During the crazy week that was Tasting Australia, we found ourselves in somewhat of a feeding frenzy with countless food and wine events on our hit list. But this event was one we knew we couldn’t miss. One of our regular favourite restaurants, Madame Hanoi was putting on a spectacular wine pairing dinner with head honcho, celebrity chef Nic Watt.
Having dined at Madame Hanoi before we were suitably excited for the evening ahead, but never before have we been able to experience such their exquisite food paired to wines with this level of perfection at the venue.
The team informed us that head chef Krish and restaurant manager Sally poured over the decisions of how best to match Nic’s menu with wines that not only do dishes justice, but help expose new flavours and elements that might otherwise not have been highlighted.
Five courses of modern Vietnamese French fusion came together beautifully, with fresh and zesty oysters and Adelaide Hills bubbles kicking off the show.
When presenting the next dish to the enthralled crowd, Nic couldn’t have spoken more highly of the incredible produce used, and rightfully so. The fresh tuna, which was served with spicy nam jim and asian slaw, had come in just that morning. The belly meat used was so soft it just melted on the palate, as Nic had promised. This paired exceptionally well with a Robert Johnson Eden Valley Viognier. The wine was aged unusually with Hungarian oak a technique added a spiciness that complimented the dishes’ chilli kick. It was a smooth, beautiful textural match.
As a hero of the everyday menu, we were next treated to the confit duck and watermelon salad. The dish could not have been surpassed and should really be your first choice when visiting Madame Hanoi on any normal day. Packed with fresh flavours – it’s always a winner.
The true work of genius of the night though, was the soy peppered grade 9 Wagyu shaking beef. Marinated for five days, then cooked over charcoal; we couldn’t pinpoint which of these two techniques had really made this dish sing (probably an expert combination of both.) Regardless, as an individual who isn’t drastically enthusiastic about grilled or charcoaled meats, I was truly blown away by the flavour complexities of this course. To then have that matched so perfectly with a Pinot Noir was extremely surprising. Surely with a well rounded heavy meat one should be pairing a ballsy heavy red like Shiraz or Cab Sav? Yeah, we thought so too but this Pinot drew out the incredible smoky flavours of this dish.
As for dessert, was this the most incredible ice cream ever tasted? Big call, but we’d say, it’s definitely up there. What’s not to love about sweet condensed milk that has been turned into a soft and creamy ice cream? ‘Twas outstanding friends. We’ll admit, the wedge of lime served as garnish to be squeezed over the caramelised banana spring roll was probably overkill. The indulgent flavours spoke for themselves and we think could have stood alone. But alas, we ended on a true high nonetheless.
To be in the company of world renowned chef Nic Watt was brilliant, but to have him so invested in speaking to each guest individually was moving. In this industry we seek those who have passion ingrained in their bones, to have that passion exude out of them and wash over their customers and clientele is the ultimate goal. A goal Nic Watt casually achieved last night, and undoubtedly does so with everyone blessed enough to be able to enjoy a conversation with him about food.
Madame Hanoi is located at the Adelaide Casino, North Terrace.
Photography by Madame Hanoi.
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