Updated: 08 December 2008
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 Heinrich Gabarinza 03 December 2008 - Wild Boar at an obscure Coffee Shop

It was a spur of the moment invitation to share some wine with new-found friends. And, so we did. Only five in all. To an obscure Coffee Shop that was the only lighted shop on 2 rows of light industrial shophouses, somewhere in Penampang.

The aim was to eat some jungle meats together with other normal fare. Something novel and new despite being old Asian-hands with Dubai as their last stop and Singapore, earlier. They have decided to settle in Sabah under the "My 2nd Home" scheme.

As we waited for the last two persons to join us, I opened Ricciola Vermentino Marrema Toscana 2007 (Italy), a quince-flavoured, nutty white wine with nervy acidity to accompany some Menglembu groundnuts.

As luck would have it, the only "game" available was wild boar. We tucked into it with gusto nevertheless. Fried in thick sweet soya sauce with ginger and garlic, the meat was slightly chewy but full of earthy flavour. The other accompanying dishes included regular pigs ears nicely simmered in dark soya sauce & Chinese herbs .......... soft on the outside, and then, the distinct crunch of soft bone within. A wonderful play of textures and great umami.
Coffee shop cooking
As with local Chinese cooking, all the dishes flowed out at the same time. So, off came the corks from my bottles of Heinrich Gabarinza 2006 (Austria), a red Zweigelt blend from Burgenland, right next to Hungary's vast Continental plain. Followed quickly by Cavallotto Barolo vigna Vignolo 1990 (Italy), a well-aged Riserva Barolo from a traditionalist winery run by young family members.

There was Sayur Manis (sweet vegetables) simply sauteed in whole garlic bulbs and fragrant oil. This vegetable is one of many that is native to Borneo. Then, from the sea, we called for deep-fried mackerel fish head slathered in piquant sauce of chilies, red onions, ginger slivers and chunks of soyabean cake (tofu).  Another plate of Japanese-styled egg tofu was stir-fried with minced pork and young onion shoots.
Heinrich Gabarinza 2006

All five diners piled on the food on steamed rice and lapped up the wines together with the food. Pleasant conversation flowed with excited ease like old friends denying the fact that they have just been introduced less then 10 minutes ago.


Then, I remembered that our last wine was still in the shop's fridge. Out it came, nice and cool, Morgadio Albarino 2006 (Spain), a fragrant white, inland from the Atlantic coast. Its crispness cleansed the palate after the heavy soya sauces and helped all to finish their meals without the greasiness that would have weighed in the belly.

A photo for the album and voting for the favourite wine of the evening. This is despite the fact that 5 persons just consumed 4 whole bottles of wine, this evening! The winner with all hands down was the Heinrich Gabarinza 2006, incidentally, a 92-point Falstaff rated wine!
happy diners

 

 

 Definitely, there will be more of these dinners to come ................ and soon.  Cheers!!!


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