Food review by James Hill and wine review by Stephen O'Halloran

Our chef of the day was Madan the third member of our talented and professional team in the kitchen at the Royal Exchange. venturing into the kitchen our senses were heightened as took in the aromas and spices of the Nepalese lunch being prepared for us.

Canapés

First up was Kwati - a mixed bean soup that is specific to the mountain regions of Nepal. It has seven different types of beans that are sweated for forty-eight hours before being made into soup. It was creamy and aromatic with a lingering depth of flavour, spice was evident but not overwhelming heat.

Pork sekuwa - this was marinated for twenty-four hours in ginger garlic and coriander and was served on skewers with a tomato chutney dip. The meat was barbecued, perfectly cooked, moist with complex flavours and had a great aftertaste.

Lamb choila - Fried with mixed masala and served in pastry cups.

The lamb is first marinated in ginger, garlic, and lemon and set aside for grilling. After grilling the lamb was garnished with more spices to restore its rich flavour.

The canapés were bountiful with complex flavours and perfectly matched with wines on offer today. There were many favourable comments from the floor on the canapé offering today.

Main 

Now to our main course this certainly impressed members.

Minnas machha - this is Nepalese-style fried fish curry. The fish was barramundi marinated in tomato, onions and herbs for a day, it was delicate and cooked perfectly. The curry sauce was complex consisting of lemon, turmeric and cumin not too rich, and long on the palate.

The accompaniments to our fish were some Basmati rice, warmed sliced carrot and white radish and a potato and chickpeas pickle.

It was a great effort with a lot of preparation and thought going into today's meal and much appreciated by all for the authentic and interesting Nepalese food presented today.

Cheese

The cheese was supplied by our kitchen team a soft pasteurised cow’s milk cheese from France “Royal Faucon Brie” this was served with lavosh style crackers and truffled honey.

It was good to see some long-term members back at lunch Paul Bookalil and Miles Hedge, perhaps they’d heard it was John Edwards's birthday who very generously shared some Para Port to celebrate and finish our lunch.

Wine

The first on offer was the 2015 La Jalousie, Chenin Blanc at 13.5%   At 7 years just a pup in the Chenin Blanc world.  These wines last forever. I have had several over the years 20+ years old and still fresh and fruit driven. An excellent choice for the pass-arounds which were terrific.

The second wine to be drunk was the Bernard Fouquet Cuvee Silex Vouvray 2016 at 12% also a Chenin Blanc. Good wine, well-balanced fruit/acid, many many years ahead of it. My wine of the day.  The producer Marc Bredif is also a top producer of good Vouvray.

Wine 3 served was the 2012  Cuilleron Syrah at 12.5% an excellent wine from the Rhone District. Great depth of flavour but with medium body and strong tannin finish.  Most drinkable.

Wine 4 was the Kooyong Pinot 2016 at 13.5% from Mornington.  Thin, lean with oak overpowering the faint fruit flavours.  Overall unimpressive. 

Wine 5 was the Cuilleron Roussanne 2018. A wine style we do not see much of here. Loads of quality fruit, 14% a thick oily finish, quite luscious, Bit like a Marsanne only more intense. Very good wine, highly regarded by several at our table. Would in my view take a little time to get used to, a very different dryer style from what we in Australia are familiar with.

Note re wines: Tables of ten have an extra different bottle served and if a wine is found to be faulty it is not served but substituted with a different wine. Sometimes the Winemaster will be using up odds and sods (usually very good wines) to clear out the wine frig.