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Had an evening out with friends for a third night in a row. Bonheur was the venue for this evening, due to its delicious food and excellent value for money. We brought along a few bottles of wine for the evening, and I expected to be pretty well-lit by the end of the evening.
I started with the foie gras terrine as a starter, which came with 2 slices of thick, premium packaged melba toast. The terrine itself was pretty thick, and I thought it was nice and creamy as it coated my tongue.
I skipped the soup as I felt I could only manage 3 courses, and I definitely wanted dessert.
I chose the grilled kurobuta pork chop, and for some reason mine was the biggest portion out of the three of us who had ordered the same dish. It was HUMONGOUS. I actually wanted to switch with someone or give half of it away, coz it was just really intimidating. But nevermind, let me see what I can do…
First bite - very tender and juicy, looks promising. As I worked my way through this big hunk of meat, I began to realize that this just might be the best pork chop I have ever had. There is a strip of fat that runs down one side and also next to the bone, and this just provided all the flavor for the meat. It actually reminds me of the amazing char siu (叉燒) I had at Yung Kee's VIP floor - the perfect harmony achieved between the fat and the lean meat. Maybe the alcohol had affected my judgement, but I really, really, really liked that pork.
I did manage to go through about 2/3 of it before finally giving up.
Desserts were served and a plate of profiteroles was presented in front of me. We weren't very excited about this. First of all, the filling was whipped cream instead of my favorite ice cream version. There was also not enough chocolate sauce on top, and the various fruit garnishes somehow didn't quite work.
I was actually crushed during the ordering process, because they had taken the croissant pudding off the menu. But now to finish with a disappointing dessert…
Naturally we had a lot of wine. We started with a Portuguese vinho verde whose name and vintage seemed totally forgettable, but in fact it was surprisingly good.
Next we drank the 2005 de Ladoucette Pouilly-Fume, with floral, perfumed nose and notes of Anjou pear, minerals and a bit of toasty oak. Medium acidity.
With the main course we had 2000 Andreas, which showed all the classic Bordeaux traits - and the reason why I originally bought the wine was because it was so "New World". It's got classic notes of smoky, pain grille and red fruits. Tannins are round and smooth, and the finish is pretty long. A nice Bordeaux.
We also had a bit of the 2004 Penfolds Bin 707, which was a bit of infanticide. This is also classic, with typical Aussie nose of cotton candy, strawberries and sweet caramel. There is no mistaking where this wine came from.
Once again I left the restaurant very stuffed, and too drunk to follow the rest of the group to another round of drinks...but I gotta go back for more pork chop!
May 10, 2008
May 9, 2008
Two Italian meals
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Dined out and had Italian for dinner two nights in a row, but they were totally different experiences which highlight the range of options available in town.
First night - Cipriani
On the first night, our large group of 12 chose to dine at Cipriani. This has always been one of my favorite places, and we took the private room so that we wouldn't scare away the other customers... Luckily there weren't many customers in the main dining room anyway.
We brought our own wines and had the equivalent of 7 bottles for the evening, which, when added with the bellinis that some of us were enjoying, amounted to a decent amount of alcohol.
We had a contributor with 2 bottles of Champagne - the Gosset Excellence Brut followed by Krug Grande Cuvee. Despite all the fun we poked at our friend for bringing a "cheapy" Champagne, the Gosset was actually a decent drink. But of course it paled next to the Krug in comparison, with more mature, refined notes in the nose.
Next up was a bottle of Chateau St Jean Fume Blanc (didn't look at the vintage), which was fine as a drinking wine (someone's quiet remark to me).
We then moved onto the 2 bottles of 2001 Kistler Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast that I brought. These were actually drinking very well, although still a bit young and probably need a couple of more years to completely round out the edges. The nose was classic pinot, but none of the farmy, barnyard notes of Burgundy. Sweet, powerful and concentrated, I thought it did very well for Kistler's generic cuvee.
