Sip the list

The first thing I like about Nanam’s drinks list is that they’ve written the alcohol percentages next to each of the beers, so that those who aren’t Dry July-ing can still “consciously” consume. I’d naturally launch straight into the Filipino beer of the nation, Red Horse, though at 6.9 per cent I’ll go easy. The cocktails are a safely exotic mix of coladas, mojito, margaritas and veranos. The wine

selection? Very safe and a tad expensive. I know that margins have to be made to cover wages, glassware, washing and wasteage, but it still irks me to pay $55 (or $12 a glass) for a $16 supermarket wine. The fizz list includes Moet, Lanson, 2009 vintage Marguet and glitzy, golden bottles of Sensi 18k Prosecco. For sauvignon blanc you’ve got the aristocrats to choose from: Dog Point, Nautilus and Spy Valley. Chardonnays include Kumeu River, Vidal and Nelson’s Latitude and the pinot gris and rieslings are from Peregrine, Mills Reef, Main Divide and Gibbston Valley respectively. And that’s all lovely, except (and here’s where I’ll wang on again) for a restaurant geared around punchy dishes featuring chilli, garlic, lemongrass, mint and tamarind et al … why is there not at least one gewurztraminer on the list? There’ll be those in the trade who will roll their eyes and say, “Because nobody will order it, because they don’t know what it is or how to pronounce it.”

It’s easy, “ga-verts-tra-meener’ And with its luscious, lychee and ginger-laden goodness, it’s a perfect partner for this style of food. That’s all the waitstaff have to say.