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BANGKOK - The napkins were Egyptian linen, the tablecloths snow-white and crisply starched. The view from the windows was of the lights of Bangkok and the majestic Chao Phraya river.
The company was exclusive, as was the wine list. And the food was, quite literally, the best money
can buy.
Wealthy gourmands from around the globe converged on a 65-storey luxury hotel in Thailand's capital on Saturday night to eat a unique "millionaires' dinner" prepared by six Michelin three-star chefs flown in from Europe.
The identity of those who spent one million Thai baht ($43,000) to enjoy the four-hour extravaganza of the finest ingredients and rarest wines was kept under wraps.
Staff at the 65th-floor Mezzaluna restaurant at the hotel had to hand in their mobile phones to ensure secrecy for the diners, many of whom arrived in their private jets.
The food had run up some eye-watering air-miles, too - beef was brought from Kobe, Japan, live lobsters journeyed from the north coast of France and the US state of Maine, oysters came from southern Australia, and white truffles came from Rome and black ones from Perigord in France's Dordogne.
From 35 cities around the world, the ingredients were flown in at the last moment to ensure they would be in perfect condition. The meal could scarcely be declared eco-friendly.
Locals said the diners were being taken for a ride, saying everybody knows the best food in Thailand costs just 30 baht ($1.28), is cooked in a wok welded to a street cart and served at a fold-up metal table on the pavement.
"Chicken is still chicken, pork is still pork. They may have lobster, but we have prawns," said Pornpilai Chareonsimaporn, who runs an eatery in State Tower's shadow. "The only thing they're paying for is some fancy table decorations."
Yet the hotel that dreamed up the event with the hefty price tag - 17 per cent tip and Thai taxes not included - maintained that the high-rollers were more than prepared to shell out for "a unique experience".
Mezzaluna manager Deepak Ohri defended the all-European menu and said it was impossible to start making price comparisons. "We are not selling a meal - we are selling the whole experience. You cannot put a value on the experience," he said.
Among the mysterious foodies was a casino-owner from Macau, a Taiwanese hotel owner and shipping and property tycoons from the US and Europe.
Each chef selected his or her signature dishes for the 10-course meal. Guests were brought up in a private lift. British wine master Alun Griffiths introduced the wines, including a 1985 Romanee Conti, a 1959 Chateau Mouton Rothschild, a 1967 Chateau d'Yquem and a 1961 Chateau Palmer, described by Griffiths as "one of the greatest single wines of the 20th century".
Each bottle travelled from the chateau of origin to suppliers Berry Brothers & Rudd, of London, and on to Bangkok. The wine alone cost $285,000.
Even the palate-cleansing sorbet was crafted out of Dom Perignon champagne. But still, even for Alain Soliveres, of Paris's renowned Taillevent restaurant, who opened with creme brulee of foie gras with Tonga beans, the bill was breathtaking.
"It's surreal. The whole thing's surreal," he said. But, he added: "To have brought together all these three-star Michelin chefs for so many people is an incredible feat."
A select 15 paying guests enjoyed his mastery, as well as that of the likes of Antoine Westermann of Strasbourg's Buerehiesel and the only woman, Annie Feolde of Enoteca Pinchiorri, in Florence.
With some of the profits going to charity, Westermann did his bit to make it value for money. He shaved 100g of rare Perigord truffles worth about £180 ($513) on to every diner's plate.
On the streets far below, a bowl of steaming pad thai noodles was still available for a (carbon-free) song.
And coffee to follow, sir?
That 1 million baht ($42,898.62), 11-course menu in full:
Creme brulee of foie gras with Tonga beans, washed down with:
1990 Louis Roederer Cristal
***
Tartar of Kobe beef with Imperial Beluga caviar and Belon oyster
1995 Krug Clos du Mesnil
***
Mousseline of "pattes rouges" crayfish with morel infusion
2000 Corton Charlemagne
***
"Tarte Fine" with scallops and black truffle
1996 Le Montrachet
***
Britanny lobster "Osso Bucco"
1985 Romanee Conti
Risotto with white Alba truffles "Enoteca Pinchiorri"
1961 Chateau Palmer
***
Saddle of lamb "Leonel"
1959 Chateau Mouton Rothschild
***
Sorbet "Dom Perignon"
***
Supreme of pigeon en croute with Perigord truffles
1961 Chateau Haut Brion
***
1955 Chateau Latour
Selection of fine cheeses
***
Imperial gingerbread pyramid with caramel and salted butter ice-cream
1967 Chateau d'Yquem
- OBSERVER
