A gathering of gourmets

Mike Peters joins an elite group of serious eaters in Beijing for an evening of gastronomic indulgence.

There are invitations to dinner, and there are invitations to dinner. When one is invited to dine in Beijing with members of the Chaine des Rotisseurs, the oldest international gastronomic society, it's hard not to lick one's lips in anticipation.

"Devoted to preserving the camaraderie and pleasures of the table," says the society's webpage of its founding in Paris in 1248.

That was the time of the High Middle Ages - a few years before the Treaty of Paris would end 100 years of conflict between the ruling houses of France and England. In China, the Mongol khans would soon solidify their holdings to form the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). France's king was determined to bring order to the country's trade guilds, and the meat roasters were organized into the Chaine, eventually earning their own coat of arms. The brotherhood prided itself on developing the culinary arts.

Like peace in Europe and the Yuan Dynasty, the Chaine had its ups and downs over the next centuries. In fact, it pretty much disappeared until being reconstituted after World War II in 1950.

Today there are more than 25,000 members in more than 70 countries, amateurs and professionals eager to share the pleasure of good food and wine - and to celebrate the art of a well-laid table.

The Beijing bailliage (chapter) of the Chaine is a relative newcomer, but on a recent weekend it was clear that local gastronomes intended to make up for lost time. Dinner was presented by the Fairmont Hotel's executive chef, Andreas Block, who presides over The Cut restaurant at the hotel.

That eatery is described by one Beijing blogger as "a steak spa with a $1 million sculpture of individual glass-blown fish swimming into the shape of a giant dragon to watch over you and ensure satisfaction".

While the Chaine party of about 50 was too large for The Cut's intimate space, the Fairmont staff turned a ballroom into a fantasy dining room, with multicolored orchids to reflect the chef's dinner theme of "color". Block himself - and perhaps the spirit of that glass dragon - circulated among the tables to make sure guests were enjoying every morsel.

But before dinner, there was a traditional champagne cocktail and an even more traditional ceremony to swear-in new board officers and new members.

On this night, Block's meat cleaver was not the biggest blade in the house: Master of Ceremonies Beat Muller, who runs Swiss Bread and the Beijing bailliage of the Chaine, touched a traditional sword to the shoulder of each honoree, including Block and new members Michael Ho, managing director of American Clubs International (Tianjin) and JC Liu, CEO of Richfields Capital.

The mix of old military swords and colorful sashes sometimes lent an aura of The Three Musketeers - though there were no plumed hats - but the whole package always felt inspired, never absurd.

"We come here to escape the daily routine," says longtime member Marcel Greenberg, who has spent a decade in China as a cosmetics entrepreneur and now a marketing consultant for Swiss firms.

"It is a chance to enjoy good food, good company and good conversation in a leisurely way."

The good company is generally by invitation and rather select.

"Our members are invited by two existing members and usually will join our dinners a few times prior to applying to our brotherhood," says Muller. "To become a member, we charge 3,800 yuan ($623) for the first year. This includes the ribbon and certificate which will be sent from Paris."

The annual member fee in Beijing drops to 1,500 yuan in subsequent years, and each wine-paired dinner costs 1,150 yuan per person.

Muller notes that the cost of membership varies by country and sometimes even by city, though the percentage paid to the headquarters in Paris stays fixed. Many members are both well-heeled and well-traveled, making a point of attending Chaine dinners in other cities which they frequent.

This night deservedly belonged to Block, whose color-themed menu began with red: A foie gras terrine, with beetroot, raspberries and pickled red onion, served with a crisp Loosen Dr L Riesling 2011 from Germany's Mosel region.

An orange course was next: A cream of pickled carrots soup, centered with a slab of citrus-cured salmon and aromatics. The wine, if you're taking notes (and this was one of the evening's best vintages), was Trimbach Gewurztraminer 2007, from Alsace in France. Semi-floral and not quite as sweet as I expected, it beautifully supported but didn't overpower the savory dish.

The "green" plate was pan-fried diver scallop served with a lobster and spinach terrine, green peas and asparagus. The wine pairing: Montes Limited Sauvignon Blanc 2010, from the Leyda Valley in Chile.

The yellow course was a palate cleanser, passion fruit sorbet served in a glass boat and topped with a crystalline "sail" of sugar and a coup de grace of lemon powder.

That set up the menu's star course in brown: Australian Wagyu beef, cauliflower soubise and quinoa, a tantalizing mix of flavors and textures pulled together with earthy pours of Joseph Moda Primo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, from the McLaren Valley of Australia.

If the dessert course was the fussiest, it was also the most fun - a purple fantasy of lavender macaroon, cherry coral cake, grape and blueberry sorbet, made all the sweeter by Stoney Ridge Vidal Ice Wine 2007, from Niagara, Canada. Epatant!

Each dish was as pretty as the inevitable pictures that were taken, but never got too precious. The chef's grand art never included foam posing as food. Dining with a group that's perpetually in pursuit of a superb meal, one could expect no less.

Contact the writer at michaelpeters@chinadaily.com.cn.