(co-written with Karen Gatdula)
A unique wine tasting
event was celebrated by the L’Ordre Mondial Des Gourmet Degustateurs last 19
April 2012 at the Café Ysabel Restaurant in San Juan, Metro Manila. Dubbed as “Sumsuman” - a Pampangeño reference
to the pairing of wine and food - the carefully selected wines for the occasion
were matched with a variety of Filipino dishes crafted by the talented team of
Chef Gene Gonzalez.
The members and
guests of the Chaine and Ordre Mondial were charmingly enveloped in the
turn-of-the-century Manila backdrop of the dining hall. Illumination came from Echanson
Arnie del Rosario and Professional du vin Jay Labrador, as they led the wine
tasting through the (no less than) nineteen dishes served that evening.
The dinner started
with Galantina con Venagueta de Trufas,
a refreshing take on the Chicken Galantina as it featured chorizo for added
depth of flavor without encroaching on the delicate nature of the white meat.
This was immediately followed by Sinigang
na Ulang, Sulipan Style, a soup soured by lemongrass and kamias that
highlighted the enormous Ulang (or freshwater prawn) the size of one’s hand and
with antennae extending far beyond the plate holding it. Both dishes were
introduced by glasses of the familiarly crisp and citrusy Cava from the cellars
of Pere Ventura.
Next came an
onslaught of heated and spicy flavors of the creamy Laing. Loose taro leaves cooked in coconut cream accompanied by Putong Calasiao and a surprisingly delicately-flavored
Pancit Luglug. The latter a rice
noodle dish of the Tagalog region
dressed in a shrimp and kasubha sauce with crunchy chicharon and tuyo flakes.
Also present was the Kare-Kareng Apalit
or the Apalit-style oxtail stew oozing in rich peanut sauce served with a side
of the sweet-saltiness of sautéed shrimp paste which cut through the dish’s
silky texture. These dishes were matched by the equally clean and fruity taste
of the Villa Wolf Gewurtztraminer2009 Pfalz, the wine’s delicate aroma of spice
and fresh roses (with just a hint of lychee and fresh acidity) make it a
perfect accompaniment to Filipino dishes.
There was a
graduation to the more complex flavors of the Bicol Express, a fiery dish from sliced finger chilies and minced
pork tempered by coconut cream and made aromatic from its wrapping of banana
leaves. This was closely followed by Buro
sa Mustasa, a DIY entrée where fermented shrimp is wrapped and rolled in
fresh mustard leaves. Then a tweak on the Adobong Pusit (Squid Ink Adobo),
served as soup with rice vermicelli noodles. Then the Pinakbet, vegetable stew of okra, squash, bitter gourd, eggplant, and stringbeans. A glass or two of a textured
white wine such as the WitherHills Pinot Gris 2011 from the vineyards of Marlborough,
New Zealand was just the ticket, as its noticeable heady floral aroma offset
the saltiness of the dishes, its ripe peach and pear flavors giving a lingering
finish to the mouth. In essence, a slightly more aggressive persona of the Gewurtztraminer
to equal the adventurous flavors of the three plates just served.
After an intermission
of a refreshing sorbet from unfermented coconut sap, a celebratory Filipino
dinner will not be complete without adobo and lechon. Chef Gonzalez graced the table with a chicken
and pork Adobo del Diablo, a version
that is twice-cooked (stewed and baked). With equal billing and honor on the
table was the Lechon Balamban (or
roasted pork belly), with skin that stayed smooth, glistening and crunchy. These heart friendly dishes were paired with
the equally accessible Laurus Cote De Rhone Village 2010, a medium-bodied
cousin of Syrah, subtle and sensual, yet worldly wise enough not to upstage the
adobo and lechon. The wine’s complexity
and depth makes it a perfect “sauce” in a glass to the dry meat dishes.
As if that was not
enough, another train of meat dishes came, led by the garlicky crunch of
Longganisang Lucban (small sausages Lucban, Quezon style), followed by the
tenderly sauced Angus Bistek Tagalog, and trailed by the true velvet of
Kalderetang Kambing (or goat meat stew) slow-cooked in tomato sauce with root
vegetables and olives. These soul-food
dishes were engaged by the old-school tempranillo variety in glasses of Resalte
Ribera de Duero Crianza 2005. Its toasty
oak and vanilla tones, berry notes, and long lingering finish made it a real
treat for the variety of flavors of the different meat dishes.
Sighs of appreciation
all around the room came when guests were served with a dessert buffet on a
plate, presented as a salute to the Filipino dining custom of “patikim”
(taste-testing). The Turon Baduya (fried banana wrapped in
rice paper and sweetened with jackfruit), Ube
Haleya (taro root pudding), Brazo de
Mercedez (meringue roll with egg custard center), and Tableya (chocolate tablet) ice cream were highlighted by the creamy
and full-bodied sherry Nectar Pedro Ximenez Gonzalez Byass. The elixir gave off chocolate shop aromas and
tastes of caramel, nuts and prunes coating the mouth with intense sweet
flavors.
As the guests went
off happily home into the soft, warm Manila air, everyone’s smile confirmed the
erasure of any doubt that Filipino dishes – be it paired with beer, whisky, or
wine – are the stuff that any gourmet’s dreams should be made of.
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