A Journey of Flavours and Spirits @ Chiquo Don, Damansara Heights
Chiqui Don
Located in Damansara Heights, Chiqui Don is a very chic kitchen and bar concept, offering dishes that are inspired by Asian and Western cuisines with interesting creative twists.
Thanks to Chiqui Don and Albert Wines & Spirits Malaysia, I was invited to attend this wine pairing event that happened in end of August; to enjoy the delicious fares from the creative team along with the perfect pairing. A good pairing can enhance the flavour of the dishes itself, bringing out more flavours from the ingredients and the efforts that the chef put in.
A Journey of Flavours and Spirits
Chiqui Don X Albert Wines & Spirits Malaysia
Spier, one of the oldest farms in South Africa, located in Stellenbosch. The Seaward range is made from Seaward grapes, selected from South Africa’s top coastal areas where it is grown in a narrow band close to the ocean; a new world wine and very food-friendly. So during this special event, we got to sample the choices of white wine – Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc; and red wine – Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage.
Before the course, we were greeted by the quirky welcome drink – Chiqui Velvet. A signature cocktail of Chiquin Don that is made with blueberry puree, dark rum, white rum, egg white and garnished with dried orange; pretty on sight and tasty on the palate.
Starters：
Watermelon & Feta Cheese Salad
Chargrilled watermelon, sun-dried tomatoes, cucumber ribbons & chopped olive, aged balsamic , topped with walnuts and crumbled feta cheese.
A very simple yet refreshing starter to pair with Spier ‘Seaward’ Sauvignon Blanc which has rich aromas of green figs and ripe tropical fruit.
Chili Crab Dip
Stir fried crab meat with homemade chili paste and spices, served with fried mantou buns.
Richly spiced and pretty addictive. Spier ‘Seaward’ Chenin Blanc has a fresh fruit flavour and lively acidity on finish; so when pairing this spicy hot dish, it gave a fizzy sparkling sensation on my palate, a refreshing heating touch.
Greek Meatballs
Australian beef meatballs baked in tomato herb sauce topped with feta cheese, served with garlic bread
And it was paired with Spier ‘Seaward’ Sauvignon Blanc
Garlic Chili Sea Bass
Sauteed in olive oil with chopped garlic and chili flakes, served with garlic bread.
This was a perfect match with the Spier ‘Seaward’ Chenin Blanc! The fruity sweet note ending was something I like; a very harmony mild honey-ish sweetness. Everything was all in all, a balance! No prize for guess which bottle of wine I like it so far, Spier ‘Seaward’ Chenin Blanc is really something!
Mains:
Seafood Trio
Sea bass fillet, tiger prawns and half shelled green mussels drizzled with vongole sauce and served with garlic bread.
This dish was to pair with Spier ‘Seaward’ Sauvignon Blanc
Black Angus Rib Eye
Grilled to chef’s recommendation, served with potato gratin, mushroom sauce and sautéed vegetables.
This was to pair with Spier ‘Seaward’ Cabernet Sauvignon that has a complex middle pate with balanced freshness enhanced by the sweet oak.
As Spier ‘Seaward’ Pinotage was set to pair with Wild Mushroom Truffle Risoto and Mutton Claypot Rice (Chiqui Don’s signature!) that we didn’t choose for our main course, we still got to sample it. It is a medium to full bodied wine that has a great balance; dark cherries, mulberries that gives a rich, complex middle palate with hints of all spice and vanilla. I enjoyed this very much as it was layering with flavours.
Desserts:
Sizzling Chocolate Fondant
Warm soft chocolate fondant with molten chocolate core, topped with Tillamook vanilla ice cream
Payasam Panna Cotta
Italian cream jelly with payasam.
Another new flavour to me with payasam on the milky smooth panna cotta!
Glad to see some familiar faces here, our first meet after … like so long!
With my partner-in-crime, Sze!
Chiqui Don
9G, Jalan Medan Setia 1,
Plaza Damansara, Bukit Damansara,
50490 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: +6 017 212 5158
Opening hours:
Mon to Thur: 2.30pm till 1.30am
Fri to Sun & Public holiday: 12pm till 1.30am
