Food review by Frank Liebeskind and wine review by Stephen O'Halloran

Food

The REX team catered for 35 Members and guests, and were treated to a wonderful lunch, I called it “street food raised to another level”, Nick Reynold’s said it was a Nepalese version of Coronation Chicken and fit for a King. Greg Chugg felt it was Nepalese meets French cuisine.

Canapes

◦ Caramelised onion/ cherry tomato/ goats cheese tart, these were a favourite, perfectly balanced and a winner.

◦ Apple & fennel/ pork sausage rolls, absolute favourite, Goldy was very happy with them. Food Master Bill said he intended placing an order for them, the apple made the difference. James Tinslay would have loved these.

◦ Fried chicken tandoori balls, mint yogurt sauce, last but not least, the chicken balls were well received, not strong on the tandoori spices, but went well when dipped into the mint yoghurt sauce.

Main

◦ Organic chicken supreme/sautéed masala (spices)veg/Nepalese curry sauce/crispy curry leaves

◦ Garlic/creamy mashed potato

This was an excellent dish that everyone in the room enjoyed. Chicken breast with some bone still attached for juiciness was beautifully spiced, roasted and sat on a great mash. A fantastic curry with vegetables sat alongside the chicken. I thought the curry sauce was the hero, its spices and subtlety lingered in the mouth for 10 minutes after the last mouthful. Criticism? Yes, more curry sauce next time, please, sir!

Cheese (also provided by the REX, not our Cheese Master).

◦ Cave-Aged cheddar cheese, from the UK, it received positive comments, we didn’t get much detail on it, and its origin.

◦ Almonds and marinated baby figs, lots of positive comments on the figs.

An excellent lunch, I wouldn’t be surprised if the REX adds this to their menu going forward, beautiful, refined Nepalese cuisine. After Amosh discussed the food he created, and the many elements used to create both the canapes and the main, Greg Sproule got up and thanked Amosh for the effort and care in each mouthful, and the final word came from Goldy (not usually a lover of street food), he thanked Amosh for a most excellent and juicy piece of chicken.

Wine

The theme for lunch today was a Nepalese affair provided by Amosh and his team at the REX kitchen. Very delicious pass arounds and a roast chicken main. A tasty English Cheddar rounded off the meal nicely. 

Today our Wine Master provided us with a totally new concept for our wines today.  The only two wines tasted by all were the first two whites. Thereafter, someone from each table picked out three reds from the 20 or so reds on display. Your views on this process are welcome. Perhaps we could discuss next week. 

 Accordingly, my report will deal with the two whites only, together with a few comments on the red wines I tasted. 

The first white was the McWilliams Elizabeth Semillon 2018, 12.5%. We had this wine not so long ago, and it was well received. A 7 yo Hunter Sem, fresh, balanced and a delight to drink with or without food.  Great structure, all the ducks in a row. A terrific choice by our Wine Master. 

The second white was the most impressive, Leo Buring Leopold Riesling 2016, 13%. Sourced from Tasmanian Fruit and named after the man himself, who created the brand. This wine and the Leonay Riesling from Eden Valley are Buring's showcase wines.  At a blind tasting, I would have picked this wine as either a Tassie riesling or a German Kabinett Riesling. Some gentle residual sugar on the palate was very typical of a good quality Tassie riesling. A delight to taste, excellent balance with a crisp, powerful finish. A lovely wine. 

The wines our table then enjoyed were the 2007 Guigal St Joseph Côte du Rhône, an excellent wine from the Northern Rhone, drinking beautifully for an 18 yo wine. Rich and opulent, velvety smooth finish. A treat. The second wine was the equally drinkable Tyrrells Vat 9 again a 2007 wine. A big Vat 9, dark and intense, no sign of browning at the rim. Has all the structures in place to go on for several more years as a top wine. 

The final wine for our table was a Clerget Pinot Noir 12.5%, a Bourgogne from 2014. An enjoyable PN but suffered from being the third wine after two much more powerful Shiraz. 

The wine to do it justice should have been drunk first. 

So that's it for the report today, short and sweet. Bring your views along to our next few lunches on this style of format, as distinct from the regular.