In conjunction with this year’s Oktoberfest, GAB is celebrating its stellar iconic range of beers by collaborating with Tai Zi Heen at Prince Hotel headed by Chef Michael Wong with a 3 course beer and fine dining pairing promotion - “For The Love of Beer” during this October month.
"This beer pairing menu with Tai Zi Heen is a great opportunity for diners and beer enthusiasts to sample GAB's unique range of beers with decadent dishes." Guinness Anchor Berhad’s Beer Ambassador, Keith Nair also said that the taste profiles for the beer in the menu are uniquely different and can be brought to live when they are paired with the right type of dish.
The guests during the tasting session were presented will all the 6 dishes available on the 3 course menu to be paired with Tiger, Guinness, Strongbow and Paulaner.
The two appetizers were paired with Guinness, they were the wok seared five spice salt dusted foie gras and Beijing smoked duck wraps drizzled with passion fruit vinaigrette. Both the appetizers were sweet with crispy wraps, which made it very light compared to the texture of the stout. To choose either the former or the latter is only a matter of whether you prefer saltiness or sweetness for your dinner starter.
The second course was the hot and sour seafood soup with unagi-parmesan stick to be paired with Strongbow. We were a bit sceptical about parmesan in the thick soup but it turned out that the parmesan was so light, the deep fried roll that wrapped the unagi took over the little trace of cheese visible around the eel. The cider went well in washing down the slightly spicy taste of the soup, the fizziness from the champagne yeast fizzles away the gluey sourness so we didn’t feel the usual fullness that is normally encountered into the second dish of heavy Chinese meals.
There were 3 choices for the main course: honey soy glazed oysters on asparagus and toasted sesame seeds or baked cod fish with garlic crust to be paired with Paulaner; or Kong Poh style chicken with dried chillies and cashew nuts in yam ring to be paired with Tiger. All the three dishes carried sweetness character. However, the first two dishes brought out the taste of the wheat beer whereas the lager was to compliment the third dish for a more balanced taste, with the hot and spicy sensation. We liked the varieties available for the main course which suits all types of appetite.
To finish off the course, we were served purple sweet potato garnish with mango ice cream accompanied with lotus paste Chinese pancake to be paired with Strongbow. The dessert was served in a glass with dry ice that gave a beautiful misty effect. By this time we were already full and were craving for something light and refreshing. The dessert was not overly sweet and the cider said to “cut through” the sweetness of the dessert served a satisfying finish to the whole meal.
“For The Love of Beer” 3-course beer menu is available throughout GAB’s Oktoberfest Celebrations from 1st to 31st October at RM150++ per person at Tai Zee Heen, Prince Hotel Kuala Lumpur. Each dish will be paired with Tiger, Guinness, Strongbow and Paulaner and each diner can take home a special limited edition GAB’s Oktoberfest 1L ceramic mug.
For other GAB Oktoberfest promotion, please refer here.