Fit for a star: What does Paul Anka eat when he visits Ottawa? We just had to find out.

Paul Anka wowed a sell-out crowd at a benefit concert on Saturday night, but on his first extended stay in Ottawa in 20 years he took time to sample some of the culinary excellence our chefs have to offer.

The tanned and slender singer ordered room service at the Westin Ottawa and squeezed in meals at Hy's Steak House on Queen Street and the Golden Palace on Carling Avenue. That's in-between attending welcoming homecoming receptions, starring in a CBC documentary and catching up on news from relatives still living in the nation's capital.

Mr. Anka even managed to snag a private invite to 24 Sussex Dr. where he dined with Prime Minister Jean Chretien and his wife, Aline, a few select Liberal senators, and MPs. Mr. Anka's cousin, Donald Abraham, his wife, Alana, and several members of Mr. Anka's staff were also at the prime minister's for dinner.

The dinner menu for the party of 15 guests included duck consomme garnished with wild mushrooms, sturgeon mussels steamed with a Boucanerie Chelsea sauce, grain-filled veal prepared in a red wine sauce, saffron risotto and, for dessert, sauteed poached pears and a choice of three wines.

And because Mr. Anka's flight to New York was delayed Sunday due to bad weather - snow in late April, remember? - he stayed an extra night and dined at the Golden Palace, famous for its tasty eggrolls.

Mr. Anka agreed with other diners that the eggrolls were among the best he's had. He also enjoyed the almond guy ding, the beef and broccoli and a mixed vegetable dish.

He got a sampling of a few favourite Lebanese dishes thanks to his aunt, Souad Tannis, who attended the benefit concert and a private reception Thursday night on Parliament Hill. She made hummus and tabbouleh and had them sent over to Mr. Anka's penthouse suite at the Westin.

Ms. Tannis says preparing the food was her way of welcoming her nephew back to the city he had grown up in.

A tasty homecoming.

Before Mr. Anka's concert, about 1,000 guests at the Congress Centre dined on a meal of spring lettuce with Belgian endive and watercress, orange filets with a tangerine and balsamic vinaigrette, puree of carrot and ginger soup, followed by cote de veau with a marsala au jus, roasted O'Brien potatoes with garlic, herbs and fresh spring vegetables. Dessert was choco-pear with strawberry and kiwi coulis, assorted breads and butter, coffee and tea.

The concert at the Congress Centre was to aid the Canadian Liver Foundation.

Unfazed by celebrities, the Westin Ottawa has been pampering and feeding stars for years. And Mr. Anka, who stayed with assistants including a hair dresser from Los Angeles, was no exception.

"We are accustomed to the customer who requires special attention," says Jean-Luc Barone, the hotel's director of food and beverage.

"There was a tremendous amount of preparation prior to his arrival to make sure the room was just so."

Mr. Anka booked three penthouse rooms, together known as the Renaissance Suite, which rent for $1,800 a night: Room 2404 is a bedroom, Room 2406 has the adjoining large living room, and Room 2408 features the master bedroom.

For Mr. Anka's arrival at 1:30 a.m. Thursday, the Westin stocked his room with a basket of fresh fruit, bottled Evian water, freshly squeezed orange and grapefruit juice, and a bottle of Chateau Pichon-Longueville 1997 Pauillac (now on sale at the Rideau Street LCBO at $89.05 a bottle, which retails for $165 in the hotel). "We knew he was fond of red wine, so that's what we provided," says Mr. Barone.

(Citizen wine columnist Rod Phillips is envious. "It's a highly regarded estate," Mr. Phillips says of the French chateau. While 1997 was not a noteworthy year, "I'd be very happy if someone left a bottle of 1997 Pichon-Longueville in my room.")

Early Thursday morning, Mr. Anka's staff ordered room service at the Westin: one green romaine salad, a leek-and-mushroom soup du jour, a vegetable wrap and one lasagna. The bill came to $50.32, including delivery.

At breakfast, the celebrity ordered plain yogurt with a platter of fresh fruit, two egg-white omelettes (with the yolks left out), freshly squeezed orange and grapefruit juice, a selection of baked goods and coffee ($49.08).

Compared to other celebrities, Mr. Anka's requirements in Ottawa were very down-to-earth. Westin staff recall being asked some years ago to stock a suite for a teenage pop group with six cases of Fruit Loops breakfast cereal.

On another occasion, singer Rod Stewart requested a 50-foot extension cord "so he could blow-dry his hair while walking around the room," says Sylvie Azar, executive assistant to the Westin's general manager, John Jarvis.

"He also wanted all the windows lined with black paper so no light could come in and he could sleep in the morning," she says.

And, one prominent Ontario politician (who shall remain nameless) always asks the Westin to stock his room on arrival with four bananas, four containers of low-fat yogurt, "and a turkey sandwich on brown bread that has to be cut in triangles and wrapped in cellophane and placed in a mini-fridge along with three cans of Diet Coke."

Such is the lifestyle of celebrities.

While in Ottawa, Mr. Anka dropped by Hy's Restaurant and enjoyed salmon fillet, a spinach salad and a particularly memorable bread pudding. That pudding, incidentally, is a family favourite passed down by the mother of Hy's general manager Anthony Bailey. "I brought the recipe here when I became general manager in January," he says.

