ORCHESTRATING AN OASIS
When each drop is an odyssey, special care must be taken to craft dishes of the same calibre; hence Hennessy’s collaboration with Saint Pierre Kuala Lumpur.
Having garnered almost 10 million views at the time of print, Ridley Scott’s film for Hennessy X.O might give you goosebumps. The otherworldly epic with fantasy and sci-fi elements gorgeously sums up the Cognac’s seven key tasting notes: Sweet Notes, Rising Heat, Spicy Edge, Flowing Flame, Chocolate Lull, Wood Crunches and Infinite Echo.
While the extra old Cognac is delicious as it is, ‘The Seven Worlds’ menu at Saint Pierre Kuala Lumpur accentuated the beverage’s unique characteristics. Under the gentle guidance of founder Emmanuel Stroobant, head chef Lroy Lim used his technical prowess to transform rare ingredients into seven memorable courses, each representing Hennessy X.O’S tasting notes:
WOOD CRUNCHES: BURI
Also known as Japanese amberjack or yellowtail, buri was bathed with soy sauce, sake and mirin before being smoked, which imbued the delicate fish with a woody perfume.
Embark on your own exploration of Hennessy X.O’S key tasting notes
INFINITE ECHO: PUMPKIN
Layers of pumpkin and mushroom puree represented the lingering accents of Hennessy X.O’S ‘infinite echo.’
SWEET NOTES: FOIE GRAS Caramelised Granny Smith apples and aromatic port offset the gaminess of an unctuous piece of pan-seared foie gras.
FLOWING FLAME: LOBSTER
Lobster in its shell was subjected to searing flames and surrounded by turnips cooked three ways: puréed, glazed, and served as a consommé.
RISING HEAT: DUCK
Coriander seed, cumin, black pepper and Szechuan peppercorns were sprinkled over a slab of Irish duck to mirror the Hennessy X.O’S ‘rising heat.’
SPICY EDGE: SPICED WINE
Think festive spiced wine except served cold as a sorbet. Nostalgic spices such as cinnamon, clove and orange peel added some zest to the frozen treat churned in-house.
CHOCOLATE LULL: CHOCOLATE Reminiscent of a miniature Yule log, a chocolate shell was stuffed with milk chocolate, gel, praline mousse and hazelnut crumbles. We scooped everything together, took swig of Hennessy X.O and sat back, luxuriating in the sublime pairing.
While the degustation menu has finished its run, gourmands can still relish the liquid gold that is Hennessy X.O at Saint Pierre Kuala Lumpur any time.