L6
top tables
Vol. 04 No. 22 | Nov 16-30, 2016
Mick & Di The Food Lovers
thefoodloverspattayatoday@msn.com
EAST MEETS WEST AT
BENIHANA WINE TASTING For “Funtastic” Dining and Chilean Imbibing Japanese cuisine and Chilean wine would at first thought seem an unlikely marriage but that would be wrong, Chilean wine is big in Japan. Recently the Finance Ministry announced that it is now No.1 in terms of imports and volumes are growing rapidly. Benihana Pattaya is ever pushing the culinary envelope and just a few weeks ago held a wine tasting featuring Chilean wines from the Hugo Casanova estates which was arranged by Akkarapong Yuwaphan, marketing officer of Wine Dee Dee Pattaya. The history of this prestigious wine house dates back to the late 19th century when Eliseo Casanova, the first member of the Casanova family, arrived from Italy to continue the family’s tradition of producing wines of excellence. He purchased the estates of Batuco and Valle hermoso in Itata Valley where his dream began. Today the awardwinning wines have successfully orbited the globe. Benihana’s history dates back to the ’60s when the eldest son of a Japanese coffee shop owner had the innovative idea to combine Japanese food and entertainment. The first restaurant opened in New York in 1964 and Benihana and its famous “eatertainment” was born. Its reputation is based on their teppanyaki style of cooking; teppan means “steel grill” and yaki “grilled”. These two entrepreneurial enterprises combined recently to showcase their individual skills and products. The décor at Benihana Pattaya is pleasing; rich traditional Japanese colours juxtapose with contemporary decor to create an ambiance of ease and comfort. The main dining area is a huge circular table of teppanyaki grills and comfortable seating. Private rooms and alcoves are positioned around the restaurant
creating individual areas for exclusive parties and get-togethers. Benihana chefs receive 16 weeks of intensive training before the final accolade of a red kerchief to confirm their proficiency. The first pour of the evening was a glass of Hugo Casanova Linaje Sauvignon Blanc 2015. This
fresh, medium-bodied wine paired beautifully with the premium sushi and sashimi which awaited us on arrival. The chefs now arrived at individual teppanyaki grills and the show began. Tiger prawns and snow fish were to be prepared and served with a HC Reserva Chardonnay 2012 which, with its complex tastes of
fruits and toasted notes, resonated with the prawns and delicate fish for a delicious marriage of well balanced flavours. The huge prawns tossed, danced and flew off chef’s cleaver while a selection of vegetables (snow peas, courgettes, and onions) were now being flounced and fried on the grill before being served in a zingy dressing of sesame oil and soy. It was now the turn of the reds – a HC Reserva Merlot 2013 and a HC Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2014. Both an intense ruby-red but the Merlot displayed ripe, robust tannins which proved the perfect companion to the perfectly tossed lamb while the Cabernet Sauvignon with its expressive and elegant body married
ideally with the Australian sirloin that received chef’s unique treatment. The accompanying sauces were delicious: creamy, soft Japanese mustard, a fiery red hot chili paste, top quality soya and that nose grenade of mustards: wasabi. Dessert completed the evening served with the final pour of a HC Antano Reserva Rose 2016 with its floral aromas and fruity flavours escorted by bespoke crepes filled with fruits and conserves. Restauranteering is always a tough business but here at Benihana the nail has been firmly hit on the head. It resonates with what the paying customers want: quality, consistency and value for money with the added attraction of fun and interactive enjoyment watching a master chef perform his amazing culinary skills. Slicing, dicing, throwing and catching are all performed before your very eyes with such good humour and high spirits that we left with smiley faces and happy memories of another Benihana dining experience with added treat of Hugo Casanova wines. Benihana Pattaya 2nd floor of Royal Garden Plaza Pattaya Second Road Open daily from 12 to 10 pm Tel: 038 412 120 ext 1395 www.benihanapattaya.com