A PRIVATE DINNER WITH CATHY VAN ZYL MW @ PERAMAKAN RESTAURANT 17 NOV 2007 |
All smiles or just comfortably high after a surfiet of good wines & delicious Peranakan food. |
Our Champagne expert, Mr. Andrew Yap, releasing the golden nectar of Dom Perignon 1985 for all the guests. |
Kindred spirit in the realm of Wine. Cathy & Angela enjoy the fruit of the vine. |
| We were
delighted & excited when Cathy emailed to say that she would like
to stopover in Singapore on her return trip to Sydney to judge the
"Sydney's Top 100" wine competition. It was a brief overnighter but
gave her a whole day and a night to experience her first time in
Singapore. My wine enthusiast friends would not let this opportunity
pass, so we whipped up a unique experience for both Cathy and
ourselves. Individual Asian cuisines were already a challenge to pair
with wines. Various theories abound & opinions expressed. Now, we
decided to up the ante further. We shall take on a blend of Malay,
Chinese with touches of Indian and Thai style cuisine and search for
wines to match them. This cuisine is called "Peranakan" or the
homecooking of the Nyonyas of the Straits Settlements of Malaya. |
These
trading outposts were established by European powers seeking
trade with Asia since the 16th century led by the Portuguese. However,
the Chinese were already well established since the 15th century, when
a huge entourage of Princess Hang Li Po arrived in Melaka. She became a
wife of the ruling Sultan to seal the diplomatic relationship between
strategic trading partners. The Chinese traders that accompanied the
diplomatic entourage remained largely urban, taking local wives and
imported eligible women from China. These wives ruled their husband's
expansive household, catering for his taste of both Malay spices &
chillies as well as his hunger for homecountry cooking. I guess both
the local wife and China-born eventually worked together to satisfy his
varied tastes resulting in an Asian fusion cuisine - PERANAKAN |
To this day,
this cuisine remain distinct and largely homecooked. A few
entrepreneurs encouraged their wives out of the home kitchen resulting
in a small number of Peranakan restaurants. PERAMAKAN is one of these,
helmed by the owner's wife. The best dishes may only be savoured via
personal invitation to their homes.
In planning the evening's menu, I sought authentically Peranakan dishes
cooked in different cooking methods.Each dish contain a different main
ingredient. The result is a menu of dishes with each unique taste and
texture.
The final selections is on the next column. |
DISHES OF THE NYONYA
served with Jasmine rice
CINCALOK OMELETTE
BEEF RENDANG
ITEK SIO
BABI PONTAY
IKAN PANGGANG
AYAM BUAH KELUAK
UDANG GORENG ASSAM
SAYUR NAGKAH MASAK LEMAK
JANTUNG PISANG
CHOICE OF DESSERT |
Cathy and friends digging into the dishes and wines. L-R - Florence, William, Stephanie, Cathy |
Is Cathy getting confused with the variety of flavours and textures?
With about 16 wines to choose from besides. L-R - Cathy, Tony, Desmond |
The happy table. L-R - Susan, Moon, Anthony, Siau Miang and Bibiana |
The morning after. Downstairs from my flat at Jumbo Coffee Hub for some local pick-me-ups to start a full day around Singapore. |
CHAMPAGNE WHITES ROSE
Dom Perignon 1985
Martin Codax Albarino 2006
Pichler Grüner Veltliner Smaragd 2002
Domaine Ostertag Grand
Cru Muenchberg Pinot Gris 2001
Sevenoaks Hunter Chardonnay
2006
Cullen Chardonnay 1999
Castello Maetierra Rosado
|
The ultimate flavour test. Cathy having a go at Durian Custard with
sweet potato cubes. She passed 100% with the help of Bodegas Castano
Monastrell Dulce 1999 |
REDS
Martinez Bujanda Special Selection Garnacha 1989
Cavallotto Barolo Vignolo Riserva 1998
Sevenoaks Hunter Cabernet 2006
Glatzer Blaüfrankisch 2005
Prieuré de St-Jean de Bé Bian
1996
Yarra Station Pinot Noir 2005
Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Shafer Napa Valley Merlot 2004 |
DESSERT WINES
Bodegas Castano Monastrell Dulce 1999
Miranda Golden Botrytis 2000 |
