Every Spring, Hugo Ludwig Wilhelm von Gluckenstein, the fictional character which Hugo’s is name after, harvested his homegrown white asparagus from his castle to serve his guests. To continue this tradition, Executive Sous Chef Marco Mehr will use this precious royal white asparagus to design a menu and showcase traditional recipes with new interpretations to delight diners with spring tastes. Here are a few highlights:
In northwestern Europe, white asparagus is celebrated in various regional festivals and is also known as edible ivory, white gold asparagus or the royal vegetable, and famed for its ivory colour, tenderness and delicacy.
Diners are invited to Hugo’s to sample this precious delicacy in this May and June. The meal begins with white asparagus salad which is complemented with succulent langoustine, cauliflower, fennel and black truffle vinaigrette, all bursting with flavours while emphasising the pure taste of this edible ivory. Another chef’s recommendation is roasted white asparagus with herbs, sautéed Atlantic monkfish and ratte potato in meunière sauce which features every ingredient acting as the star of the dish.
Diners may also feast on white asparagus risotto with morel, stuffed French quail and arugula in port wine jus where the mouthwatering white asparagus together with the flavourful quail meat delivers a combination of robust sweetness. Guests who are fond of simple-yet-tantalising dishes may savour the classic steamed white asparagus with hollandaise sauce, tomato vinaigrette and brown butter which perfectly embodies the natural quality of this royal vegetable.
Hugo’s is an authentic European fine-dining restaurant serving traditional Western cuisine prepared only with the finest ingredients available. Table-side cooking is the icon of the restaurant.