Fabulous food, wonderful wines

A FAVOURITE haunt among gourmets in the Sukhumvit area, Karmakamet Diner on Soi 24 hosted its first wine pairing dinner earlier this week, bringing together chef Jutamas Theantae’s creative cuisine with wines from FIN, Thailand’s leading importer of boutique wines. 

Delighting both the eyes and the palate, pickled oyster kick-started the nine-course dinner with an explosion of flavour. The large French oyster was pickled in rice-wine and white-wine vinegars to give it an appetite-whetting tang and served on a bed of cucumber seasoned with cloves that gave the dish a light peppery taste. It was paired with 2013 Gelber Muskateller Franz Taferner from Austria’s Carnuntum that sported a refreshing lime and citrus note, helping to brighten the dish and open up more spice notes of the ingredients. 

The series of appetisers continued with creamy lobster broth, whose slight sweetness was enhanced by the inclusion of aromatic Gewurztraminer in the soup base. It paired well with 2012 Chardonnay Gernot Heinrich, also from Austria, which cut the richness of the broth while refreshing the palate. 

Known for her delicate cooking style and passion for Austrian wines, the chef spoke enthusiastically of the small European country, “I love Austria. The country is beautiful, the people are so nice and the way of living is very simple yet sophisticated. Details and stories are hidden in plain sight and it’s really easy to become immersed in the culture. When I taste wines from Austria, I am reminded of the Austrian way,” she told guests.

One more Austrian wine, 2013 K Blend Gerhard Kracher from the Burgenland region, was served with the linguini in white clam sauce. The sauce was extensively refined to a creamy, smooth texture, allowing the palate to soak in all the flavours almost immediately. The wine, with noted acidity and a perfumed fruit character from the blend of scheurebe, chardonnay and welschriesling varietals lightened the heavy mouthfeel of the sauce and brightened the palate with its citrus aftertaste.

The main course, basted monkfish with braised beef tongue and foie gras, came with a glass of 2014 Rose Saigner Markus Schneider from Germany. The complex dish with a distinct smoky aroma from the wood oven was a good match with the faint raspberry aroma and the floral hint of the wine, which rounded out the many different flavours in the dish. 

A 2014 Durif GranMonte Vineyards from Khao Yai was poured next, along with the second main course – quail stuffed with artichoke and garnished with beef cheek jus. Known as “petit syrah”, Durif is layered with lively fruit aromas of red berries and fig that go well with seasoned poultry. The juicy plum character with a hint of chocolate also complemented the beefy sauce, making it more well-rounded.

Then came dessert: First up was a rich chocolate terrine on raisin and banana pudding paired with 2010 Capstone Johan Reyneke Stellenbosch from South Africa. A celebrated blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc, the wine’s expressive bouquet of fig, espresso, pepper and tobacco made it a perfect match for the earthy dark chocolate. The dark berry and cassis note complemented the tangy raisin and perfumed banana in the pudding that lifted the powerful taste of the chocolate.

The last dessert was baked pineapple in which a slice of ripe pineapple was baked with salt and served with vanilla sauce with taro and tapioca pearls. Drops of chilli and lemongrass oil added an herbaceous, spiced touch to the fruity and creamy dish. The delectably constructed sweet was paired with 2012 Mr Mountain Wine Telmo Rodriguez from Malaga in Spain, a dessert wine with defined acidity and minerality. Its tropical, fruity flair made it a great companion to the zesty pineapple.