White wines with fish or poultry, red wines with red meats. These are commonly held notions when it comes to food and wine pairings. This is why Wolf Blass Wines has sought to do something quite different, by reinventing what we think we know about these basic rules of degustation. This latest collaboration seeks for the patron to “Find Your Flavour” at Ember Modern Bistro.
Collaboration with 4 Michelin Chefs
Wolf Blass has partnered up with 4 Michelin chefs from across Asia to create 4 unique sauces that are worthy to please an international palate. The 4 chefs are Manjunath Mural from Song of India (Singapore), Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn from Le Du (Thailand), Lam Ming Kin from Longtail (Taiwan) and He Hong Ping from Da San Yuan (Taiwan). These chefs were challenged to makes a sauce that would pair well with the Gold Label Shiraz, Gold Label Cabernet Sauvignon and Gold Label Chardonnay.
Find Your Flavour
The Find Your Flavour collaboration sought to create 4 flavours from each chef, with the flavours replicated for an amuse bouche with uniquely flavoured duck meat ball. Guests were invited to pick a meatball, dip it into one of the sauces, and taste the wines to see which ones paired to their preference.
The sauces served were the following: –
- Chu Chee Curry by Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn from Le Du (1 Michelin Star Bangkok)
- Massala by Manjunath Mural from Song of India (1 Michelin Star Singapore)
- Taiwanese Basil Vinaigrette by Lam Ming Kin from Longtail (1 Michelin Star Taiwan)
- Chu Hou by He Hong Ping from Da San Yuan (1 Michelin Star Taiwan)
The wines served were the following: –
- 2017 Wolf Blass Gold Label Chardonnay
- 2016 Wolf Blass Gold Label Shiraz
- 2017 Wolf Blass Gold Label Cabernet Sauvignon
“We wanted to let people have a go and see which pairings they preferred. Some choices would surprise you. With both the spicer sauces, the shiraz seemed to be the preferred choice.” — Samuel Stephens, Brand Ambassador of Wolf Blass Wines.
“As one of the most awarded wineries in Australian history, Wolf Blass is a trusted name for wine lovers looking for quality wines, just as how the Michelin Guide is a trusted source and companion to foodies, giving great synergy to this partnership. Through my experiences in Southeast Asia, I found Wolf Blass wines to be complementary with local cuisines through their sauces rather than the proteins due to differences in preparation method, ingredients and even consumption style. Helping consumers to take a step forward in experimenting with sauces is very exciting and brings a new dimension to the traditional food and wine guides. I am sure that locals will be thrilled to learn how to match their daily staples with wines.” — Chris Hatcher, Chief Winemaker of Wolf Blass.
“This partnership between Wolf Blass and Michelin Guide perfectly epitomizes the complementary nature between great wines and great food, and we are thrilled to showcase how Wolf Blass wines can be the perfect dining companion to local cuisines. Consumers will be able to experience this new style of pairing at partner Michelin-starred restaurants not only in Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan but also the rest of Southeast Asia. We also encourage consumers to match Wolf Blass wines with their everyday local food.” — Yodissen Mootoosamy, General Manager, Southeast Asia of Treasury Wine Estates.
The Wolf Blass Wine Pairing Dinner
The experience did not just stop there, which was continued with a dinner paring by Chef Gary Anwar of Ember Modern Bistro utilising a variety of local ingredients to match the wines, a reverse pairing if you will, where the dishes were curated to match the wines.
Amuse Bouche
Corn chips, smoked yoghurt, & caviar
Shiso, sengkuang & avocado
Romaine lettuce, pistachio & lemon slices
The three amuse were pretty interesting, with the shiso dish standing out the most. The amuse were light and zesty overall, and went well with the chardonnay.
Hamachi, Ponzu, Pickled Apple & Ulam Raja
2017 Wolf Blass Gold Label Chardonnay
The appetiser was balanced well, with the ponzu and pickled apple giving the fish a lively pick-me-up, which matched perfectly with the hamachi’s delicate flavour. The chardonnay was a good choice as a pairing.
Steamed Baked Local Fish, Mushrooms, Smoked Fish Sauce
2016 Wolf Blass Gold Label Shiraz
The local fish known as the Senagin went well with the mushroom and smoked fish sauce, but what made it shine was the tamarind added. That layer of sourness brought out the flavours of the gold label shiraz.
Dry Aged Duck With Kecap Manis (Sweet Soy Sauce) Tare, Pucuk Paku & Sesame
2017 Wolf Blass Gold Label Cabernet Sauvignon
The first main served was the dry aged duck, with a nice crispy layer of skin and intensified umami flavours from the aging process. The side dish of the fiddlehead fern made a nice costrast to the duck, letting the milder cabernet sing its song.
Striploin, Potato Puree, Sansho Butter, Four Angle Bean
2016 Wolf Blass Grey Label Shiraz
The striploin was cooked well, and was complemented with the potato puree. Another dish that married well with the grey label shiraz, which had a more interesting sensation on the palate, while still holding its own as a wine.
Elderflower & Bunga Kantan (Torch Ginger Blossom)
The simple dessert ended the meal well with a bring note at the end in the form of a sorbet.
This collaboration was held on the 15th December 2019.
For our other reviews, see Wolf Blass Wines.
Ember Modern Bistro
20, Jalan Wan Kadir 1,
Taman Tun Dr Ismail,
60000 Kuala Lumpur
Opening Hours:
Tuesdays to Saturdays, 6.00 pm to 11.30 pm
Closed on Mondays and Sundays.
+6018 323 2786
| PHOTOGRAPHY BY: COMMASPR | WEBSITE: EMBER MODERN BISTRO |