‘Star Wars’ inspired this tasting menu
There are many ways diehard fans of “Star Wars” have paid tribute to their favorite film saga, from artworks and digital wallpapers to costumes and dance routines. Those who run establishments have even created dishes inspired by iconic characters, such as the Cheese-3PO Burger, Wookiee cookies and a Yoda cocktail. The most recent addition to this list is Helm’s Josh Boutwood, who recently rolled out a tasting menu composed of dishes inspired by scenes in the sci-fi epic.
“I was never a hardcore fan,” the celebrated chef is quick to admit. “It was more of a father-son bonding thing. My son and I both enjoyed the storyline and the depth of the story.”
While watching the George Lucas space opera, Boutwood’s second child Phoenix challenged him to come up with a menu based on the movie. As someone who thrives on such provocations, he took on his 7-year-old’s dare.
A “Star Wars” meal was something Boutwood has long mentioned to me. He even considered painting the original Helm location’s ceiling black for an “out-of-this-world” experience. But circumstances forced him to delay it for a more appropriate time.
“We are on the cusp of our first anniversary in Helm’s new location, and since it was a theme that I had on my mind for so long, we felt it would be great to do a more whimsical theme for the first.”
Helm celebrated its 365-day run in Ayala Triangle Gardens last April 1, but it introduced the “Star Wars Menu” the prior month. “We had to rewatch all the movies. There are iconic scenes that can relate to food and others that need a culinary bridge to connect the story to the dish,” says Boutwood.
Immortalized in food
One of the dishes, for instance, referenced the blue milk that first appeared in “Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope” where Luke Skywalker is seen talking to his Uncle Owen. The weird-colored drink stands as a background piece. In Helm’s menu, though, it takes on a more prominent role as a teal-tinted, octopus-studded chawanmushi generously crowned with caviar.Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the dark side in “Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones” is immortalized by bite-sized pieces of seared Hokkaido scallops on a flavorful pool of chive emulsion-inked chicken consommé hiding underneath a glossy and delicate black cloak seasoned with cuttlefish ink.
In “Star Wars: Episode VIII—The Last Jedi,” the hungry Chewbacca feasts on two roasted porgs for supper as the other birds look on in horror. This scene is celebrated in a dish of dry-aged squab that has been cooked confit-style then roasted, accompanied by cranberry and beetroot gels, Jerusalem artichoke purée and a potent bone broth.
The two desserts that cap the multicourse menu do not tip the hat to any of the films, though they hold their own when it comes to satisfaction. There’s a frozen yogurt number with compressed pineapples, goji berries, macapuno and hibiscus syrup covered in crispy dehydrated egg whites; and a puffy pancake ball called Æbleskiver, typically enjoyed during Danish holidays. It’s filled with caramel and covered with burnt white chocolate sauce, nestled on white chocolate espuma and studded with puffed rice.
Apart from the “Star Wars”-inspired degustacion, Helm will also launch a small plate menu this month intended to be shared among colleagues and friends. INQHelm is at 3/F Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati Avenue, Makati; tel. 0915-9098647.
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