Saturday, November 25, 2023

Burgundy and Beef

This particular dinner hosted by a local wine merchant caught my attention because of their choice of bottles. While many wine-themed dinner focuses on certain vineyard or winemakers, this one featured bottles of Burgundy wines with a nice, “entry-level” selection from different winemakers and through this we could get a glimpse of various styles and characteristics in various recent vintages. And it was hosted in one of the top steakhouse in town, one that was bestowed a Michelin star for a few years already and one we didn’t visit often, so that gave us extra incentive to sign up and go. 

No surprise the restaurant was fully-booked on the night – we are not the only one interested in such nice lineup of dishes and wines (in such reasonable price too). Altogether were served six different courses which were paired with five different wines (a pity that they didn’t serve a dessert wine at the end) After glasses of Bourgogne Aligote served as aperitif, We began with the “simple” beef taco, with finely chopped Kobe beef served as tartare topped with dollop of caviar for the overall creamy texture and rich meaty taste. Pairing with a chardonnay may be an unusual choice, but the creaminess and mineral taste did work well. 

More meat appetizer came our way, this time a rustic dish with slices of slow-cooked veal served with air-dried Cecina on top with dots of melted Comte cheese. Definitely kicked up a notch in richness in this one but we continued with another white wine, this one slightly rounder and richer as well with hint of nuttiness accompanying well with the cheesy flavor. Then it’s the Chicken Roulade made with local Ping Yuen Chicken served with thick slices of champignon mushrooms on top (that’s just a fancy name for white button mushrooms) and underneath, the rich mushroom cream sauce and bits of pistachio. We moved to red this time, with the straight forward Bourgogne Rouge with some oak aging giving it more the red fruit aroma and medium body. Less typical of an old world classic Pinot (lighter and less ripe) but nonetheless enjoyable. 


Other than meat, mushrooms seem to be the theme here with yet another mushroom dish. The ravioli – shaped more like a scarpinocc or Piemontese Agnolotti del Plin – was filled with braised kobe beef – and tossed with porcini sauce. Less creamier than the dish before but more complex in flavor. The Mercurey-Sazenay is still on the gentle side but showed more complexity with a hint of spices and a nice floral aroma. Beef was our main course – again no surprise here, with a piece of Australian Wagyu ribeye cap pan-seared and served with mashed potatoes and baby carrots on the side. The volnay that went with the main course was lovely – plump, dense, mature yet delicate with some length. 

We managed to finish our dessert before rushing off home – a good decision to avoid what turned out to be one of the craziest rainstorms in recent history. Love the Burgundian theme with the poached Burgundy pear topped with almond and rosemary foam. A glass of crémant would have been nice with the acidity matching the sweetness in the dessert course – just saying. 

The night will probably be remembered by the extreme weather during and after our meal, but it was a simple yet remarkable meal that delivered above our expectations. 

More photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/g4gary/albums/72177720311058629

When? September 7 2023
Where? Beefbar, 16 Ice House Street, Central, Hong Kong
Menu Highlights? Homemade Kobe Beef Ravioli with Porcini Sauce
Drinks?
2019 Domaine Remoriquet Bourgogne Aligote
2017 Genot Boulanger Beaune Blanc en Lulunne 
2020 Domaine Alain Michelot Bourgogne Rouge
2019 Domaine Genot Boulanger, Mercurey Premier Cru en Sazenay
2018 Domaine Francois Buffet Volnay Premier Cru Clos de Chenes 
Web: 
Omtis Fine Wines: www.omtisfinewines.com


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