The restaurant - a favourite of Mr. Anka's cousin, Donald Abraham - was a logical choice to bring the international recording star for an Ottawa-style meal. Mr. Abraham says Mr. Anka kept raving about the bread pudding during the meal.

"He said to me that it was the best bread pudding he's ever had - he loved it," says Mr. Abraham, who is in regular contact with the singing star.

Mr. Bailey agreed to share his mother's pudding recipe, below. "It's a basic bread pudding - light and fluffy," Mr. Bailey says. "But it's the sauce that makes it. It's got maple syrup, rum and butter. It's simple, but elegant."

From the Westin Ottawa, executive chef Philippe Wettel and sous-chef Paul Murray share these dishes also enjoyed by Mr. Anka: Green Romaine with Romano Cheese and Croutons, Leek and White Mushroom Soup, Egg White Omelette and Cilantro Vegetables Wrapped in Tortillas Roll. the recipes appear here and on page E1.

Gee, if Mr. Anka was that impressed with the food, perhaps he'll enjoy making the egg-white omelette or the tasty bread pudding at his home in California.

After all, we certainly will in Ottawa.

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Green Romaine with Romano Cheese and Croutons (From: Westin Ottawa)

• 1 large romaine salad
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) crispy bacon bits
• Romano cheese, shaved
• Garlic croutons

• 2 hard-cooked egg yolks
• 1 cup (250 mL) olive oil
• 2 tablespoons (25 mL) lemon juice
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) anchovy paste
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) roasted garlic
• Tabasco sauce, to taste

1. Clean, wash, dry and chop the Romaine; set aside.
2. Combine all Caesar dressing ingredients and whisk to incorporate well. Toss lettuce with enough dressing to taste. On top, sprinkle bacon bits, shaved Romano cheese and croutons.

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Leek and White Mushroom Soup (From: Westin Ottawa)

• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) butter
• 1 medium-size white onion, chopped
• 1 whole leek, white and tender green parts, washed and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 pound (450 g) fresh, cleaned white button mushrooms cut into quarters
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) water
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) flour
• 2 cups (500 mL) heavy 35-per-cent cream
• Salt, pepper to taste

1. In a large heavy-bottom pot on medium heat, melt butter and gently saute onion, leek and garlic until translucent but not browned. Add mushrooms and continue to cook gently, about 10 minutes.
2. Add water and gently simmer until all vegetable's are cooked through.
3. Using an electric hand blender, puree until smooth. Bring to a boil, add flour, mushroom/leek puree, additional water if it is too thick, and gently cook 20 minutes on low heat. Add cream and adjust seasoning to taste.
4. This soup may be refrigerated, covered, up to three days.

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Egg White Omelette (From: Westin Ottawa)

• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) butter
• 1 boiled potato (peeled and shredded)
• 4 egg whites
• Salt and pepper, to taste.

1. To make hash browned potatoes, in a non-stick frypan melt 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) butter and add the shredded potato. Fry until golden. Set aside and keep warm.
2. For the omelette, in a non-stick frypan, melt the remaining butter. In a bowl, whip the egg whites until foamy but not firm, add salt and pepper to taste, then pour into the warm frypan. Using a plastic spatula, scramble until eggs just begin to set, then cook gently to finish.
3. Fold omelette gently in half and place on a serving plate.Place hash-brown potatoes on the side and serve immediately.

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Cilantro Vegetables Wrapped in Tortillas Roll (From: Westin Ottawa)

• 2 carrots
• 1 celery root
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1 head lettuce
• 1/4 bunch of cilantro
• 6 tablespoons (100 mL) cream cheese
• 6 soft tortillas

1. Cut the carrots and celery root into thin julienne (matchsticks). Slice red and green pepper into thin strips. Set aside.
2. Wash lettuce and pat dry. Chop lettuce into strips 1/2-inch (1-cm) wide. Chop cilantro; set aside.
3. Spread cream cheese over tortillas. On top, place lettuce, vegetables and a sprinkle of cilantro.
4. Roll each tortilla to wrap vegetables tightly; cut in half on an angle through the centre, then display attractively on a plate.

Tip: Serve with sweet chili sauce or mayonnaise and nachos.

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Hy's Bread Pudding (From: Hy's Steak House)

• 21/2 to 3 cups (750 mL) stale white bread, cubed
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla extract
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 cups (500 mL) milk
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) white sugar
• Fresh mint, to garnish

• 1/2 pound (225 g) butter
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) maple syrup
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) brown sugar
• 4 ounces (115 mL) dark rum

1. For the pudding, preheat oven to 350 degreesF (180 degreesC). Place bread cubes in buttered baking dish. In a bowl, whisk together vanilla, eggs, milk, cinnamon, white sugar and pour over bread cubes. Combine thoroughly and let stand 30 minutes. Bake 30 minutes or until browned on top and pudding is firm, but not dry.
2. To make the sauce: Cream butter in a mixing bowl; set aside. In a saucepan, slowly heat maple syrup and add brown sugar and rum; mix until well incorporated. Slowly add syrup mixture to the creamed butter, whisking continuously.
3. To serve, spoon sauce on warm bread pudding. Garnish with fresh mint.

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