Straits Kitchen at the Pan Pacific hotel is great for Chinese wine
If you’ve read about the rise of Chinese wine and are looking to explore its rise then there’s nowhere better than Straits Kitchen in the Pan Pacific Hotel. Sommelier Francois Bertrand is passionate about providing wines to fit their Asian menu, believing the variety and quality from China will surprise and delight.
What unfolded over the course of the afternoon only proved his point, starting with Chateau Sungod’s Blanc de Blancs 2006, a traditional method sparkling wine from Hebei that was opulent, rich and nutty yet still retained a vibrant freshness. Bertrand took us on a journey, aided by Manager Viola Cerri. We sipped Pretty Pony Riesling, a wine that was accurately described as “addictive”, over summer rolls enlivened by the addition of fresh strawberries and chicken satay. My guest asked for a pot to take home.
A small glass of yellow wine tasted like the love child of sake and sherry
A small glass of yellow wine tasted like the love child of sake and sherry and held its own against a cup of warm chicken broth before we dove into delicious mains of seafood rice noodles, a perfectly succulent baked black cod and a duck salad whose simple presentation belied its captivating, rich flavours of the savoury meat dotted with sweet lychees.
We glugged Chateau Changyu Moser XV Cabernet Sauvignon, made by Lenz Moser, who I had just interviewed and who Bertrand described as an “excellent winemaker, just try and see for yourself”.
The finale was an Ice wine, always a treat especially as only 4 countries can actually make it, needing as it does a harvest temperature of below 10 degrees. This was pure joy with the “Apple” dessert, an absolute must order for anyone visiting Straits Kitchen – which I thoroughly urge everyone to do.
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