I think it's a brilliant idea for Beef & Liberty to join hands with Brooklyn Brewery for this interesting project to deliver an unique drink-pairing dining experience which normally reserved for wine people. One corner of the restaurant was converted into a private dining area (think
Krug Room but for beers) completed with wooden insignia on the wall and the collection of Brooklyn Brewery beers on display, and a special menu designed by Chef Uwe was served matching with several beers, some not commonly found in Hong Kong market.
I was at the restaurant one afternoon for a preview before the menu was launched to its customers. We began with a sumptuous spread of appetizers on our table, with everything from the charcuterie platter to pickles to gravlax to bone marrow "candle" with crispy onions and sourdough toast. And oh, there's also beef tartare prepared table-side by Chef Uwe the man himself. I couldn't stop munching on the toast dripping in the drippings from the bone marrow "candle" and also the slightly cured salmon gravlax served family-style, whilst listening to Drew the brewmaster from Brooklyn Brewery explaining some of the niche productions served to pair with the food.
I was happy with just that and called it a meal, but knowing the crazy portion the restaurant normally serves, of course there must be main courses after the appetizers. Two gigantic plates of tomahawk steaks were brought to the table for the 8 of us, smothered in herb butter and served along with salad and grilled vegetables. The steak was grilled to the perfect medium rare with excellent crust on the outside and tender on the inside with sufficient fatty bits around. And both the glazed carrots and roast duck-fat potatoes were tasty too, sweet and full of flavor.
Quite a few bottles of beers were poured throughout the meal, starting with the Brooklyn Lager served from a growler before we sat down for the meal, then a few seasonal brews from the large bottles. "K is for Kriek", one of the limited-edition bottles based on ale and went through aging process, has a surprisingly interesting wine-like characters dominated by big red fruits (cherry). My favorite of the afternoon was the Brooklyn Sorachi Ace Saison. Golden pale color with mild aroma of lemongrass and herbs, and on the palate it's bright and refreshing with a hint of citrusy flavor, going down smoothly without much of the in-your-face bitter hoppiness. The Dark Matter was a complex and intense one with cocoa, wheat, bourbon and toffee, which worked well with the rich steak dish.
Was too full (and ran out of time) for dessert this time, but the DIY cake, the coffee-based dessert listed on their menu, sounds interesting. I am sure you will find lots of pictures of that in Instagram soon enough. And the problem after such a big meal during the day? Major food coma for the rest of the afternoon!
(Event was by invitation and based on the special menu soon to be available for booking)
When? September 28 2017
Where? Beef & Liberty, Level 3, California Tower, 30-32 D'Aguilar Street
Menu Highlights? Steak "Florentine" with herb butter
Drinks?
Brooklyn Lager
Brooklyn "'K' is for Kriek" Wild Ale
Brooklyn Sorachi Ace Saison
Brooklyn Local 1 Belgium Ale
Brooklyn Ghost Bottle: Dark Matter American Strong Ale
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