The right drink paired with the right dish can turn a good meal into an extraordinary experience. This was proven when Casa Noble Tequila and the Fish Sushi Bar teamed up to create an experience to be remembered.
The Setting: the Fish Sushi Bar & Lounge, a contemporary, upscale eatery in
The Host: Owner and founder of Casa Noble Tequila, Jose Hermosillo.
An extremely charismatic gentleman who has created a great product that we all have a skewed view of: tequila. He led us through the technique of how to taste the tequila and really enjoy its flavors.
The Drink: Casa Noble Tequila: Crystal (Blanco), Reposado, and Añejo. This is not your typical “lick the salt, take the shot, bite the lime” tequila, but rather a fine liquor that truly rivals some of the top high end spirits available. Each type of tequila has its own distinctive aromas and flavors, despite being made from the same ingredient, the 100% organic Blue Agave.
The Food: Chef Vu Le of the Fish created three different Asian-inspired dishes, each with different types of tequila in mind: Madai Carppacio, Seared Scallop, Muscovy Duck Breast, and a surprise dessert.
The Pairing Begins:
Madai Carppacio with Casa Noble Crystal –A sweet Japanese snapper, topped with tangerine oil and sea salt served with a
Seared Scallop with Casa Noble Reposado –The Reposado is tequila that is aged just short of a year, in Casa Noble’s French white Oak barrels, 364 days. The aromas are much more herbal and peppery than the
Muscovy Duck Breast with Casa Noble Añejo –I made a comment about this dish that went over everyone’s head that night. The perfectly seared duck was served on a bed of apple puree and topped with watercress and a Bing cherry sauce. The rich dark meat with the sweetness of the cherries and apples reminded me of Chinese barbeque pork, char siu, or what the Vietnamese calls, xa xiu. This brought a nice childhood memory back in a more sophisticated manner. This robust dish is the perfect match for the Añejo. The Añejo is aged the longest and its taste is comparable to a refined brandy. I was not a fan of this tequila by itself since it’s much too strong of a taste for me, but with the rich duck, it made this the star of the evening. The oaky-peppery-ness from the tequila cuts through the fattiness of the duck and adds a soft caramel finish. A pairing made in heaven.
A question was posed to Jose during the tasting of what was his favorite combination for the tequilas. We were all surprised by the answer, the Añejo with a hot molten chocolate cake, and then we were served a much similar dish. The Fish has a flourless chocolate cake with a raspberry sauce that we were able to try with the Añejo. I won’t say much, but I strongly encourage EVERYONE to try this pairing. Let’s just say, no longer will I order coffee with my chocolate cake.
Casa Noble Tequila
http://www.casanoble.com/
The Fish Sushi Bar & Lounge
http://www.fishhouston.com/
*All photographs courtesy of Jacob Fakheri with the exception of the image of the Fish Sushi bar, Copyright The Fish Restaurant and Sushi Bar.