Aurelia's Sous Chef Cooks for Royalty

Friday, July 13, 2018

Chef Percy Baloyi, Sous Chef at Aurelia’s restaurant at Emperors Palace, recently returned from an exciting week-long trip to Monaco where he had the honour of meeting HSH Prince Albert.  Born and raised in Tembisa, Chef Percy along with Chef de Cuisine, André Bezuidenhout, teamed up to produce an extraordinary ‘Afroperial’ menu that was enjoyed by members of the Monacan Royal family and 100 high-profile guests at the Hotel Monte-Carlo Bay.

“This trip was something beyond my wildest dreams!  Besides representing South Africa and Emperors Palace in Monte Carlo, I flew for the first time which was absolutely amazing,” Chef Percy comments.  “It was also incredible to share my knowledge with overseas chefs, including Chef Marcel Ravin, where I learned a lot about the power of working together to create magic in the kitchen.”

The distinguished guests enjoyed a celebration of African flavour by sampling seven expertly-prepared dishes, including lemon-meringue springrolls, oxtail, and grilled dukka crusted salmon.  The trip ended in true South African style with a lip-smacking braai.

“We received great feedback from the guests who complimented the food and appreciated the South African techniques and flavours.  We even had the opportunity to meet HSH Prince Albert, which was a major highlight for us all.  It was an incredibly fast-paced, exciting and exhausting week of cooking, and it was all worth it considering how much we learned,” Chef Percy concludes.