Elegantology Gallery & Restaurant, Publika: A Martell Cognac Pairing Dinner at Elegantology!

My First Martell Cognac Pairing!

Exclusive and luxurious runs through the mind when it comes to both Martell and Elegantology Gallery & Restaurant! One fine evening, a few of us had the luxury of savoring an exclusive and opulent Martell Cognac pairing at Elegantology. That’s not all, the dinner was also part of Reality Bites, a soon-to-be-air program. Stay tune for the show!

Elegantology comprises of a couture gallery featuring exclusive men’s fashion and lifestyle collections created by reputable local designers and a haven for gourmands helmed by celebrity chefs Johnny Fua and Sherson Lian. A fashionable alliance of fashion and food, Elegantology is a collaboration between noted Malaysian fashion designer Beatrice Looi and the oldest cognac house Martell in effort of developing a creative space for rising talents stemmed from a mutual goal of supporting the local creative platforms of fashion and gastronomy.

The moment one walks in, the ambience at Elegantology oozes with elegance and class. Designed with various sections themed with rich décor, the mix of décor is a masterpiece of opulence. Colours are boldly match with deep rich hues of dark mahogany, navy blue, cream colors and luscious gold with hits of red. Gorgeous crystal chandeliers strung above together with gold frames. Plush sofas mixes with leather ones. Spread across the whole space are pieces of elegantly tailored menswear injected with modern touches. A long bar sits on one end nearly opposing an open kitchen where chefs are seen discreetly cooking up a gastronomic menu for guests.

As this was a Martell Cognac pairing, our evening kicked off with dainty and delicious canapés prepared by both chefs Johnny and Sherson paired with Martell VSOP and Martell Cocktails. On a personal note, I really enjoyed the Martell Cocktails as both were smooth and fresh.

Dinner was hosted by Christophe Pienkowski, Brand Development Manager for Martell. With a chef background, Christophe was a charmer with plenty of knowledge of Martell Cognac. We were thoroughly briefed with the history of Martell and the various cognacs we had paired with various courses that evening.

Amuse Bouche of White Gazpacho with Grapes and Almonds served with Salmon Tartare

A bite that whets the appetites, we enjoyed this with a first taste of savory salmon tartare before downing the shot of silky nutty white gazpacho to freshen up our palate.

Hokkaido Scallop, Cauliflower Puree, Fish Skin Cracker & Fined Mixed Mesclun

A large Hokkaido scallop, nicely seared on both sides, is paired up with ultra-smooth and creamy cauliflower puree. An abundance of sweetness of the sea with savory sweetness of the cauliflower elegantly punched up with salty globules of salmon roe filled my palate. Fish skin cracker and mixed mesclun provided some textures to the 1^st teaser.

Martell Cordon Bleu

Both were paired with Martell Cordon Bleu, a legendary cognac that has a rich golden copper hue. As both courses featured the ocean’s flavors, it goes really well with this complex and yet mellow cognac. I had my cognac on the rocks which exuded a vibrant palate with the seafood. A nice long finish with various notes is savored in the Cordon Bleu.

Foie Gras Veloute with Smoked Garlic Toast & Citrus Tomato Salsa

Velvety and luscious bisque executed with such finesse sums up the Foie Gras Veloute. A spoonful of this decadent goose liver swirled with cream sent neurons of flavors to my mind. Accompanying the bisque are crispy thin smoked garlic toast and a little tomato salsa to balance out the richness of the nutty and creamy liver sauce.

Martell Chanteloup Perspective

I can’t help but to notice the beautiful bottle of the Martell Chanteloup Perspective etched with silver design and the prestige Martell logo. With a slightly darker hue than the first cognac, this extra quality cognac proves to have a smoother palate filled with fresh and dried fruits with long finish. It does paired will with the luscious goose liver veloute since both are extremely rich and powerful in flavors.

Sorbet of Passion Fruit Granita

Our palate cleanser was tangy and fresh with bits of passion fruit pulp and seeds for crunch.

US Black Cod with Butternut Pumpkin Gnocchi, Chili Oil & Classic Cream Carbonara

Though I did not choose this main course, I couldn’t keep my eyes of it. It certainly looks good enough with a thick piece of cod seared and topped with golden pillows of pumpkin gnocchi, salmon roes and a pool of creamy carbonara sauce.

Master Kobe MB10+ with Natural Beef Jus, Fried Glutinous Rice with Muscovy Duck & Arugula Leaves

The pièce de résistance of the dinner… the holy grail of beef with a marble score of MB10+ is served with creamy beef jus and morel mushrooms. Sitting on the side in a tuna-look-alike can is fried sticky glutinous rice amped up with bits of duck, mushroom and fried shallots. An odd pairing of East meets West but I do admit to like both individually. Leaves of arugula lend a bitter edge to the dish.

Martell XO

The color is really deep and dark copper and has a spicy aroma with rich fruit flavors. It has a silken finish and lingers beautifully on the palate. A great pairing with beef as the XO is rounded and powerful with an elegant note. I also like the glutinous rice which has a light sweetness that seems to be a great match with this Grand Champagne eaux-de-vie cognac.

Baked Cheesecake with Fireworks Crumble, Kumquat Confit in Tarragon Infused Syrup

A deconstruct inspired baked cheesecake, our desserts had our taste bud popping like fireworks in our mouth. Immediately, I recognized pop rock candy in the firework crumbles as I use to enjoy these candies during my childhood days. Silence at the dining table meant this dessert was a crowd pleaser and I can see everyone’s plate polished clean of the cheesecake with an interesting kumquat confit.

We enjoyed our dessert with the elegant and very structured palate of Martell Chanteloup Perspective.

My first cognac pairing dinner and it was quite an experience to be able to have a deeper insight on the renown and oldest cognac house in France. Dinner was equally beautiful and both Chef Johnny and Chef Sherson managed to create a bold and creative menu to be paired up with the exclusive Martell cognacs. Thanks to Martell and Elegantology for the lovely dinner and I am looking forward to more creations from both chefs since the menu at Elegantology changes every two weeks and also Reality Bites from AFC!

For more information on Martell, please visit their website: http://www.martell.com/en/

ELEGANTOLOGY GALLERY & RESTAURANT

35, Level G2, Publika,

Solaris Dutamas,

1, Jalan Dutamas 1

50480 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 603 6206 5577 (Restaurant) / 603 6206 5599 (Gallery)

Website: www.elegantology.com.my

Facebook: www.facebook.com/elegantology

Business Hours: Mon – Sun 10:00am to 12 midnight