In 2024, Champagne Pommery will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the creation of Madame Pommery's first-ever Brut.
To commemorate this, a Four Hands Dinner was held recently at the luxury hotel "THE SHINMONZEN" in Kyoto, featuring Kunio Tokuoka of "Kyoto Kitcho" and Hana Yoon of "Jean-Georges at THE SHINMONZEN."
Mr. Tokuoka of "Kyoto Kitcho" and Mr. Yoon of "THE SHINMONZEN" showed a wonderful combination.
Mr. Tokuoka talks about his collaboration with Pommery.
"Since COVID-19, there has been a change in the values of people all over the world. There is a trend towards healthier foods. Specifically, people still eat meat, but now seek out vegetables and fish as much as possible. Due to this change in thinking, chefs around the world are increasingly wanting to incorporate Japanese sensibilities. In the world of cooking, it seems like the whole world has become Japanized.
On the other hand, I feel that the beverage industry has not changed much since the COVID-19 pandemic. So I approached Natalie Vranken, the owner of Pommery, and asked her, "Why don't we create champagne that the next generation of people around the world want, along with food that has Japanese values and is healthy and good for beauty?" She then came all the way to our Kyoto Kitcho Arashiyama main store, where we had a lot of discussion, and as a result, this long-term project started.
In fact, we are planning to have the owner and winemaker of Pommery come to Japan to learn about Japanese cuisine and its value, and hold a gala dinner at the Kyoto Kitcho Arashiyama main store four times in different seasons. The first one was last fall.
In addition, in each city, we hold workshops with the top chefs, top sommeliers, and experts from the region to exchange opinions, share information, and conduct market research. The first workshop was held at the main store in Arashiyama, along with a press conference for the startups, with media in attendance. The second was held in Tokyo, where top chefs and top sommeliers gathered to exchange opinions. Kyoto is now the third time.
Sharing our values, we are working towards the goal of creating a champagne that perfectly matches Japanese cuisine with champagne, with the goal of releasing it in 14 years' time, including the aging period."
It is such an ambitious project. Hana Yoon also said,
"Jean-Georges has always said that he is most influenced by cuisine when he comes to Japan. In that sense, the collaboration with Tokuoka-san is more interesting than anything else."
"White sea bream 2006 hour kelp marinated one side charcoal grilled" and "Cuvée Louise XNUMX" by Mr. Tokuoka
Mr. Tokuoka peers at Chef Yoon's venison dish.
Three dishes were served from the Jean-Georges side: the famous "egg toast," roti with Ohara venison, and a pumpkin dessert, while four dishes were served from the Kyoto Kitcho side: three kinds of puffer fish, clam salt soup, grilled whitebait, and warm persimmon soup.
In response, five types of champagne were served: Pommery Appanage Blanc de Blancs, Pommery Appanage Brut 1874, Pommery Cuvee Louise 2006, Pommery Millésime Grand Cru 2006, and Pommery Appanage Blanc de Noirs - a dream lineup.
I would like to talk about each dish, but I will limit myself to one dish from each chef.
As for the white fish from Kyoto Kitcho, according to Tokuoka,
"We take white tilefish from Wakayama and marinate it in kelp for just one hour to remove the moisture and allow the kelp's flavor to seep in just the right amount, then grill just the skin over charcoal until fragrant and rare. The turnip is grown organically in Keihoku Town without pesticides and is made specially for Kyoto Kitcho. We simmer it in chicken broth and finish it by grilling just one side until fragrant and serving it with the white tilefish. To finish it off, we pour a sauce made from chicken broth over it.
Toricho dashi is a unique Kyoto Kitcho dashi made with chicken and kelp, applying the techniques for making fish dashi that date back to the Muromachi period.
Furthermore, because the creaminess creates a good synergistic effect with the champagne, we added mashed Danshaku potatoes, added chrysanthemum leaves for the green flavor, and added our homemade shichimi pepper, which is mainly sesame, for the aroma.
The pairing was Pommery Cuvee Louise 2006. Unlike white or red wine, champagne has a delicate aroma and flavor. Therefore, the pairing with food also requires delicacy.
The combination of the Cuvee Louise, hailed as a masterpiece, the tilefish, with its charcoal aroma, and the creamy mashed potatoes was superb.
Next up is a dish of Jean-Georges venison. Chef Hana explains.
"Venison from Ohara, Kyoto, wrapped in smoked bacon and served with venison sauce, garnished with creamy cabbage and pears poached with cinnamon and anise."
It was paired with Pommery Millésime Grand Cru 2006. This vintage has a powerfulness reminiscent of red wine, and it had a perfect synergistic effect with the flavor of deer blood, cinnamon and anise.
The collaboration between Pommery and Kyoto Kitcho will continue until the bottle is uncorked 14 years later.
Text: Toshizumi Ishibashi
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Toshizumi Ishibashi
Former editor-in-chief of ``Claire Traveler'' and ``Claire.'' He is currently a freelance editor and writer, working as a contributing editor in the Premium Japan editorial department.
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