2016年3月23日 星期三

Why Hong Kong restaurants are pairing whisky, now not just wine, with food - South China Morning put up (subscription)

It was once that first-rate-dining restaurants would promote tasting menus that have been paired with costly wines, however increasingly it's whisky this is the beverage of choice. The drink become regarded via many to be too mighty to accomplice with food,however recent activities exhibit there is a lot of pastime.

The contemporary Hong Kong Whisky festival 2016 at the InterContinental Grand Stanford, and the Malt Masters pageant on the Conrad, each provided common pairing seminars.

"there's a demand for whisky and food pairing in distinctive materials of the world, but in some circumstances it has been bit haphazard," says Ewan Henderson, a expert who conducted two pairing seminars at Malt Masters, both of them absolutely subscribed.

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"Some chemical reactions can construct a bridge between the spirit and the meals. Take the Maillard response as an instance. it truly is the chemical response between amino acids and cutting back sugars (browning) when meals reaches a definite temperature. It creates lots of flavours – in roasted espresso, chocolate, grilled steaks, and the rest barbecued," he says. "That also takes region within the whisky making tactics of malting barley and charring casks [in which whisky is matured and from which it takes much of its flavour]. we will know flavours that pair throughout."

throughout his seminars Henderson paired jap whiskies with yakitori (grilled chicken skewers); American whiskey with a maple corn dog (whiskey and maple syrup, he says, frequently go well collectively); and Irish whiskey with crab and ginger salad on boxty (a potato pancake).

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The Scottish island whiskies, he says, often have an affinity with seafood, primarily oysters and smoked salmon.

Chef Tim Bruges of Alibi at Cordis in Langham vicinity, which currently added a whisky corner in its lounge area, is also an aficionado, and likes to pair his single malts with figs or foie gras.

Bruges concurs with Henderson that whisky will also be a superb companion to grilled meats.

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"My personal option is for sherry okayaged whiskies, as I think they have a smoother style, with citrus notes and tips of dried fruits corresponding to raisins, prunes, figs, apricots and dates, and spices reminiscent of cinnamon and famous person anise. These flavours complement the richness and fattiness of well-marbled beef, such as US top, and our bone marrow dish, while the citrus notes help to cleanse the palate and make each bite feel like it is the first one – one more reason why I created a whisky fig jam to pair with the latter. For charcuterie, the sherry all rightworks very neatly as a result of the wood smoke and spice flavours that come via."

Alibi, which offers greater than a hundred and seventy distinct whiskies and features a definite themed flight every month, has no pairing menu as such, but diners can all the time ask for the chef's suggestions, as they could at the Angel's Share whisky bar in Hollywood highway, which has whisky smoked salmon and heat whisky honey cake on its menu, in addition to a wide selection of small bites which companion lots of the spirits on its international list neatly.

Most whisky promotions in eating places take the form of one-off dinners with guest audio system (every so often donning kilts, on occasion not). Some eating places offer whisky pairing menus over an extended stretch.

In Tsim Sha Tsui, Hugo's on the Hyatt Regency has an East Meets West Whisky Pairing Dinner menu, which aspects whiskies from Japan, Taiwan and Scotland unless the conclusion of April.

In significant, Lai Bun Fu's style of Classics menu pairs chef Chun kinfolk Leung's Cantonese delicacies with 4 Scottish single malts. Launched closing September and intended to run for simply a couple of weeks, the menu has confirmed so accepted that it's going to continue to be for the foreseeable future. pork and sherry barrel whisky are additionally on the menu at Lai Bun Fu. Bowmore 15 12 months ancient Darkest is matured in oloroso sherry casks, and the restaurant pairs it with double-boiled Angus pork brisket with turnip and chu hau bean sauce. other pairings are Daliang hen liver roll with Auchentoshan three timber; sifu's crispy bird with five-flavoured condiments with Auchentoshan 12 12 months old; and braised sea cucumber with dry shrimp roe and pomelo reel with Glen Garioch 12 12 months historic. Two to a few days' improve reserving for at the least six individuals is required.

Lai Bun Fu supervisor Jeff buddy is conducting tasting sessions for a different whisky menu to be introduced later within the 12 months. The current menu is priced at HK$6,280, whisky protected, for six.

"When pairing with whisky you need potent meaty flavours to obtain a concord with the potent flavour of the spirit," he says. "i like to recommend consuming it neat or with only one or two items of ice, in any other case you lose the authentic style."

i attempted a couple of selections with wine and spirits consultant Ron Taylor, and we agreed that while the Glen Garioch was a fine textural in shape with the sauce for the ocean cucumber, the Bowmore become a far better suit for the marine flavours of the dish.

The theory of pairing is almost the identical as for wine. if you have a prosperous, full-bodied whisky you go together with heavier meals; if you have a less full-bodied whisky you go for lighter flavours

Marco Mehr

The red meat tasted most advantageous anointed with a couple of drops of the Bowmore, in place of preceded or followed by using a sip – a trick Taylor says he realized from a sake master who did anything an identical with sake and steak.

On April 14 Taylor could be the visitor speaker at a Macallan whisky pairing dinner at Hugo's at which a variety of different expressions of the whisky may be served, together with the restricted edition The Macallan M – of which only 10 bottles were made accessible to Hong Kong. The dinner is priced at HK$three,268 per grownup.

Taylor and that i share the view that most of the choicest whisky and meals fits are at first and end of a meal, beginning with oysters or different seafood appetisers, then with muffins – especially those with chocolate in them.

The Macallan M, paired with whisky chocolate fondant with orange and praline chiboust, need to be a deal with.

Single-minded Macallan enthusiasts will doubtless pack that dinner out, but for whisky enthusiasts with wider- ranging tastes, the standard 4-course East Meets West pairing dinner is priced at HK$1,750 per head and comprises one whisky of your alternative with each and every of the primary three lessons.

The pairings have been arrived at after a lot wonderful analysis via Hugo's government sous chef Marco Mehr and sommelier Leo Au Ka-wai, who decided on a call of two from Taiwan's Ka Va Lan for the foie gras torchon; four from Japan for the very wellsmoked Tasmanian ocean trout; and seven Scottish single malts to go along with the slow-roasted French pigeon or US pork tenderloin and cheek.

Two of the whiskies are "sommelier's picks", and Au fees the severe 17-12 months-historic Hibiki blended whisky as a match for poached or smoked seafood, and dressings with orange and honey. For grilled or roasted beef in a spicy or creamy sauce his alternative is the 30-12 months-old Strathisla single malt.

"The thought of pairing is nearly the identical as for wine. when you've got a prosperous, full-bodied whisky you go with heavier food; if in case you have a less full-bodied whisky you go for lighter flavours," says Mehr. "do not weigh down the flavour of the whisky, or of the food. You look for a balance."

Mehr and Au discover that the ideal whisky and food fits have a smoky factor and an oily texture in typical.

"For leading lessons the main problem is getting the oiliness devoid of too a great deal fats, because whisky does not reduce via it in the identical approach as wine. It's more durable to get the right feeling within the mouth; there are fewer whiskies than wines to choose between. In that feel it's less complicated," Au concludes.

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