At the Aruba Resort, Spa & Casino
Capture the Champagne Sparkle concluded a successful Second Annual Wine, Food & Art Festival
Palm Beach – Celebrity Chef Michael Cressotti and his Japanese Sous Chef Koji Kagawa, from SushiSamba restaurants in NYC, in collaboration with Pastry Chef Pascal Cherance, from Paris via Caracas, dazzled guests with their creativity and skills during the final Capture the Champagne Sparkle dinner affair, in the Grand Ballroom.
Locals and visitors enjoyed distinctive tastes and beautiful presentations, conceived in cooperation with host Executive Chef Gerard Coste, head of the resort’s culinary brigade and his Sous-Chef Sony Partodikromo.
The Aruba Trading Company selected the house of Moet & Chandon, established in 1743, and paired the five-course dinner with Dom Perignon Brut, Moet Chandon Nectar Imperial, Moet Chandon Rose, Moet Chandon Brut and Moet Chandon Demi Sec.
The evening commence with a chic cocktail party in the foyer of the ballroom.
As one-hundred and twenty four lucky guests were seated, Franz Sydow, Director of Food & Beverage introduced the wines.
Public relations specialist Rona Coster reviewed the art, set for auction that night.
“Let the sparkling sensation take over,” instructed Sydow, as the culinary journey delivered a tri-culture coalition, a fusion of flavors from Japan, Brazil & Peru.
Chef Cressotti’s special menu took off with locally caught Wahoo Tiradito with black truffle oil and continued with Yellowtail Ceviche, with garlic-ginger soy.
The Yama Farms Kobe beef medallion with Peruvian corn, Manchego cheese and teriyaki was imported to the island by Cressotti himself, who hand carried the beef in from the US.
The flavorful Kobe steak was followed by Yamato, big eye tuna with foie gras, osetra caviar and gold leaf. The dessert, Delice Malabar, chocolate ganache with Tabasco and cold coconut swell, was named after the chef’s Caracas restaurant, where the dessert is a nightly hit.
The art auction by professional auctioneer Kenneth Faustin featured works of local and international artists, among them Alida Martinez, Miriam De L’Isle, Claude Lacelle, Stan Kuiperi, Maria Teresa Martinez, Laureen Eman, 
Mo Mohamed, Lois Romei Schlowsky, Moritz Ebinger & Greg Carvalhal.
The evening concluded with a fun tribute to Earth Wind & Fire, by EA from Venezuela, mixing oldies with contemporary Latin hits.
Musicians Tono, Luis, Efrain, Alejo and Gustavo, had a great time with international models and the Aruba Cover Casting 2006 competitors, invited by Fashion Life Magazine.
1811 – The Food & Beverage masters, responsible for the wonderful evening: Gerard, Sony, Franz, Michael & Koji.
1800 – Pastry Chef, Pascal Cherance, Caracas Venezuela, making Delice Malabar.
1741 – Chef Cressotti at work
1759 – General Manager & Vice President Rob Smith, his wife, with the Guests
1762 – Aruba Trading Company representative, Jorge Curiel
1764- Director Aruba Tourism Authority, Myna Janssen
1776 – Resort owner, businessman Alfonso Riverol and his son
1774 – Franz and Pillar Sydow
1813 –Art auction in action
