With an invitation for
Dom Perignon stating the event starting at 6:30pm with pre-dinner drinks, I ain't going to miss any minute of it and arrived right on the dot. And as a bonus of arriving early, in addition to a few extra glasses of the current 2006 vintage being poured for me, I got to enjoy a bit of the sunset off the terrace of On Dining on a particularly clear day, along with plates after plates of Joselito ham and 24-month aged Comte cheese being passed around. That certainly made what was an awfully-long work day less painful.
We soon made our way downstairs to the dining area where the long table has been set right in front of the open kitchen, where Chef Philippe's team was getting ready for the meal. We didn’t have way too many dishes tonight, but I thought all of them were outstanding, all with distinct, punchy flavor which was meant to pair with the champagnes served throughout.
We started with a trio of sea urchin appetizers, served in bite-size portions. First was one with Japanese egg-custard with crustacean bisque sauce and caviar, then one with a piece of slightly marinated Hamachi/yellowtail accented with shisho salt, and lastly, a slab of foie gras on a round toast – all topped with tongues of sea urchin. They all worked to bring out the fresh, clean taste of the sea urchin, and that umami taste paired well with the vintage 2005 brut poured from a magnum bottle.
Second course was an interesting one – what sounds like an odd, almost rustic combination of ingredients gave the dish a somewhat unique and complex taste, with the creamy stilton soup served with a quenelle of endive coated with dukkha and orange spices. I thought it would be a challenge to find something to match the pungent flavor of the stilton, but that open and rich P2 1998 vintage worked extremely well, with the mineral nose and creaminess stood up against the rich flavor of the dish, with the hint of toast and maybe some stone fruit added to a long aftertaste. That certainly was my favorite wine and the true star of the evening.
Our main course was Bresse chicken cooked in the traditional way, slow roasted then seared for the crispy skin and served with morels and a creamy walnut sauce. From what I remembered we always have excellent poultry dishes here and this one was no exception. Succulent meat matched with the earthy tone with the morels and walnut taste which also added to the overall texture. The pairing wine for the dish is the current vintage of P2 rose, which is from 1996. It was subdued compared to the 1998 brut that we just finished, but still with a pleasant floral aroma. With good acidity and mild bubbles coming out, it showed the sign of maturity yet with youthful energy, and paired well with the creamy sauce.
Dessert was the raspberry and yuzu cake with strawberry icecream. It’s simple and refreshing, and delicious. You know, when there’s champagne involved it’s always going to be a great evening, especially it’s Dom Perignon you are talking about (no they didn’t pay me to say that). Lovely evening and I am thankful for the good food, good wine and good company. C'est Magnifique!
(Dinner was by invitation and courtesy of Dom Perignon/Moet Hennessy Diageo)
When? April 5 2017
Where? On Dining Kitchen & Lounge, Level 28-29, 18 On Lan Street, Central, Hong Kong
Menu Highlights? Poularde de Bresse with Morels, Dry Fruit Gribiche, Sauce Walnuts
Drinks?
Champagne Dom Perignon 2006 Brut
Champagne Dom Perignon 2005 Brut
Champagne Dom Perignon P2 1998 Brut
Champagne Dom Perignon P2 1996 Rose Brut
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