Finally we had the 1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia, from a magnum that I brought. I was a little apprehensive before the wine was poured from the decanter, as this would be my first experience for this vintage of Insignia. I need not have worried. The nose was full of sweet red fruits and powerful, and the wine was full-bodied on the palate. Enough of the tannins had been shed to make the wine rounded and smooth, and I let the wine swirl around my tongue to feel and chew on the tannins. Wonderful stuff. I don't think the wine has reached its peak yet, so I can probably wait a couple more years before pulling the cork on my other bottles.
I always choose the simplest food at Cipriani. Tonight I picked caprese. This is a more delicate version of the classic, as it uses mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes instead of the usual, large slices of both. Of course, it was delicious and I do prefer it this way.
For the main course, I again ordered the baked taglialini with ham. This is a dish that I always order at Cipriani, because it's so good. Thin strips of ham is sprinkled on top of the pasta along with cheese, and baked in a shallow dish au gratin. Never ceases to satisfy me.
Being the boring person that I am, I picked and recommended the vanilla cream cake for dessert. I did try the chestnut cake, and it was yummy, but the vanilla cream is still my favorite for its lightness.
I left the restaurant very full and pretty inebriated. A very good evening indeed.
Second night - Panevino
A few friends decided to gather at Panevino for a casual meal. I remembered that the roast suckling pig was pretty yummy, and so I was really looking forward to this meal.
I brought a bottle of white and a bottle of red, and I had already opened the 1996 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon in the office for it to breathe. I asked the manager if she could help me chill and open the wines, only to be told that the restaurant doesn't allow wine from the outside. I told the manager that I had opened a bottle a few months ago on my last visit, but she insisted that this rule has been in place for a couple of years. At this point I'm pretty upset and it clearly showed on my face.
With limited exceptions (usually reserved for big name, must-go restaurants) I do not patronize restaurants that don't allow BYO. After a few minutes the manager came back and offered to let us consume the Far Niente since it I had already pulled the cork, and she would do so without charging us corkage. Well, it's a nice gesture, but for me the damage has already been done. Panevino would be on the short list of restaurants I would not return to (like Le Tire Buchon) because of its wine policy.
Honestly, the food is decent here. There was nothing to complain about the caprese - the tomato was ripe and the mozzarella soft and creamy. But these come in large sizes and somehow just isn't quite the same as what I had the evening before at Cipriani. The deep fried calamari was not bad, either.
The main course came and I saw a big hunk of suckling pig in front of me. It's pretty darn big, with a trotter attached. I start to chop it up with my knife, and put the first piece in my mouth. Yum! The fragrant and crispy skin - together with a layer of fat that melts in your mouth - nicely balances with what little lean meat there is. As I mentioned last week, it's difficult for me not to like any roast pig... I manage to finish the entire piece of meat, but am too full to take in any dessert. For a second night in a row, I needed an espresso to help with digestion.
BTW the 1996 Far Niente was not bad. Funny thing is that the manager offered to decant the wine, then simply poured the entire bottle (along with all the sediment) into the decanter in about 3 seconds. Why bother decanting if you're not going to leave the sediment in the bottle? Anyway, the wine had shed its tannins so it was smooth on the palate, with a typically Cali cab nose. But somehow it was a slight disappointment as I had expected a lot from this bottle. Maybe it was the sediment, or my foul mood thanks to the manager, or the fact that I had just drunk a fabulous bottle of '97 Cali cab the night before.
Oh well... Did I mention that I wasn't going back to Panevino again?...
Dined out and had Italian for dinner two nights in a row, but they were totally different experiences which highlight the range of options available in town.
First night - Cipriani
On the first night, our large group of 12 chose to dine at Cipriani. This has always been one of my favorite places, and we took the private room so that we wouldn't scare away the other customers... Luckily there weren't many customers in the main dining room anyway.
We brought our own wines and had the equivalent of 7 bottles for the evening, which, when added with the bellinis that some of us were enjoying, amounted to a decent amount of alcohol.
We had a contributor with 2 bottles of Champagne - the Gosset Excellence Brut followed by Krug Grande Cuvee. Despite all the fun we poked at our friend for bringing a "cheapy" Champagne, the Gosset was actually a decent drink. But of course it paled next to the Krug in comparison, with more mature, refined notes in the nose.
