FOOD | THE RISING STAR

MGM Macau’s Imperial Court is the best venue during the Chinese New Year to relax, eat well, and spend quality time with friends and family.
It is already known that Imperial Court serves sophisticated dishes with a Cantonese flair that mix tradition with creativity, but what’s more pleasantly surprising is that Imperial Court has a rising new star who is extremely knowledgeable about wines and pairs them beautifully with Cantonese dishes. His name is David Chang, Assistant Sommelier at MGM Macau.
“David, what is the most challenging part about pairing wine with Chinese dishes?” I ask.
“In regards to Cantonese dishes, the taste might be very subtle, but very complex. Therefore, you have to first catch these nuances when you try the food and know what they are. Then, you have elements in wine that complements the subtleties presented. It is a delicate affair,” he explains.
Diligent and detail-oriented, David has a certain sensibility about picking the wine with the right personality for the right creation. For the first pairing, he picks the Famille Bécot 1812, 2008 to go with a wok fried scallop and prawn with honey bean and crispy fried honey Yunnan ham.
It is interesting to note that the Château Beau-Séjour- Bécot 2008 vintage is part of the 1812 signature collection made exclusively for MGM MACAU. Set on a 40-acre estate in the village of Saint-Émilion, the Bécot vineyard is an ancient winemaking site in Bordeaux, first tended by monks and now looked after by the Bécot family.
A stylish red wine crafted from 70% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, it imparts aromas of currants and black cherries, mingling with sweet vanilla in a seductively balanced manner. A touch of oak delivers a lingering smoky finish.
“The sweetness of the vanilla enhances the flavor of the honey and the fact that the wine is lightly oaked really brings out the smokiness of the ham,” I indicate to David.
“The next wine that I chose to pair with the baked sea whelk stuffed with duck liver, morel mushroom, and minced pork is really a wonder, good value for money,” David announces.
“Now this dish, in my opinion, is the most challenging one to match with wine that we have tried so far,” I warn.
“Come on. Be patient. Good things come last,” he replies, flashing a big, confident smile.
David picks F Thienpont 2011 to go with the final dish. A beautiful perfumed bouquet of red fruits, delicately charming with spicy notes. The silky tannins is what I love the most about this particular wine. After we allow the wine to breathe for a little while, it is heavenly aromatic. The velvety sensation on the palate elevates the richness of the duck liver, while intensifying the fragrance of morel mushrooms. It is indeed wonderful matching after all, and David is clearly one talented individual behind the scenes.