New menu celebrates spring flavours

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Otago lamb loin with porcini farce and sage gnocchi

Media release from Sofitel Queenstown Hotel & Spa
Monday 1 October 2007

New menu celebrates spring flavours at Queenstown’s ‘Vie’restaurant

Five-star Sofitel Queenstown Hotel & Spa’s signature restaurant ‘Vie’ releases its vibrant new spring dinner menu today (1 October).

Darren Clements, Executive Chef at Vie, has tracked down the finest and freshest seasonal ingredients to create an innovative and diverse new spring menu, showcasing a range of Asian, European and traditional New Zealand style cuisine.

“We’re introducing some exciting changes with the new spring menu. By setting aside some of those heartier winter comfort foods we’re creating room for lighter dishes with vibrant flavours and colourful presentation,” said Mr Clements.

“The overall style of dining in spring changes in line with what people feel like eating and the wonderful seasonal seafood, lamb and vegetables on offer.

“Scallop season started a couple of weeks ago, so we’re offering luscious Nelson scallops grilled with beetroot marmalade, green tea soba noodles and coriander. I’m hoping my new Mahi Mahi dish will prove popular too; it’s got a delicate hazelnut crust, served with shiitake, bacon and Chinese cabbage, carrot and ginger butter.”

Delicious spring appetisers include oysters grilled with soya, proscuitto and tomato, or natural doused in champagne vinaigrette with salmon roe. Or try the sensational free range pork belly, twice cooked and served in soya miso broth with sweet pork and spring onion dumplings.

Also new to the menu is a main course of baby snapper, whole roasted on Asian greens and chilli black bean sauce, or choose the local specialty of pan seared Otago lamb loin served with porcini farce, sage gnocchi and olive jus.

Tantalising new desserts include the aptly named Textures of Banana; a wonderful creation featuring ‘all things banana’, complemented by toasted coconut ice cream. Other sweet treats include a Valrhona chocolate box with pistachio crème chibouste, orange sherbet and nut brittle.

Cheese-lovers will be drawn to a selection of hand picked local artisan and imported boutique cheeses, fig and walnut jam, ciabatta and fruit crackers.

If the choice seems just too hard to make, the Chef Tasting Menu is the ideal way to sample signature dishes and favourites, with optional wine matching.

The accolades have been rolling in for Sofitel Queenstown Hotel & Spa’s Vie restaurant, recently listed among the best dining experiences in the Accor Awards for Excellence. Sofitel Queenstown Hotel &Spa was named last year among the top 20 hotels in the world by prestigious Australian travel magazine Gourmet Traveller.

Vie’s new spring menu is available for dinner seven days a week, between 6:00pm – 10:30pm. For reservations call 03 450 0045 or e-mail vie[at]sofitelqueenstown.com.

ENDS

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