Next up was a bottle of Chateau St Jean Fume Blanc (didn't look at the vintage), which was fine as a drinking wine (someone's quiet remark to me).
We then moved onto the 2 bottles of 2001 Kistler Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast that I brought. These were actually drinking very well, although still a bit young and probably need a couple of more years to completely round out the edges. The nose was classic pinot, but none of the farmy, barnyard notes of Burgundy. Sweet, powerful and concentrated, I thought it did very well for Kistler's generic cuvee.
Finally we had the 1997 Joseph Phelps Insignia, from a magnum that I brought. I was a little apprehensive before the wine was poured from the decanter, as this would be my first experience for this vintage of Insignia. I need not have worried. The nose was full of sweet red fruits and powerful, and the wine was full-bodied on the palate. Enough of the tannins had been shed to make the wine rounded and smooth, and I let the wine swirl around my tongue to feel and chew on the tannins. Wonderful stuff. I don't think the wine has reached its peak yet, so I can probably wait a couple more years before pulling the cork on my other bottles.
I always choose the simplest food at Cipriani. Tonight I picked caprese. This is a more delicate version of the classic, as it uses mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes instead of the usual, large slices of both. Of course, it was delicious and I do prefer it this way.
For the main course, I again ordered the baked taglialini with ham. This is a dish that I always order at Cipriani, because it's so good. Thin strips of ham is sprinkled on top of the pasta along with cheese, and baked in a shallow dish au gratin. Never ceases to satisfy me.
Being the boring person that I am, I picked and recommended the vanilla cream cake for dessert. I did try the chestnut cake, and it was yummy, but the vanilla cream is still my favorite for its lightness.
I left the restaurant very full and pretty inebriated. A very good evening indeed.
Second night - Panevino
A few friends decided to gather at Panevino for a casual meal. I remembered that the roast suckling pig was pretty yummy, and so I was really looking forward to this meal.
I brought a bottle of white and a bottle of red, and I had already opened the 1996 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon in the office for it to breathe. I asked the manager if she could help me chill and open the wines, only to be told that the restaurant doesn't allow wine from the outside. I told the manager that I had opened a bottle a few months ago on my last visit, but she insisted that this rule has been in place for a couple of years. At this point I'm pretty upset and it clearly showed on my face.
With limited exceptions (usually reserved for big name, must-go restaurants) I do not patronize restaurants that don't allow BYO. After a few minutes the manager came back and offered to let us consume the Far Niente since it I had already pulled the cork, and she would do so without charging us corkage. Well, it's a nice gesture, but for me the damage has already been done. Panevino would be on the short list of restaurants I would not return to (like Le Tire Buchon) because of its wine policy.
Honestly, the food is decent here. There was nothing to complain about the caprese - the tomato was ripe and the mozzarella soft and creamy. But these come in large sizes and somehow just isn't quite the same as what I had the evening before at Cipriani. The deep fried calamari was not bad, either.
The main course came and I saw a big hunk of suckling pig in front of me. It's pretty darn big, with a trotter attached. I start to chop it up with my knife, and put the first piece in my mouth. Yum! The fragrant and crispy skin - together with a layer of fat that melts in your mouth - nicely balances with what little lean meat there is. As I mentioned last week, it's difficult for me not to like any roast pig... I manage to finish the entire piece of meat, but am too full to take in any dessert. For a second night in a row, I needed an espresso to help with digestion.
BTW the 1996 Far Niente was not bad. Funny thing is that the manager offered to decant the wine, then simply poured the entire bottle (along with all the sediment) into the decanter in about 3 seconds. Why bother decanting if you're not going to leave the sediment in the bottle? Anyway, the wine had shed its tannins so it was smooth on the palate, with a typically Cali cab nose. But somehow it was a slight disappointment as I had expected a lot from this bottle. Maybe it was the sediment, or my foul mood thanks to the manager, or the fact that I had just drunk a fabulous bottle of '97 Cali cab the night before.
Oh well... Did I mention that I wasn't going back to Panevino again?...
