Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Hong Kong｜Mandarin Oriental Hotel Star-Reaching Tour
During the Qingming Festival, we chose to experience a poetic Asian Wine Pairing feast in the Mandarin Hall on the 24th floor. With a view of the Victoria Harbour skyline and the new aesthetics of Cantonese cuisine on the plate, this dialogue between food and wine is a stunning work of fine dining in Hong Kong.
GINAGANOWINE 🍸 The climate in Nagano, Japan, with a high altitude and large temperature difference between day and night, does not use oak barrels at all during the fermentation and aging process. The Merlot grapes give the wine the red fruity aroma of ripe strawberries, red cherries, and watermelon pulp, accompanied by the elegant fresh fruity scent common in Japanese rosé. It’s a light prelude to this taste journey and pairs well with two appetizers.
Honey-flavored Spanish black pork barbecue, plum bamboo shoots, black fish roe gold brick tofu🥩The caramel-colored coat wraps the fat fragrance of the Iberian black pork, the crispness of the plum bamboo shoots cleverly relieves the greasiness, and the fried tofu embellished with black fish roe is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The triple texture collides to create an interesting texture. The fruity aftertaste of Merlot Rosé extends the sweetness of the barbecued pork infinitely.
Spicy and Sour Seafood Stewed Bird's Nest 🍲 Subverts the reserved attitude of traditional Indonesian bird's nest. The spicy and sour soup base awakens the taste buds, the seafood bursts with sweetness, and the tofu shreds are as smooth as silk, which tests the chef's knife skills. It is recommended to add more black vinegar and chili, which is sour and spicy and very appetizing!
Canaan 🥂 comes from China's emerging wine producing area, Helan Mountain in Ningxia. The light golden wine exudes a light scent of jasmine, nectarine, and the typical gasoline flavor of Riesling. The fresh taste forms a perfect balance with the following seafood main course.
Steamed Lobster with Three Garlics 🦞 The trio of black garlic, steamed garlic and fried garlic gives the lobster a rich aroma, the vermicelli absorbs the essence of seafood, and the floral scent of Helan Mountain Riesling is like a breeze blowing through the strong garlic aroma.
Fried grouper with red lees and fresh lily 🐟 The chef's ingenuity combines the red lees used in wine making with grouper. The mellow lees meets the tenderness of grouper, the sweet lily is looming, and the subtle aftertaste of the wine makes this dish more profound.
Golden Soup with Seasonal Vegetables 🥬 The golden soup made from old chicken flows like amber, the original flavor of seasonal vegetables wanders between mellowness and freshness, and the minerality of the wine injects a lively charm into the vegetarian dishes.
Yihu 🍷 I didn’t expect to meet an “acquaintance” in a restaurant in Hong Kong. I participated in the tasting of "Xiandao Winery" in Shenzhen a few years ago, and now we meet again. Yihu Dry Red is a "three-dimensional picture" of Penglai's terroir, integrating the coolness of the minerals in the hills and valleys, the agility of the ocean, and the generosity of the sun. Its charm lies in the "balance in contradiction": the unrestrained fruit aroma and the restrained tannins, the complexity of barrel aging and the purity of terroir, the skeleton of international varieties and the implicitness of Chinese aesthetics. This is not only a bottle of handmade wine worth savoring, but also a microcosm of China's ambition to "break boundaries" in wine. Inject a sense of power into the following rich and fragrant main course.
Fried Rice with Pine Nut Soy Sauce, Ginger Rice and Wagyu Beef 🐂 The ultimate carb carnival with a strong wok aroma. The aroma of wagyu beef fat and pine nut oil dances in the tannin skeleton of Cabernet Sauvignon, and the hidden spiciness of the ginger rice is gently tamed by the wine.
Raw Ground Walnut Dew Tang Wan 🥣 Black sesame glutinous rice balls are accompanied by mellow walnut dew. The traditional syrup is rejuvenated by the roasted aroma of Cabernet Sauvignon, and the vanilla and nutty aromas in the wine are lingering.
The sommelier explained the whole process, making each dish seem like magic. As the night deepens over Victoria Harbour outside the floor-to-ceiling windows and the gilded light of Mandarin Oriental is reflected in the cup, I finally understand what the art of dining is. This taste poem spanning mountains, rivers, lakes and seas is worth experiencing for every soul that loves food.
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