Summer / Fall 2008

Wok Wiz Bay
Pairing Wine with Chinese Food

Chinese food can be complex and challenging to pair with wine as diners share multiple courses with flavors of many dimensions. I am often asked if beer or Gewurztraminer is best to drink with Chinese food. I agree that beer is good to wash down fried foods, whatever cuisine it is. I am not a fan of Gewurztraminer and was thrilled to head to Shanghai 1930 for a delicious learning experience. Shanghai 1930, located at 133 Steuart Street (415.896.5600, www.shanghai1930.com) in one of the hippest areas of the city—south of Market, near the financial district and waterfront. Recently voted as one of 2008's top four Chinese restaurants in San Francisco by the San Francisco Chronicle, Shanghai 1930 also has bragging rights for being on the "Best of Wine Spectator" list. Nightly jazz in an adjoining lounge adds to an already gorgeous setting.

Owners Cindy Wong-Chen and George Chen are enthusiastic about their restaurant and wine list. Cindy says, "We are so close to the wine country that we are fortunate to have so many wine choices, and we carry 900 bottles of (excellent) wine at our restaurant."

For this wine pairing dinner, Executive Chef Jason Xu presented a menu starting with cool appetizers, followed by a hot appetizer, entrees and dessert. Sommelier Jonathan Farr paired the wines. It was a delicate balance to match wines with our meal. Put on your bib for a delightful culinary adventure.

We started with a toast, tasting a new liqueur produced in France, in the French Alps: St. Germain. It is served with fresh pomegranate. The elder flower in the St. Germain tastes like a sweet lichee blossom.

Chalk Hill 2004 Pinot Gris is a limited production, aged in neutral oak and pairs well with cool or cold appetizers. With not much prompting, we dug our chopsticks into the Eight Pleasures Basket, Babaolajian loaded with fresh water chestnuts, black mushrooms, gingko nuts, tofu, peanuts, enadame beans, peppers, and bamboo shoots. Great balance in flavor and textures, a vegetarian and non-vegetarian's delight! Next we enjoyed Cold Cucumbers and Cabbage. Cindy explains that in Sichuan rural areas, it is often hot. Pickled cabbage and cucumber are inexpensive, pickled during the summer to save for winter meals. Together, they have a nice crunch, fun to eat. Next up, one of my all-time must-haves: Pressed Spinach and Bean Curd in Xiosing wine, a very healthy dish rich in iron. The last cool appetizer, "Mock Goose & Kalfu", is made of wheat gluten and sheets of bean curd encased with tree ears (a fungus, in the mushroom family) and black mushrooms.

George Chen kids not when he says "you eat with your eyes" as our hot appetizer arrived. A signature dish, Yibao Prawns (recipe to the right) is served vein removed but with shell intact, a traditional style of cooking to keep juices and flavors intact as well. It went perfectly with a great classical new-world wine, VIRTU 2006 from Napa.

You must make reservations soon to dine at Shanghai 1930. Let me tempt you with these tasty entrees. Yes, I'm still eating! Sommelier Jonathan Farr kept up with us. For the following four entrees, he suggested a variety of wines. The Fish on a Vine is whimsical and has a merlot-infused sauce. The fish is scored to look like a bunch of grapes. The presentation is remarkable. Firecracker Chicken is as fiery as it sounds. The simple but delicious Shanghai Bock Choy and Black Mushrooms, as well as another favorite, Egg White Fried Rice, were perfect sides to the main dishes. Pairing the food with wine was not challenging for a professional such as Jonathan. Since I recently visited Paso Robles, I was happy to see the elite Estancia Reserve 2005 Meritage from Paso Robles, which paired up nicely with the Fish on a Vine. To be designated as Meritage, a wine must meet several standards, including production and bottling by a U.S. winery from grapes that carry a U.S. appellation, and its production is limited to a maximum of 25,000 cases per vintage. A Spring Mountain 100% Petite Bordeaux from Napa and a York Creek 2003 Petit Verdot were presented to enjoy with the rest of the Dinner. It was already becoming a happy blur to me.

My head was spinning and my tummy was smiling. More laughter for my spirit was ahead. A flaming dessert arrived, consisting of Fried Bananas, Green Tea, Mango and Vanilla Bean ice cream, set on fire, served with a glass of Chateau Grillon Sauterne 2003. To take it over the top, my must-have dessert, no matter how full I am, appeared: a trio of sesame puffs, filled with Valrhona chocolate, peanut butter, and lotus paste. They look like Chinatown's famed sesame balls, but these take the cake! Back to the Fitness Center....

To contact Wok Wiz: www.wokwiz.com or shirley@wokwiz.com, 650.355.9657.

Shirley Fong-Torres

Owner of Wok Wiz Chinatown Tours & Cooking Co. and author of The Woman who ate Chinatown, A San Francisco Odyssey.

Shangahai 1930's Yibao Prawns

• 10 Tiger Prawns (large prawns)
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• ½ teaspoon chopped fresh scallion
• 3 cups vegetable oil

Sauce:

• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine or high-quality sherry
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ½ cup water

To prepare: Shell and devein the prawns; wash clean then pat dry using paper towels. Pre-heat oil in wok to 350 degrees F, deep-fry the prawns for approximately 1 minute, drain the oil, leaving just enough to coat the wok. Put the fried prawns aside. Stir-fry the minced garlic over high heat until fragrant, then add all the sauce ingredients and cook over medium heat for about 1 minute, stirring continuously, until sauce thickens. Add the prawns and mix well. Serve immediately on a warm platter, garnished with sprinkles of chopped scallion.