Food review by Steve Liebeskind and wine review by Paul Irwin

Food

Today we were treated to a visit to Japan with a focus on Umami.

We started with two canapés - both were flavour bombs with the cucumber salad being fresh and having a lovely acid structure complemented with a touch of chilli. The dry seaweed rounded off the flavour. The eggplant was umami on a cracker and the flavour lingered to have the palate ready for the main course.

1. Sunomono (cucumber salad)

Finely sliced cucumber cured in rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, chilli flakes, a dash of sugar and sesame seed for about two hours served on a spoon. Topped with coriander and seaweed flakes when served.

2. Nasu dengaku (miso roasted eggplant)

Eggplant glazed with miso paste, mirin and sake roasted in the oven. Served on a rice cracker with coriander and sesame seeds sprinkled on top.

Main

Pork Tonkatsu with miso red cabbage and rice

The main came to table in a colourful presentation due to the rich brightness of the red cabbage planking the golden brown panko pork which was leaning on a serving of rice. The tonkatsu sauces was swirled over the pork and rice for additional flavour and colour. There was coriander to garnish.

The food came to the table quickly and hot. The pork was a little tough to cut but it was fresh and soft for chewing. The panko crumb was excellent and was complemented by the tonkatsu sauce. The red cabbage was a further highlight with great flavour and texture. The miso butter served on top of the cabbage lifted this vegetable to the next level. The rice with its stickiness and slight nuttiness rounded off a terrific meal.

Pork katsu. Pork loin chops crumbed with flour and eggs and then dipped in panko crumbs. Then just before service, the pork was shallow pan-fried for approximately 5 minutes. This was a bit of a production to ensure the pork came to the table fresh and crispy.

The rice was a Japanese sticky style rice - not as long as basmati yet not round like sushi rice.

The red cabbage was cut into wedges and roasted in the oven for 40 minutes. It was then topped with miso butter (a blend of one-third white miso paste and two-thirds butter) to melt in the flash oven at the REX.

The Tonkatsu sauce was a blend of soy, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, onion and garlic powders with a touch of sugar.

Bread was a sourdough from Bourke Street Bakery.

Cheese and salad

We were treated to a ripe Milawa Gough’s Bay Brie. This was a goat’s milk cheese from Milawa Vic. The making is from a special blend of cultures added to the milk before the curds are formed, then scooped into moulds before draining to remove excess whey. The wheels are then salted in brine before the surface is inoculated with white mould spores causing them to slowly develop a white velvety rind and mushroomy aroma. For the next two weeks, they are carefully turned by hand each day before being wrapped and delivered to us.

The cheese had an ivory white paste, soft and creamy with an open texture and delicate goat’s milk flavour. Positive comments were shared by members. Many thought it came from overseas and all were happy to see this quality product.

The salad was a mixed green leaf salad with a dressing of equal parts soy and sesame oil. The sesame was dominant and would have been helped with a dash of acid.

 All in all, we were presented with an excellent lunch that was complemented with some good Italian reds and an Aussie Pinot.

Wine

Today’s wines were from a Frenchman cooking a Japanese lunch, which included a fried pork katsu. The wines presented commenced with a Domaine Oratoire St Martin, which was a Southern Rhone Blanc blend of a number of grapes, predominantly Clairette, Roussanne, and Marsanne and were showing as flat and oxidised. Next was the Hochirch Riesling, which was a German-style wine from a Victorian producer. At 11 years old it was showing good development and went well with the appetisers.

For the main, we had a 2010 Tasmanian Pinot, from Goaty Hill which was slowing well. Good development of forest floor, and plenty of acid to go with the pork. It was however shown up by the 2016 Massolino Barbera d'Alba, which had clean dark juicy sour cherry that paired well with the dish.

For the cheese course, we stayed in Italy, with a 2014 Massolino Langhe Nebbiolo, which had great red cherry, was tart, and had great acid and tannin. It was paired against a 2009 Gaja Sito Morseco Langhe, which was a blend of Nebbiolo, Merlot and Cabernet which was showing well, with tertiary development of cedar and spice and a pleasure.

Great lunch, with great company. It was a pleasure to be the stand-in Winemaster for the day.