May 3, 2008
Another take on Legend
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Last night I caught up with some friends over dinner at the Legend Concept, the private kitchen which I had just visited a few weeks ago. As happens very often, we had the place to ourselves and it turned out to be a very enjoyable evening.
We started with the 2005 Bernard Morey Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot. This was very ripe, sweet with chewy fat on the palate. Classic toasty oak and minerals on the nose, with a medium long finish. This wine is ready to drink now, given the power of this awesome vintage.
The appetizer was baby abalone, which was marinated with soy sauce. Unfortunately the sauce was a little bland, so the natural "fishy" taste was a little too prominent. The artichoke hearts on the side were interesting but I wasn't sure how it added to the dish.
Next we had mushroom consomme, which was really disappointing. It tasted like the product of simply soaking dry mushrooms in hot water, something I do at home as preparation. Am I being harsh? Perhaps. But by this point I was thinking that dinner would be a very different experience compared to a few weeks ago.
This was followed by pan-seared scallops with risotto. The scallops were fresh, tender and sweet, if again a bit bland. The accompanying risotto was done fairly well, a little al dente.
We started on the 1998 Hacienda Monasterio Reserva Especial. Now this was an interesting wine, made by Peter Sissek of Pingus fame. The nose was classic Right Bank Bordeaux, sweet and ripe, with familiar farmy, gamey notes. It was a full-boded wine and the tannins were still pretty heavy. Very delish for a Bordeaux blend from the Ribera del Duoro.
We were given a nice watermelon sorbet to cleanse our palate. This has become the highlight of the meals here. I'm gonna have to learn how to make these at home.
The main course of spring chicken roll was quite an interesting creation. Take giant prawns, roll a layer of calamari paste around it, wrap a layer of nori seaweed, and stuff it all in a shell of spring chicken. Cut into slices, the flavors actually worked well together.
The second red of the evening was the 1995 Shafer Hillside Select. Ripe fruit in the nose as one would expect from a Californian, but after a while the wine was actually more like a Left Bank Bordeaux. A very full-bodied wine, but a little disappointed.
To accompany dessert (a nice Napoleon) , we had a half bottle of the 2004 Suduiraut, which had lots of ripe apricot, melon, orange and honey. A little young but already delicious, and a perfect way to end the evening.
Last night I caught up with some friends over dinner at the Legend Concept, the private kitchen which I had just visited a few weeks ago. As happens very often, we had the place to ourselves and it turned out to be a very enjoyable evening.
We started with the 2005 Bernard Morey Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot. This was very ripe, sweet with chewy fat on the palate. Classic toasty oak and minerals on the nose, with a medium long finish. This wine is ready to drink now, given the power of this awesome vintage.
The appetizer was baby abalone, which was marinated with soy sauce. Unfortunately the sauce was a little bland, so the natural "fishy" taste was a little too prominent. The artichoke hearts on the side were interesting but I wasn't sure how it added to the dish.
Next we had mushroom consomme, which was really disappointing. It tasted like the product of simply soaking dry mushrooms in hot water, something I do at home as preparation. Am I being harsh? Perhaps. But by this point I was thinking that dinner would be a very different experience compared to a few weeks ago.
This was followed by pan-seared scallops with risotto. The scallops were fresh, tender and sweet, if again a bit bland. The accompanying risotto was done fairly well, a little al dente.
We started on the 1998 Hacienda Monasterio Reserva Especial. Now this was an interesting wine, made by Peter Sissek of Pingus fame. The nose was classic Right Bank Bordeaux, sweet and ripe, with familiar farmy, gamey notes. It was a full-boded wine and the tannins were still pretty heavy. Very delish for a Bordeaux blend from the Ribera del Duoro.
We were given a nice watermelon sorbet to cleanse our palate. This has become the highlight of the meals here. I'm gonna have to learn how to make these at home.
The main course of spring chicken roll was quite an interesting creation. Take giant prawns, roll a layer of calamari paste around it, wrap a layer of nori seaweed, and stuff it all in a shell of spring chicken. Cut into slices, the flavors actually worked well together.
