Enjoyed a late night Crepes Suzette with my DH at Henri Charpentier which is only a short walk from our hotel in Ginza. The bar sits only 8 but you can always make a reservation. This place exudes a certain sophistication and looks luxurious and stylish. This is absolutely one of the best cosy places to relax and enjoy an afternoon or late night dessert. A must-try is their Crepe Suzette it is Henri Charpentier’s original and signature dish which the chef will make/perform in front of you. The crepe was downright delicious and has perfect texture and the sweetness was just right. Besides crepes, they also offer other baked sweets, coffee and alcoholic drinks.
Henri Charpentier was a 19th century French chef who created the flaming dessert, Crepe Suzette. The dish was created from a mistake made by Henri Charpentier in 1895 who was just a fourteen-year-old assistant waiter at the Maitre at Monte Carlo's Café de Paris as he was preparing a dessert for the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII of United Kingdom, whose guests included a beautiful French girl named Suzette.
This story was told by Charpentier himself in Life à la Henri, his autobiography.
"It was quite by accident as I worked in front of a chafing dish that the cordials caught fire. I thought it was ruined. The Prince and his friends were waiting. How could I begin all over? I tasted it. It was, I thought, the most delicious medley of sweet flavors I had ever tasted. I still think so. That accident of the flame was precisely what was needed to bring all those various instruments into one harmony of taste . . . He ate the pancakes with a fork; but he used a spoon to capture the remaining syrup. He asked me the name of that which he had eaten with so much relish. I told him it was to be called Crêpes Princesse. He recognized that the pancake controlled the gender and that this was a compliment designed for him; but he protested with mock ferocity that there was a lady present. She was alert and rose to her feet and holding her little skirt wide with her hands she made him a curtsey. 'Will you,' said His Majesty, 'change Crêpes Princesse to Crêpes Suzette?' Thus was born and baptized this confection, one taste of which, I really believe, would reform a cannibal into a civilized gentleman. The next day I received a present from the Prince, a jeweled ring, a panama hat and a cane."
This story was told by Charpentier himself in Life à la Henri, his autobiography.
"It was quite by accident as I worked in front of a chafing dish that the cordials caught fire. I thought it was ruined. The Prince and his friends were waiting. How could I begin all over? I tasted it. It was, I thought, the most delicious medley of sweet flavors I had ever tasted. I still think so. That accident of the flame was precisely what was needed to bring all those various instruments into one harmony of taste . . . He ate the pancakes with a fork; but he used a spoon to capture the remaining syrup. He asked me the name of that which he had eaten with so much relish. I told him it was to be called Crêpes Princesse. He recognized that the pancake controlled the gender and that this was a compliment designed for him; but he protested with mock ferocity that there was a lady present. She was alert and rose to her feet and holding her little skirt wide with her hands she made him a curtsey. 'Will you,' said His Majesty, 'change Crêpes Princesse to Crêpes Suzette?' Thus was born and baptized this confection, one taste of which, I really believe, would reform a cannibal into a civilized gentleman. The next day I received a present from the Prince, a jeweled ring, a panama hat and a cane."
Sugar, Butter, Orange Juice and Marnier cognac liqueur added into the hot pan.
The chef flambéing the crepes in front of the guests.
The French classic dessert Crepe Suzette to be enjoyed with vanilla ice cream.
Henri Charpentier
Yonei Building 1F/B1F 2-8-20 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
No comments:
Post a Comment