A Mexican Gastronomic Week comes to live at Radisson Blu Addis Ababa

It was a plain idea brought in a few months ago by Alfredo Miranda, the Mexican Ambassador in Addis Ababa, who asked the management of the Radisson Blu hotel on whether the hotel could entertain the Mexican National Day party on September 14th.

 

However, “because we were already booked for an event on that day, we had to decline,” said Dimitri Brun the hotel’s Food & Beverage Manager.  Nevertheless, Guillaume Massiera, the hotel’s General Manager, didn’t run out of ideas. “He offered to organize a whole Mexican Gastronomic Week in the Hotel, and especially in the Restaurant,” said Mr. Brun.

When Mr. Brun took his position as Food & Beverage Manager in the beginning of July this year, he met with the Ambassador to discuss the whole program.

Ambassador Miranda has already planned to fly in a group of singers and dancers all the way from Mexico for the National Day Party that has eventually happened at the African Union on the 14th of September.  But the Ambassador generously offered the group to stay for the whole week and provide entertainment during dinner at Radisson Blu. He also decided to invite a famous Mexican chef at the same time “in order to co-manage with our own Executive Chef Mesfin Kebede” in preparing a Mexican Gastronomic Week at the hotel’s kitchen, says Mr. Brun. On September 15th, the day following the more formal Mexican National Day reception at the African Union, the Radisson Blu hosted a more relaxed party at its dazzling reception area on the ground floor that marked the first day of what has become a full blown Mexican week with the country’s unique beverage and cuisine enjoyed by its guests on the lookout for something different.

It was at this night that the hotel invited its distinguished guests from all walks of life to experience the group who have lifted the night to a pleasant one by making sure every invited guest enjoyed an intimate eye-to-eye contact with them.

During this week that came to an end on Sep. 21st, Radisson Blu offered a Mexican Buffet from its Verres en Vers restaurant and a choice of Mexican snacks and drinks from its Signature Bar.

“For Radisson Blu, which is still running its first opening year, it was a very successful event”, said Mr. Brun, adding the hotel is now planning to host similar Gastronomic Week every month in partnership with other embassies in Addis Ababa. “Already a few ambassadors have shown an interest and we are discussing the months to come to be the promotion of cultures from other countries.”