There is an art to nostalgia. Just a tweak to the senses – a particular scent, the snatched refrain of a song – could transport us into a memory that lurks at the cusp of our consciousness. It is, usually,
the simplest things that get us started and it was no different at the recent Hennessy X.O Appreciation Grows event.
Held at Zebra Square in Kuala Lumpur over six nights, the evening began with a guide on two new ways to enjoy Hennessy X.O. With the help of Moët Hennessy Brand Ambassador Chong Wai Keng, guests discovered new flavours to appreciate after, firstly, eating a piece of Earl Grey flavoured chocolate, followed by X.O that had been chilled with a piece of pu-erh tea ice.
It was after this that the trip down memory lane finally began. Past the impromptu tasting room was a classy lounge, complete with LED-lit flower garden and comfy leather couches. One wall featured a detailed illustration of the journey the house of Hennessy has taken, from the year it was established in 1765, right up to today as it celebrates its 250th anniversary. Here, guests chatted and enjoyed more Hennessy X.O, entertained by the charming vocals of Chin Ai Chia, whose repertoire consisted of classics from, among others, Teresa Teng.
The main event, the actual dinner itself, took place in a replica of the interior of a French château, a reminder of Hennessy’s heritage and a nod to its seat in Cognac – the Château de Bagnolet. A faux balustrade with an imperial staircase, grand piano, oil paintings of members of the Hennessy family and chandeliers added to the atmosphere, as did the freshly cut flowers and candles on the intimate dining tables. While the décor and atmosphere was Western in look and feel, the menu was, decidedly, Asian. The theme for the dinner, ‘Celebrating 250 Years of Exceptional Craftsmanship’, was reflected not only in the liberally flowing Hennessy X.O that guests enjoyed, but also in the menu specially drawn up for the event.
The guest chef for this edition of Hennessy X.O Appreciation Grows was Victor Liong, head chef of Melbourne’s Lee Ho Fook restaurant. Born in Brunei to Malaysian parents, before his family moved to Australia, Liong grew up on his mother’s Chinese cooking and he has coupled that experience, quite successfully, with his classically European training to create a fusion cuisine that highlights the best of both. The opening, The Perfect Blend, one of Liong’s signature appetisers from Lee Ho Fook, epitomised his Chinese heritage – a quarter of black fungi, marinated in aged black vinegar; smoky charred cucumber on a slice of white tofu; an egg, boiled in tea stock, and topped with smoked fish roe; and crispy battered eggplant coated in caramelised red vinegar sauce. Here is where the chef Homaro Cantu’s maxim, of how “food has a way of transporting us back to the pastâ€, proved valid: each bite brought back memories of feasts, gatherings with family and friends, wedding banquets… all chapters of good times had and shared.
The first course was simplicity in conception, yet elaborate in execution. On the face of it was an unassuming chicken soup, but 1859 – named for the year that China received its first bottles of Hennessy – comes in a stock of vin juane, Shaoxing, ginger and spring onions that is topped with a steamed foie gras royale and shitake mushroom, some of the finest ingredients from China and France that helped make for a light yet savoury entrée. The next dish, Hennessy Road, remained focused on China, or Hong Kong, to be specific: stir-fried scarlet prawns in Cantonese style garlic butter dressing, accompanied by local mud crab meat and prawn floss, each bite big in flavour, with a sauce that demanded to be wiped clean with the thoughtfully supplied toasted mantou.
The main, Spirit of Conquest, utilised ingredients from all over the world but was, in essence, a most familiar dish: Chilean sea bass steamed with ginger oil, on a bed of stir-fried oyster mushrooms, snow peas and New Zealand abalone. Again, the memories bubbled, stirred further by singer Chin Ai Chia, whose return to the stage was supported by the legendary Michael Veerapan, who was ably accompanied by his son, Daniel. Tango dancers also made an appearance, while the spirit of goodwill permeated with the repeated exhortation to yam seng.
This gastronomic trip to the past came to an end with The Golden Elixir, jasmine tea-infused egg custard topped with burnt caramel and served in a Chinese tea cup. Although the name clearly references the attending glass of Hennessy X.O, topped with a pu-erh tea ice rock, the dessert, again, flipped opened a host of recollections, going back as far as childhood, when an egg custard was a treat.
The modern Chinese menu devised by Chef Victor Liong was, in every way, a culinary treat. There was great pleasure to be had in the fabulous ingredients and amazing flavours – all so familiar, yet so new. For all the expertise that went into it, the menu wore its craftsmanship surprisingly lightly. Which is a trait that the house Hennessy is all too familiar with – perfecting old recipes and techniques over time to create exceptionally fine cognac. All said, this edition of Hennessy X.O Appreciation Grows was another of those where memories are made, the kind where a future spoonful of egg custard or a sip of Hennessy X.O would definitely evoke nostalgia.
