The first Monday in May is an event awaited with maximum expectation for lovers of the world of fashion, as the Met Gala is celebrated at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. An event marked each year by a theme, around which the decoration, the dress code of the attending celebrities and, of course, the menu served at dinner revolve.
Each year the menu is inspired by the theme of the gala, taking maximum care of every detail. As an example, last year the theme was “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”, and at dinner it was served with Diet Coke, the favorite drink of the late creative director of Chanel. This 2024, the theme has been “Sleeping Beauty: the awakening of fashion”, and the Met Gala menu has revolved around the world of stories and fantasy.
Oliver Cheng has been responsible for the catering that served the dinner at the 2024 Met Gala. Speaking to the American edition of Vogue magazine, he highlights that “we wanted to create a menu that seemed a little romantic and ethereal, but focused “in the best seasonal ingredients.” ”Inspired by the lush gardens and palaces of Sleeping Beauty's fantasy world, we really set out to build our own bite-sized fairy tale,” he adds.
The first course was a spring vegetable salad with elderflower foam, raspberry vinaigrette and soil-like olive crumble, complete with butterfly-shaped croutons. For this creation, Cheng was inspired by Aurora's awakening after her deep sleep, opting for vegetables picked at the beginning of spring, as they are the first to grow after the long winter.
The main course was a filet of beef topped with rose tortellini, whose presentation evoked a culinary castle, with the meat floating above a “moat” of pine needles and mushrooms. A floral accent is added as a nod to the Met exhibition made up of more than 270 pieces inspired by nature. She also wears a pink upside-down hat by Philip Treacy, a design often repeated at this year's event, present on the invitations, decorations and napkins.
Regarding the dessert, it was inspired by Snow White's poisonous apple. “We start with an almond cremeux molded into the shape of a miniature apple, cover it with a bright red mirror glaze, and finish by placing it on a nutty-flavored 'leaf',” Oliver Cheng notes.
The decoration of the table and the plating also respond to motifs full of color and bucolic air. The tablecloths were in gradient blue, the napkins featured a rose and the plates were shaped like lettuce leaves, while the table was filled with centerpieces with almost black burgundy roses and candelabras covered in greenery.