The second red of the evening was the 1995 Shafer Hillside Select. Ripe fruit in the nose as one would expect from a Californian, but after a while the wine was actually more like a Left Bank Bordeaux. A very full-bodied wine, but a little disappointed.
To accompany dessert (a nice Napoleon) , we had a half bottle of the 2004 Suduiraut, which had lots of ripe apricot, melon, orange and honey. A little young but already delicious, and a perfect way to end the evening.
May 1, 2008
The Pawn
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Tonight I had dinner at the Pawn, the new restaurant opened by my friends behind the Press Room. This has been a cool and hip venue lately, having been renovated from an old Hong Kong pawn shop (和昌大押). Reservations are hard to come by, and I was fortunate enough to be treated by one of the owners.
The menu is decidedly British, having drawn inspirations from restaurants such as St John in London and Heston Blumenthal's Hinds Head Hotel. I was really looking forward to this meal, since I had always wanted to but had never been to St John.
We started with Scotch eggs, which had soft, liquid cores wrapped inside a thin layer of pork sausage, breaded and deep-fried. This was a great way to start us off, and partially made up for the disappointment at the unavailability of roasted bone marrow salad tonight.
For starter, I had the beet root salad with goat cheese. This was very interesting as it also included sweet potato, haricot verts, watercress and pomegranate seeds. I thought the flavors blended rather well together.
For main course I had the roasted duck breast with savoy cabbage, which came in a huge portion (all the mains were rather big). While the flavor was good, it was overcooked and the meat was no longer pink and juicy. A little bit of a let down here.
I also had tastes of other mains: the baby turbot was blackened (not really pan-fried) and was reasonably tasty (skin was a tad salty); the rump steak was large but not great; but the roast suckling pig was excellent. The skin was crispy and the pork fat underneath was just yummy. I guess it's difficult for me not to like roast pig anywhere...
Even though I was stuffed at this point (and a little drunk to say the least), we nevertheless sampled a few desserts. While I passed on a delicious-looking apple crumble, I did dive into the excellent lemon trifle, with zesty strips of lemon rind that was prefect on a summer day. I could never resist sticky toffee pudding and it's sweet, sticky and yummy here. Finally, I took a small piece of treacle tart that was also very good.
Of course, we would never dream of having a meal without some excellent wine. We started with the 1995 Louis Jadot Batard Montrachet, which showed a powerful, pungent nose of flint, minerals and petrol. As time went on, the nose softened and became more pleasant, but the toasty oak was still there. Acidity on the palate was a bit high. I could easily see this wine drinking better in another few years.
The first red was the 1990 Fontaine-Gagnard Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chenes. With the memory of an earlier bottle of 1990 Volnay 1er Cru still in my mind, I really looked forward to tasting this wine. It turned out to be quite interesting, with a nose of sweet, stewed prunes and smokiness. If I had tasted this blind, I would have guessed it was a Right Bank Bordeaux by its nose...but the acidity on the palate would have made me question my guess.
The last bottle of the evening was 1979 Jaboulet La Chapelle. The nose was classic Hermitage, very wonderful and I enjoyed it very much. But the finish was short, and we were a bit disappointed in this respect. Still, it was a pleasure to drink this wine.
I left the restaurant very stuffed and quite drunk...especially given I had started drinking before 4pm... But I will need to return soon to try out the roasted bone marrow.
Tonight I had dinner at the Pawn, the new restaurant opened by my friends behind the Press Room. This has been a cool and hip venue lately, having been renovated from an old Hong Kong pawn shop (和昌大押). Reservations are hard to come by, and I was fortunate enough to be treated by one of the owners.
The menu is decidedly British, having drawn inspirations from restaurants such as St John in London and Heston Blumenthal's Hinds Head Hotel. I was really looking forward to this meal, since I had always wanted to but had never been to St John.
I also had tastes of other mains: the baby turbot was blackened (not really pan-fried) and was reasonably tasty (skin was a tad salty); the rump steak was large but not great; but the roast suckling pig was excellent. The skin was crispy and the pork fat underneath was just yummy. I guess it's difficult for me not to like roast pig anywhere...
