Paired Menu Masterclass at Sheraton Hyderabad

Early adopters among food lovers of Hyderabad are opening up to pairing events of food with drinks. Recently there had been quite a few festivals and promotions on dishes that go along with varieties of wines as well as whiskys of different maturity. Link@Sheraton Hyderabad recently organized a masterclass session as part of "Paired", a new food and beverage program of Sheraton Hotels and Resorts worldwide.   The cafe has also unveiled a new menu of bite-sized foods in sync with this program. The idea was to try out these bar snacks with a combination of red, white and sparkling wines selected from the recommendations of Wine Spectator.



The session conducted by Preetam Rai, Assistant F&B Manager of Sheraton, Hyderabad stressed on the fact that pairing is a function of personal taste buds, and often a combination of wine and food which are not supposed to go together unexpectedly work wonders to the taste buds of an individual. This is as opposed to set beliefs that only certain food go well with specific drinks.

In this event, eight bite-sized dishes from the new menu of Link were showcased. The dishes drew their inspirations both from local and global cuisine and were served with five varieties of wine – two red, two white and one sparkling. The wines were served for blind tasting, which means the labels were not disclosed to the participants. At the end, the participants were asked for their preferred combos of wine and food, and of course, the labels of wine were disclosed.

Asian Spiced Lamb Balls
Asian Spiced Lamb Balls


The red wines served were Le Corte Refosco and Grover Zampa Cabernet Shiraz, while the whites were Grover Zampa Sauvignon Blanc and Jacobs Creek Chardonnay. Chandon Brut was the lone sparkling wine.

Among the food served, Asian Spiced Lamb Meat Balls tossed in onion and paprika were the most sought after snacks. For me the best pairing for this was the Sauvignon Blanc white wine.

Stuffed Jalapenos
Stuffed Jalapenos

With the red wine from Le Corte, my pick was the Stuffed Jalapenos, the cheddar cheese filling working well with the pleasant taste of the Refosco grapes.

Litchie Ke Kabab
Litchie Ke Kabab

Another snack I found quite unique and loved the taste was Litchie ke Kabab, a unique preparation with litchis stuffed with nuts and cottage cheese.

Chicken Tikka Spring Rolls
Chicken Tikka Spring Rolls

A fusion dish was Chicken Tikka Spring Roll, served with a mint chutney. As I tried out the dish a thought flashed that a glass of good whisky would be the best foil for this. But then, I reminded myself that this was a wine pairing event.

Smoked Salmon in a Choux Pastry
Smoked Salmon in a Choux Pastry

Smoked Ocean Salmon with yoghurt in a choux pastry was best with the Jacobs Creek Chardonnay, a light wine which enhanced the flavour of the fish. Another dish Garlic Shrimps too paired famously with this wine.

Garlic Shrimps
Garlic Shrimps

Vegetarians would have found the Aloo Mutter Tikki interesting.  Sauteed Mushroom with Garlic Lemon Sauce was the only dish I did not like, for me, it hardly had any taste.

Sauteed Mushroom with Garlic Lemon Sauce
Sauteed Mushroom with Garlic Lemon Sauce

The masterclass was successful in what it set to establish and the choices of participants to pair with specific dishes varied widely. The menu for the brand program gives suggestions of wines that can be paired with each of the eight dishes and certain craft beers are also suggested. But connoisseurs must try out various combinations of food with the wine of their choice, to work out the best wine-food pairing for themselves.

The café has a very relaxing atmosphere, the ideal place to laze around after a busy day. Some great food and wine combinations may just have the calming down effect. To make things even better, pricing for the short eats is also extremely attractive.

Location:
Link @Sheraton
Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel
ISB Road, Financial District
Gachibowli, Hyderabad
Telephone: 33165811

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite from the restaurant. 

2 comments:

  1. For the past month some photos in your posts does not load.

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    1. Can you specify the photos? Is it on Windows or mobile?

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