Simon just called from his hotel in Hong Kong to report on a cool tasting and dinner..
Dinner was at the prestigious restaurant Gold with Chef Harlan Goldstein. Harlan was an exceptional host and extremely gracious . A superb Burger slider with fries and truffle mayo went down so well after our long journey. Harlan dug into his cellar and pulled out a memorable 1990 Eilo Altare Barolo that was just drinking right on the money showing classic Italian scorched earth and dusty cherry on the mid palate, this wine had everything in place showing perfect balance of fruit and acid with a long , long finish. Drinking great wines in places like this with great company is what it is all about.
The next dish shows up and I was floored by the flavors. Harlan killed it with a pasta dish that was simple yet over the top awesome… mushroom , shaved truffle with a Japanese steamed egg, that was also smoked, sitting on top. Instructions followed……smash the yolk, mix it around and dig in ! My type of guy ! Harlan pulled out a 97 Guado Al Tasso for this dish and it was a stroke of genius , the rich flavor profile of the dish meshed well with the soft and supple flavors of the Guado… not a bad start to the trip….more to follow tomorrow!