Even though I was stuffed at this point (and a little drunk to say the least), we nevertheless sampled a few desserts. While I passed on a delicious-looking apple crumble, I did dive into the excellent lemon trifle, with zesty strips of lemon rind that was prefect on a summer day. I could never resist sticky toffee pudding and it's sweet, sticky and yummy here. Finally, I took a small piece of treacle tart that was also very good.
Of course, we would never dream of having a meal without some excellent wine. We started with the 1995 Louis Jadot Batard Montrachet, which showed a powerful, pungent nose of flint, minerals and petrol. As time went on, the nose softened and became more pleasant, but the toasty oak was still there. Acidity on the palate was a bit high. I could easily see this wine drinking better in another few years.
The first red was the 1990 Fontaine-Gagnard Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chenes. With the memory of an earlier bottle of 1990 Volnay 1er Cru still in my mind, I really looked forward to tasting this wine. It turned out to be quite interesting, with a nose of sweet, stewed prunes and smokiness. If I had tasted this blind, I would have guessed it was a Right Bank Bordeaux by its nose...but the acidity on the palate would have made me question my guess.
The last bottle of the evening was 1979 Jaboulet La Chapelle. The nose was classic Hermitage, very wonderful and I enjoyed it very much. But the finish was short, and we were a bit disappointed in this respect. Still, it was a pleasure to drink this wine.
I left the restaurant very stuffed and quite drunk...especially given I had started drinking before 4pm... But I will need to return soon to try out the roasted bone marrow.
A pair of Condrieu
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Hung out at a friend's place this afternoon to taste some yak cheese from Qinghai and had some fruit. I thought it would be nice to have some wine with the cheese so I brought 2 bottles of Condrieu along.
The first bottle was the 2000 Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. When I had this wine last year, I was disappointed coz it was over the hill. Judging from the color of the wine in bottle, I felt it was probably gonna be the same this time. And sure enough, after pulling the cork and pouring the wine into glass, it was exactly the same as last time. It's quite a full-bodied wine and had a lot of depth and complexity, but it just wasn't fresh anymore. The fresh, floral nose that is typical of Condrieu and Viognier had vanished. With time, the nose improved and I definitely found Anjou pear, a hint of lychee as well as honey in the nose. The finish was reasonaly long and you could tell that once upon a time it had been a great wine.
As a precaution, I had brought along the 2005 Chapoutier Condrieu Invitare. Now this was a fresh vintage and there was no way that it would be over the hill. And indeed, the nose was fresh and floral as I had expected. But alas, the whole package just wasn't there. The acidity was a bit more apparent, and there simply was no depth and complexity to the wine. Other than being fresh - which the girls clearly preferred - the wine just wasn't exciting. Pretty soon I went back to drinking the La Doriane...
Lesson learned? Stick to La Doriane but next time, drink it within a couple of years after release.
Hung out at a friend's place this afternoon to taste some yak cheese from Qinghai and had some fruit. I thought it would be nice to have some wine with the cheese so I brought 2 bottles of Condrieu along.
The first bottle was the 2000 Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. When I had this wine last year, I was disappointed coz it was over the hill. Judging from the color of the wine in bottle, I felt it was probably gonna be the same this time. And sure enough, after pulling the cork and pouring the wine into glass, it was exactly the same as last time. It's quite a full-bodied wine and had a lot of depth and complexity, but it just wasn't fresh anymore. The fresh, floral nose that is typical of Condrieu and Viognier had vanished. With time, the nose improved and I definitely found Anjou pear, a hint of lychee as well as honey in the nose. The finish was reasonaly long and you could tell that once upon a time it had been a great wine.
As a precaution, I had brought along the 2005 Chapoutier Condrieu Invitare. Now this was a fresh vintage and there was no way that it would be over the hill. And indeed, the nose was fresh and floral as I had expected. But alas, the whole package just wasn't there. The acidity was a bit more apparent, and there simply was no depth and complexity to the wine. Other than being fresh - which the girls clearly preferred - the wine just wasn't exciting. Pretty soon I went back to drinking the La Doriane...
Lesson learned? Stick to La Doriane but next time, drink it within a couple of years after release.
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