Sidebar

A Chinese Dinner

Log in

Forgot your password?

SmokingPipes.com Updates

Watch for Updates Twice a Week

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Site Sponsors

Al Pascia
Blue Room Briars
Cigar World
Danish Pipe Shop
LePipe.it
MBSD Pipes
Missouri Meerschaum
Pipes2Smoke.com
PipeStud.com
SmokingPipes.com
Tabaccheria Corti
TinBids.com

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

O

OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
6,864
37,045
72
Sydney, Australia
I arranged a Northern Chinese (Beijing) themed dinner midweek to show how wine friendly Chinese food can be.
(The meal was heavy on non-meat dishes as one of the attendees was vegetarian)

The wines were chosen with the menu in mind

Entrees:
Seasoned jellyfish
Seasoned black fungus
Smoked vegetarian bean curd rolls
Prawn gow gees
Steamed vegetarian dumplings
Shallot pancakes

Mains:
Pan fried tofu with shrimp roe
Salted duck egg yolk king prawns
Cod with ginger and shallots
Twice cooked crispy duck pancakes
Peking shredded beef and carrot

Handmade noodles with seafood

Dessert:
Mashed red bean pancakesIMG_8113.jpegIMG_8115.jpegIMG_8118.jpeg

A couple of bottles escaped being photographed
 
  • Love
  • Like
Reactions: orlandofurioso, ophiuchus, cshubhra and 10 others
O

OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
6,864
37,045
72
Sydney, Australia
warren said:
Impressive! Both wine and menu. bdw
Click to expand...
We’re very lucky in Sydney to have a large number of professional chefs from the different regions of China.

Unlike the 1960s when I arrived in Oz, authentic regional Chinese cuisine now abound.

One of the benefits of immigration post-Tiananmen Square
 
O

OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
6,864
37,045
72
Sydney, Australia
irishearl said:
I love Chinese food, but jellyfish and fungus? Nope.🪠;)
Click to expand...
Our group of 10 comprised 2 Chinese, one Indian and 7 Gweilows.

The person taking the order queried the choices a couple of times as he wasn’t sure if some of the items (jelly fish, black fungus, shrimp roe and salted duck eggs) were to everyone’s tastes 😁

Thankfully this is a group of my good mates who have been eating and drinking together for some 40 years and have very cosmopolitan tastes.
 
  • Love
Reactions: TheIronMonkey
shanez

shanez

Lifer
Jul 10, 2018
5,472
26,209
50
Las Vegas
Oh wow!

Did you pair any specific wines with dishes or just mix and match?

I love both the Taittinger and JJ Prum.

The Taittinger because, well, it's Taittinger and out of their lineup that's a particularly nice one.

I love the JJ Prum because it's available, well made, usually affordable, and amazingly versatile. Excellent choice for Asian dishes, particularly spicy ones.

As an aside, for the uninitiated who want to try a riesling is supposed to be like JJ Prum is an excellent choice. They are spot on for highlighting the differences between kabinett, spatlese, auslese, etc.

Also, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Banyuls.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dottlejockey
O

OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
6,864
37,045
72
Sydney, Australia
shanez said:
Oh wow!

Did you pair any specific wines with dishes or just mix and match?

I love both the Taittinger and JJ Prum.

The Taittinger because, well, it's Taittinger and out of their lineup that's a particularly nice one.

I love the JJ Prum because it's available, well made, usually affordable, and amazingly versatile. Excellent choice for Asian dishes, particularly spicy ones.

As an aside, for the uninitiated who want to try a riesling is supposed to be like JJ Prum is an excellent choice. They are spot on for highlighting the differences between kabinett, spatlese, auslese, etc.

Also, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Banyuls.
Click to expand...
The 2 champagnes with the entrees. The Tattinger Comte is my favourite champagne - every release is stellar. The Pierre Peters is from Chetillons in Mesnil. Reminiscent of Salon. Unfortunately like Salon, not every release is exciting.
The other wines with the entrees were the Egon Muller kabinett and the Verzelay (Chardonnay)
I love drinking kabinetts with Asian food. The low alcohol (9.5%) and slight sweetness is a foil for the sauces used in Asian cuisine. And it copes with chilli

With the fish and bean curd we had the Kumeau River (NZ) and a few dry Vouvray (Pichot - not photographed). Both were excellent
We had the Pichot Vouvray moelleux with the salted duck egg yolk prawns. The sweetness of this wine was a lovely contrast to the salt.

I wanted to try some sweeter reds with the duck (served with hoisin sauce) and the Peking shredded beef (again a sweetish sauce with a touch of vinegar)
The Seppelts Sparkling Burgundy and Banyuls were superb foils
The Morgon and Wendouree Shiraz (an Aussie icon - so much better than the overhyped and overpriced Grange) were very good with the noodles

I love Banyuls, along with Rivesaltes. I think it a pity that sweet wines have lost popularity as they go so well with food.
The friend who brought along the Banyuls wanted to bring a vintage port. But I thought a Banyuls with its softer fruit and lower alcohol would be a better match instead of a VP

I echo your comments on the JJ Prum Auslese - excellent with the pancakes. The sweetness of the wine matched the red bean paste, and the acidity coped with the oiliness of the fried pastry

PS Have you tried the Mosels of Fritz Haag ? I’m lucky to have a friend who is the Australian importer. Excellent wine at equally excellent prices.
 
huntertrw

huntertrw

Lifer
Jul 23, 2014
5,873
7,591
The Lower Forty of Hill Country
The Tattinger Comte is my favourite champagne - every release is stellar.
Click to expand...

Taittinger (note the correct spelling) was the favorite of James Bond as well. In Fleming's first Bond novel Casino Royale (1953) he describes Bond having dinner with Vesper Lynd:

”If you agree,” said Bond, “I would prefer to drink champagne with you tonight. It is a cheerful wine and it suits the occasion--I hope,” he added.

”Yes I would like champagne,” she said.

With his finger on the page, Bond turned to the sommelier: “The Taittinger 45?”

”A fine wine, monsieur,” said the sommelier. “But if Monsieur will permit,” he pointed with his pencil, “the Blanc de Blanc Brut 1943 of the same marque is without equal.”

Bond smiled. “So be it,” he said.

”That is not a well-known brand,” Bond explained to his companion, “but it is probably the finest champagne in the world.”
 
O

OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
6,864
37,045
72
Sydney, Australia
huntertrw said:
Taittinger (note the correct spelling) was the favorite of James Bond as well.

”That is not a well-known brand,” Bond explained to his companion, “but it is probably the finest champagne in the world.”
Click to expand...
Totally concur with those comments

Pierre Taittinger was a prominent member of the French Resistance during WW II. He revived the fortunes of the house when he took over as head of the company.
He may have played a part in the making of both the ‘45 and ‘43 🤔
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom