Wining and dining as art

The Reflexions’ new chef Daniel Bucher (its veteran chef Thibault Chiumenti has now been promoted to executive chef) took his inspiration from Montmartre’s artists and put together a four-course dinner (costing Bt5,500 per person) that was designed extremely creatively. 

The table was loaded not just with bread and drinks, but also syringes of edible juice, watercolour tubes that oozed butter, along with paint brushes and canvasses for those with a mind to create some painting of their own.

A sell-out event populated with a mix of regular Thai and expatriate patrons, the dinner started with a champagne reception in which Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvee, with notes of green pear and white peach, tickled our taste buds as we prepared for the much-anticipated culinary journey. 

This was a vertical wine tasting, a rare event in Bangkok. The wines, from the up-and-coming Chateau de Seguin in Bordeaux, were common Bordeaux blends, Merlot Cabernet in this case, and made with around 60 per cent cabernet and 40 per cent merlot grapes that are intense with red fruit aromas. The Seguin wines – within the Pessac-Leognan appellation – have characteristic “wealthy” tannins. The wine progression of the night was from light to heavy.

Titled “Painting from the Bottom of the Sea”, the first course was Maine lobster, lobster stock, sea bass and cockles on lobster sand, paired with L’Angelot de Seguin, Pessac-Leognan 2009.

The dish had deliciously savoury and garlic aromas, which were to my liking. You could smell the bottom of the sea, thanks to the lobster stock. With a clear ruby colour, the L’Angelot 2009 is noted for its crispy tannins with fruity character, which I think matched well with the savoury dish.

The second, “The Wild Beast”, was stuffed quail with duck liver and herbs, potato scoops, grapes and asparagus puree, was inspired by Matisse and partnered with Merlot Cabernet Pessac-Leognan 2009. This was another savoury dish with some spiciness. I liked the crispy duck liver, with the added crunchiness from the quail skin. The potato scoops delightfully neutralised the savoury part. Touted as the best wine ever produced by this estate, the Sequin Merlot Cabernet 2009 had concentrated tannins with tobacco aromas. 

Our main dish was Charolais tenderloin steak, with green pea, black celeriac, white asparagus with some other colours, married with Sequin Merlot Cabernet, 2008 and 2006. With a myriad of colours, the beef looked tough (because of it’s dark brown colour), but it was deliciously tender. 

Two wines went with this dish: the 2006 and 2008 vintages. Both had powerful tannins and a long finish, and to me the former had greater tannins and was slightly spicier. 

Too bad the night didn’t offer a sweet wine to go with the dessert of pear caramel, pear sorbet, green pear jelly, plum tar with plum ice cream. Pairing it with Sauternes would have been wonderful. Bucher came up with a syringe containing green juice made from pear and apple juice plus gin and tonic. 

Most dinners go for horizontal tastings but Reflexions’ vertical tasting was well calculated though not perhaps for those who prefer diversity. The restaurant though is definitely the place to experience a wine dinner with stacks of creativity.

 

        Pop up to the Plaza

The Plaza Athenee’s next wine dinner called “Five Pop-Up Venues Wine Dinner” takes place on June 21 at 6.30pm. The dinner explores five wines from the celebrated Howard Park winery in Australia, paired with five culinary delights created by Bucher at five locations within the hotel. Book a table at (02) 650 8800 extension 4333 or e-mail [email protected].