario Jimenez and Patrick Denoun taste tapas | 
| | Federico Leon de la Vega | 
| | Le Kliff's satay | 
| | Vista Grill's langostina tapas | 
| | Chefs enjoying ProEpta's hospitality | 
| | Chef Memo Wulff puts the finishing touches on his "canoitas" | 
| | First place Chef Thierry Blouet arranges tuna. | 
| | Festival Gourmet Co-Ordinator Gina Naya, Rosa Martha Blouet, Festival Gourmet's Roland Menetrey, and Catherine Denoun |
ProEpta, one of Mexico's leading hospitality industry suppliers, firmly anchored itself in Puerto Vallarta's competitive and flourishing gourmet marketplace by sponsoring a friendly pre-Festival Gourmet tapas competition this week.
The nineteen restaurants who are participating in Festival Gourmet's 10 day guest chef and festival menu program were invited to create a special tapas, showcasing both ProEpta's contemporary range of table top service, and their gastronomic and artistic range.
From extravagant to exotic to zen-like simplicity, the entries reflected the wide range of dining options here in Banderas Bay.
Judging the entries on both taste and artistic presentation were noted artists Patrick Denoun and Federico Leon de la Vega, and fashion designer Macario Jimenez. After critical viewing and tasting, they deemed that the prizes would go to:
First Place - Café des Artistes
Chef Thierry Blouet and Cocina de Autor Chef Hugo Ahumado presented "Falso Sushi," a deconstructed sushi reconstructed in a glass cone, maximizing the visual excitement of the tapas. A dollop of caviar lay in the bottom of the glass, topped with a spoonful of wasabi cream. Sesame oil traced with chile delicately dressed the seaweed and bell pepper layer, which was finished with a slice of seared rare tuna, and a soy, lime and vinegar drizzle. A whimsical sunflower petal and chive finished the "falso sushi."
Second Place - Kaiser Maximilian
Owner Andreas Rupprechter, and Chefs Carlos Palomera and Claudio Hernandez created a "Tapas Tree", a towering display of their two creations. A trio of flavours and textures formed the first tapas, a sesame seed-studded cheese cone, that reached above a paper thin proscuitto slice wrapped around a single chive, and alongside, a creamy poof of herbed cheese. Their other branches bore a tapas of delicate vegetable terrine, garnished with a grilled shrimp provencale.
Third Place - Grand Velas
Executive Chef Angel Reyeros and his team concentrated on two very distinct flavor combinations. Their first featured a wafer topped with grilled pineapple, and "platano macho sellado", a bacon wrapped chunk of plantain, rolled in coconut and grilled. A luscious jamaica, blackberry, strawberry and balsamic reduction was drizzled over. A portobello and guajillo chile duxelle filled puff pastry formed the base of their other tapas, which was topped with grilled lobster and a pureed mixed seafood cream.
ProEpta's owner, Jacobo Klip, travels the world constantly in an effort to bring fresh ideas and the newest international trends to his Mexican clients. ProEpta is established in seven Mexican cities, and has three different areas of expertise. They cater to the restaurant industry through ProEpta, to the hotel market through Guest Solutions, and also has an import gourmet food line, Tendencia Gastronomica.
Celebrating its first year in Puerto Vallarta, Klip says that the company is excited by the level of restaurant excellence here, and considers it only second to Mexico City as an international gourmet destination in Mexico.
Pro Epta's Puerto Vallarta manager is Ricardo Chavas Rodriguez. They are located at Plaza Iguana Francisco Medina Ascencio 3555 Local 1, Plaza Iguana, Puerto Vallarta.
For more information, call (322) 221-3598, (322) 221-3601, or visit www.proepta.com.
Photos by Kathy Taylor - Check out her event photo album HERE. |
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