To start proceedings, we welcome you with a glass of Franciacorta. This delight to the taste buds will take you on a detour to Italy, a pleasure we would hate you to miss.
The action starts with GaultMillau newcomer of the year, Marco Campanella. He is to serve Swiss Alpine salmon with beetroot and two kinds of sorrel. The salmon – organically produced in Switzerland from Lostallo in Misox – is fished, processed, and brought to Zurich for The5 within a few hours. His vegan option consists of beetroot tartar with lambs’ lettuce, sorrel ice cream and chicory.
The first course is paired with a Kerner wine from Ticino. Produced from grapes in the north of the canton, this white wine is strong and zesty. It recalls nutmeg, and bears a tone of fresh, juicy apples. Fresh and fruity, it is the perfect partner for our first course.
“Zurich is loud, vibrant and full of surprises” is how celebrity chef Meta Hiltebrand describes the Limmat city. To reflect these qualities, her dish surprises diners with a unconventional combination: Zurich honey biscuits (Honigtirggel) with prawns from Switzerland, served with fresh apple caviar, seasonal pumpkin gelée, and a rosemary and white wine soup, plus a firework — presented in a glass ball.
For her vegan option, planted chicken, a plant-based product from peas, replaces the Swiss prawns. Although it may sound exotic, the product is local, having been developed at ETH Zurich.
Accompanying our second course is a Zweifel rosé, produced from the Pinot Noir grape. With the freshness of strawberry, this wine is a winner from the first sip. The Zweifel Rosé caresses the palate, is intense, fruity, juicy and highly drinkable.
Charming Grandseigneur Edgard Bovier has earned 18 GaultMillau points and one Michelin star throughout the years of his career. For our third course, he presents an exciting combination: two kinds of free-range Vaud chickens with an elegant sauce made from Nespresso Volluto coffee. This is served with Vaud sausage and Fondant potatoes with fresh leek. Those opting for the vegan variation will enjoy Papet Vaudois, another speciality from the Vaud cuisine, with smoked tofu, leeks and potatoes, and Perigord truffles.
To complement the aromatic chicken and Papet Vaudois we serve a red Bovard. A mix of Merlot, Syrah and Pinot Noir grapes, this red wine recalls elderberry, blackberry and liquorice. It is round and full-bodied with a tender bite.
The fourth course is inspired by the Valais mountains. No-one personifies the third largest canton in Switzerland more authentically than Vrony Cotting-Julen from Zermatt. “My course combines traditional family cooking with essential features of the Valais mountain pastures.” Diners are served beef fillet cooked in Valais mountain hay, with a pepper and cream sauce, Goms polenta and seasonal vegetables. Only the particularly herb-rich Valais mountain hay from the first seasonal cut is used. The course receives its unmistakable character from the Goms polenta with mountain thyme and Valais mountain cheese. Especially colourful is the vegan option: a quinoa pot-au-feu with Valais quinoa ballini, parsley pesto and a salad of fresh sprouts.
The Lux Vina red wine is the perfect companion for the fourth course. The Syrah’s dark, black-red colour makes a stunning impression in the glass. Peppery and zesty in aroma, its juicy, plum-like taste recalls autumn. On the palate it tastes meaty and full-bodied.
Dessert cravers can look forward to a theatrical finale from Engadin's charismatic chef, Dario Cadonau. Designed to linger long in guests’ memories, he presents a chocolate Arven pinecone with chocolate espuma, lingonberries and Arven pine ice cream. The creative chef finds his inspiration in nature: “An Arven pinecone lands next to lingonberries on the forest floor – this is a wonderful image and culinary experience.” His vegan alternative is also drawn from the Engadin natural landscape and its golden autumnal days: a sweet berry compote and autumn leaves of bilberry purée with soya yoghurt.
With this course, we serve Aarver Wald Swiss Pine gin. Produced from juniper berries, herbs and extracts of Aarven Swiss pinewood, it has a resinous note and various citrus and mint details, making it an elegant dessert companion.
After a tour through Switzerland, we cross the national boundary for the second and last time – on an adventurous trip to Uganda. The combination of rich coffee and complementing friandises is another of the evening’s highlights and a perfect completion to the The5 world.
