“Iceberg right ahead!”
At 11.39pm on April 14, 1912, those infamous words from lookout Frederick Fleet rang out from the crow's nest of RMS Titanic.
Two hours and 40 minutes later, the “unsinkable” White Star Line passenger ship, a technological marvel of its age, sank to the bottom of the Atlantic.
The maritime disaster, 600 kilometres south-southeast of Newfoundland, claimed around 1,517 lives of 2,224 passengers and crew. Most of the bodies were never recovered and months later, passing ships still reported sightings of corpses bobbing in the icy waters.
Perhaps it is fortitude in the face of terror or the desperate grapple for survival, but more than a century on, the ship’s fate and the stories of those on-board continue to fascinate us.
There have been film adaptations, exhibitions of artefacts recovered from the wreck 3.81km down and more recently, recreations of the final first-class passengers’ dinner in fine-dining establishments around the world.
On April 14 and 15, Bord Eau restaurant at the Shangri-La Hotel, Abu Dhabi, presented its Titanic – the Last Supper event. It is the second year the French restaurant has held a commemorative dinner, which this year was extended to two nights to meet demand.
What might seem a macabre occasion to some can also be seen as an act of remembrance. This year was the 105th anniversary of the disaster and the restaurant welcomed up to 40 diners a night for its “feast to remember”.
The atmosphere
The venue was atmospheric; the lighting subdued and the art nouveau decor and furnishings well suited to the opulence of the ship’s First Class Dining Saloon. Waiters in white suit jackets attended to diners’ requests and questions in a quiet, efficient manner while jazz standards played quietly in the background.
Most of the clientele welcomed the dress code invitation of “glamorous vintage”, arriving in Edwardian-style evening gowns and tuxedos. There were even a couple of hipsters, with large colourful tattoos peeking out from under strappy gowns and crisp white shirts. Some diners had travelled from across the Emirates for the occasion.
Pink and white roses adorned the tables among the silverware and each place-setting featured a paper menu sealed in red wax.
The food
The Last Supper itself, envisaged by two-Michelin star German-Iranian executive chef Mansour Memarian, was an exquisite, faithful recreation of the 10-course dinner served on April 14, 1912.
It might sound like enough food to sink a battleship but the portion sizes were small, with an emphasis on the sensory taste experience and in keeping with quantities served to the aristocracy of the time.
The four-hour dinner began with the hors d’oeuvres — a snail croquette and mushroom and spinach pie, and a baked oyster in egg and butter sauce — creamy and tasty, if a little sweet.
Typically perhaps, myself and the other diners on my table used the wrong cutlery, a bit like Leonardo DiCaprio's character Jack in the blockbuster 1997 film Titanic. Silver service definitely requires etiquette training.
The second course, Consommé Olga was a pleasant surprise. You would not think a beef consommé over fresh scallops would be a good pairing but it was surprisingly moreish, with a slither of ginger to enliven the palate.
The third, poached salmon with Mousseline sauce, was a work of art. The fish was cooked to perfection so that it melted on the mouth like butter. But it was the following course that for me, was the highlight of the evening – Fillet mignon Lili accompanied by Marrow Farsi. The meat was so mouth-watering and succulent, I spent about 15 minutes trying to prolong the experience, savouring each delicious morsel. Bathed in beef jus and accompanied by a bed of courgette, I did not want this divine dish to end.
After this pièce de résistance, the loin of lamb and accompaniments was intriguing, the green pea purée providing a textural contrast, but not on a par. The next course was the one I had anticipated most — the Punch Romaine.
Specifically created on the Titanic and unique to the doomed liner, the iced citrus beverage was designed as a palate cleanser to be served halfway through the dinner. It consists of egg white, orange juice, lemon juice and shaved ice, and is a bit like drinking a sour sherbet or liquid sorbet. The Bord Eau version uses ice cubes instead of crushed ice and the waiter explained this is to gradually coax out the flavours.
It is perhaps only when you are served this dish that the enormity of the Titanic’s fate hits you, and I did have a few moments of solemn reflection.
This would have been an appropriate time for a toast to those lost souls on that fateful voyage, perhaps led by the maître d’hôtel. If I had one criticism of the Titanic – the Last Supper, it would be that I felt it lacked a welcome talk or commemoration of the historical significance of this event, despite the atmosphere of quiet respect.
The course which followed the Punch Romaine was the one I had anticipated least – roast squab (pigeon) and cress. With its strong taste and heavy texture, the bird was too gamey for me. Next up however, was a dish that delighted the taste buds. A simple serving of two cold asparagus shoots in a saffron vinaigrette provided a light and fresh contrast to the previous dish.
The penultimate course, pâté de foie gras with a celery and apple accompaniment, was also delicious, and then it was on to the desserts.
Gazing at the Waldorf Pudding, peaches in Chartreuse jelly, chocolate and vanilla éclairs and French ice cream, I did wonder, will my heart go on? But despite the calorie-overload, it was hard to resist these artisan creations – a fitting end to an epic meal.
The feedback
The general consensus among diners at Bord Eau was that they had relished the occasion and opportunity to commemorate the Titanic.
Erin King, a 37-year-old nanny from Chicago, who had travelled from Dubai, said: "It's like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend something like this. The Titanic was just so glamorous for the time and so being able to relive that glamour was really special. The meal was very memorable and if you had a question, the staff were knowledgeable."
Diana Lavin, 64, a retired insurance worker from Wisconsin, said: "The Titanic was launched on my birthday, May 31, so I have always been fascinated by it, and I loved the movie. It is wonderful that everyone came here to remember what those people went through that night."
Some diners however, were unhappy at being charged for water in addition to the pre-paid package (up to Dh34 for a large bottle of Evian). One diner, who did not wish to be named, said: “I loved the meal and the service ... but if you spend Dh600 on a meal, then asking people to pay for water on top is a bit much. If you’re going to have to pay extra then why not add it to the [pre-paid] bill?”
There was a certain irony in being charged extra for water at the last meal on the Titanic.
Antoine Philip, Bord Eau manager, said diners were given the options at the start of the meal but that feedback would be taken on board, with a view to adding bottled water to a pre-paid package next year.
The details
Titanic – the Last Supper started from Dh488 for the set menu (including taxes). Bord Eau expects to host the Last Supper annually. Keep an eye on www.shangri-la.com for details.
The National was a guest of the restaurant.
adale@thenational.ae
