Calling good-hearted gastronomes in Bangkok -- the 2023 sequel of Rare & Share charitable dinners kicks off on Feb 28.
The fine dining dinner is part of an ongoing Rare & Share project to support and improve the quality of life for patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
The benevolent campaign was initiated last year by Roche Thailand with support from Foundation to Eradicate Neuromuscular Disease (FEND) and the Swiss embassy.
SMA is a rare disease caused by a recessive gene mutation, which disrupts the patient's central nervous system. The disease affects one in every 10,000 people and symptoms can occur from birth to adulthood.
SMA symptoms include difficulties in moving, swallowing and even breathing. Patients require not just effective treatments but also consistent support, regular rehabilitation and physical therapy. They need to use assistive devices such as wheelchairs, ventilators and tracheostomy tubes to help function on a day-to-day basis.
In order to raise funds for SMA patients and awareness about the disease among the greater public, exclusive dinners are held throughout the year at participating fine dining restaurants.
The upcoming series is a partnership with two master chefs, Amerigo Sesti of Michelin-starred J'Aime French restaurant and Christian Martina of Clara Italian restaurant.
The six-course menu, which will be featured monthly at Clara and J'Aime until May, is inspired by real-life challenges experienced by patients with muscular dystrophy and their caretakers. Meanwhile, tableware and cutlery are also specially curated and carefully designed for this occasion.
Guests can expect to find dishes such as buckwheat and mushroom amuse bouche with taleggio cheese and black truffle; sea scallop with sea urchin, Oscietra caviar and salicornia; home-made ravioli pasta with hen, foie gras and juniper; halibut with cuttlefish, morel, Champagne and tarragon; 72-hour cooked beef with apple mustard, salsa verde and bell pepper; and a crepe souffle with Prachuap chocolate, coconut and rum.
The first dinner is held at J'Aime on Feb 28. Following dinners are held on March 26 at Clara, April 25 at J'Aime and May 28 at Clara.
The proceeds will be donated to the Foundation to Eradicate Neuromuscular Disease. For reservations and more information, call J'Aime on 02-119-4899 or Clara on 083-496-3663
