Snapshots of ‘Taste TT’

That, however, was more than enough, thanks to plates of seafood “Blaf” given to us by Chef Gerard Mouille of a la Bastille. Two sizeable pieces of salmon, shrimp, squid (I think) in a subtle broth with a hint of herbs and lemon took the edge of our appetites.

We ‘spent’ the first part of our $250-plus-complimentary-glass-of-wine ticket at the Marriot. We found the grilled chicken breast tender and moist, the fresh tomato sauce an excellent accompaniment. The salt fish and provision — er — dumpling? was a bit of a surprise on a gourmet menu, but good, nevertheless; the sponge cake with banana and melon was delicate and delicious. We made a note to visit the Marriot dining room some time soon for a feature.

We found Apsara’s Lamb Seekh Kebab somewhat disappointing, felt we could have done with a bit more of the Mala Murgh Tika chicken, and enjoyed the Chicken Biryani with a mild pepper sauce.

Bernard Long’s Seafood Medley didn’t come up to our expectations; I mourn the loss of Asian Green-Lipped Mussels that were once plentiful in the Gulf —until shrimpers put paid to the artificial reefs . . . but that’s another story.

We failed to identify the Cinnamon — was it Carnival (I do wish I could read my own writing!) foo foo — was it the mysterious concoction in the cup? The Panasian vegetables did not tempt, but perhaps that’s understandable for how, even with the most modern kitchen equipment in the world, does one retain the taste of fresh-cooked broccoli when serving so many people buffet style?

Boomerang Caterers were last on our ticket. I enjoyed the baklava, but not the stuffed vine leaves, my cabbage roll was stuffed with a piece of gristle, the kibbe was OK, the skewer of beef, chewy, and by this time I’d had more than enough rice. We washed Boomerang’s offering down with a shared glass of red wine — which had seen better days, not to put too fine a point on it.

Duty done by our tickets, we wandered on to sections C and D, accepting tender shrimps offered by Chef Moses Ruben of Melange and a chocolate-coated strawberry from Solimar. We had sniffed the tempting aromas from Uncle Sam and the Tobago contingent wishing that, like cows, we had four stomachs to pay homage to the best of Trinidad food which, as a lunch at Ortinola some months ago proved, when cooked with love and care is as good as any cuisine anywhere.

Then, pausing only to sip a pleasant glass of Chilean wine we made our way home. Finally, was the gourmet food worth $250 a ticket? Well . . . on reading this piece, what do you think?

And so what else can one say but thanks to all the chefs and sponsors of Taste TT — and we can’t wait for next year to do it all over again.