It did seem a bit over the top when I made a quick trip to Shenzhen in a Sunday afternoon to try out some food by Chef Ricardo Chaneton (of Mono), but then I was curious about this special menu in collaboration with Chef Miles Pundsack-Poe of Ensue Shenzhen only available during this one-night event. And it’s also my first trip to Mainland China in more than 3 years.
Taking my first high-speed train ride from the new West Kowloon Station barely 20 minutes later I was already sitting at the bar upstairs from the restaurant (called Alcove) with my friend F sipping a drink by their bartender Samantha – how cool was that. And I arrived early enough to catch the glimpse of the Shenzhen skyline before night fall and before we proceeded to the private room downstairs to enjoy the long dinner by two great chefs and their team. Dinner was a long 14-course affair with each chef took turns to present their dishes.
We began with 3 small bites served as amuse bouche – the blue corn infladita was similar to what Chef Ricardo normally serves at Mono, with the puffy shell made of blue corn maize stuffed with chopped oyster, shallot cream and chayota. The “Devilled Century Egg” was an interesting one by Chef Miles, taking the cue from the traditional Devilled Egg with the addition of Chinese century egg and sea grapes, adding the hint of exotic flavor. The avocado toast was the straight forward one, with creamy guacamole stuffed between two square taco crisps.
The fosforera flan didn’t come out as I expected. In a small bowl was various ingredients presented in layers with the “flan” at the bottom, which tasted like a “cold chawanmushi”, and on top was snow peas, squid and other seafood plus a touch of bergamot for the aroma. It was a great summer dish – refreshing with bold flavors. The next course of Mashua was another signature dish of Chef Ricardo, with the specialty tuber vegetables from Peru being the ingredient to highlight. It was done 3 ways (roasted, raw, and pickled) and served with other root vegetables and finished with olive sauce and nasturtium oil (and a nasturtium leaf on top as garnish) It’s crunchy with a grassy hint and light creaminess from the sauce.
The thick slices of mackeral crudo were paired nicely with shaved pineapple slices which have been fermented, and I love the sweetness from the sauce going with the slight acidity from the crudo marinate. And back to one from the Ensue kitchen was the white asparagus, caviar, and sea urchins served with the creamy sweet corn sauce for the South American touch. One couldn’t go wrong with that bright umami taste loaded in every bite.
The whole piece of monkfish was shown to us at the table before it’s carved to individual portion and served. The aging process and roasting gave it a nice, firm texture and a hint of smokiness, and to go with the mixed grain stew underneath and warm coriander emulsion on top. It’s similar to what we had at another dinner by the chef and I love the rich flavor, and the nice aroma and colors. “It’s almost Tuen Ng festival and I am bringing you the traditional rice dumpling done in South American style,” said Chef Ricardo as he came in with our next course of lobster tamale. The tamale was steamed in bamboo leaf, so a bit of a twist from the traditional version, and it’s served in thick bloc with cherry tomatoes on the side. It has a mild flavor but it was a fun dish to have.
The mole was done in a similar fashion as at Mono, but this time handled by the front service team of Ensue. The rich sauce with over 21 indigenous ingredients grinded and pounded in a mortar, and served with stuffed morel with chicken mousse. I swore I have never seen a bigger piece of morel from Yunnan province, and I like the soft taco shell underneath too, made fresh at the kitchen right before dinner service started. Our beef main course looked “ordinary” with Chinese wagyu tenderloin roasted and served with Romanesco puree, but it’s mixed with the “chili cake”, a specialty food from Shuntak, sweet pepper and watercress. There’s a fierce kick from the chilies to go with the tender piece of meat.
Ending our meal was a series of desserts, including the final one of chocolate mousse made with 70% Ecuadorian chocolate with a drizzle of Arbequina olive oil from Changdu. First time I tried the Chinese-made olive oil and it has a nice floral hint.
With the award-winning sommelier Della on deck we didn’t expect anything less, and we were treated with an unusual flight of drinks which went well with the food. Some of those choices included the cold-brewed dancong oolong tea to start, a rounded Junmai Ginjo with distinct exotic fruit taste reminded me of the famous Juyondai sake, a sour “wild ale” dubbed “La Tache” made by a boutique Oregon brewery, and a Burgundian rose made with Pinot Noir which went well with the richer seafood dishes including the monkfish and tamale. For the main, it was a pair of red, first a Rhone Valley shiraz followed by a Barolo. And we also had a palate cleanser sent our way from the bar with Rosella infused Mezcal with plum powder dipped on the rim.
More photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/g4gary/albums/72177720308288957
(Meal was by invitation and based on a special collaboration menu)
When? May 7 2023
Where? Ensue, Level 40, Futian Shangri-la, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Menu Highlights? 21-ingredient Mole – Yunnan morel taco, chicken mousse, salsa macha
Drinks?
Kameizumi CEL-24 Shunmai Ginjo Namashu – Kameizumi Shuzo, Kochi Prefecture
亀泉CEL-24 純米吟釀生原酒 - 高知県 亀泉酒造
2018 The Ale Apothecary “La Tache” Wild Ale, Oregon
2020 Cantina Terlano Kellerei Terlan “Quarz” Alto Aldige Terlando Sauvignon Blanc
2012 Olivier Horiot Champagne 5 Sens Les Riceys
2019 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Bourgogne Rose de Pinot Noir
2009 Domaine Yves et Mathilde Gangloff Saint-Joseph Rouge
2012 Enzo Boglietti Barolo Arione
Web: www.ensue-sz.com
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