Home / 2014 (Page 6)

BLT Steak

serves six

Ingredients

1 c liquid smoke
2 Tbsp smoked Maldon sea salt
2 Tbsp smoked black pepper
3 rib-eye steaks (preferably dry-aged), 30-40 oz each, about 2-inches thick
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Method

With a fork, pierce the steak all over on both sides. Place the steak in a shallow dish and pour on the liquid smoke. Cover, refrigerate, and marinate for 48 hours, turning the steak once.

Remove the steak from the liquid. Do not pat dry. Brush on the butter. Season both sides with the smoked salt and pepper.

Preheat a barbecue grill or stovetop grill pan. Cook the steaks, 7 to 10 minutes on each side, until medium-rare. To check for doneness, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. The temperature should read 130 to 135-degrees for medium-rare.

Transfer the steak to a cutting board. Allow to rest 10 to 12 minutes. Cut into 1-inch-thick slices and serve with a good mustard or steak sauce, if desired.

A Fish Called Avalon

serves two

Ingredients

Halibut:
8 asparagus spear tips
1/2 fresh orange (12-14 segments)
1 tsp chopped fresh basil, for garnish
12 whole pecans, lightly toasted
2 7-oz portions of fresh halibut

Chardonnay-beurre blanc sauce:
2 tsp chopped shallots
2 tsp vegetable oil (separated)
juice of 1 lemon
3/4 c Chardonnay (separated into 1/2 c and 1/4 c)
1 tsp white rice vinegar
1/3 stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes
salt and white pepper to taste

Method

For the sauce: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small stainless steel pot, sauté the shallots with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Add lemon juice, 1/2 cup Chardonnay, white rice vinegar, salt, and white pepper. Reduce liquid by 1/3. Whisk butter into the reduction 1 cube at a time until melted thoroughly. Strain the reduction to remove shallots. Add steamed asparagus tips, orange segments, basil, and pecans to reduction. Set aside.

For the halibut: Season halibut with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a separate non-stick skillet over high heat. Add remaining 1 teaspoon vegetable oil to pan. Add fish and sauté until golden brown on edges (around 2 minutes on each side). Add 1/4 cup Chardonnay. Remove pan from stove and place into preheated oven. Bake for 5 minutes, or until fish is cooked thoroughly (cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the fish).

To plate: Place the halibut on a plate and pour reduced Chardonnay sauce over the top. Lay asparagus over the top. Sprinkle with pecans and orange wedges, and garnish with basil leaves.

Jaguar Ceviche Spoon Bar

makes approximately four servings

Ingredients

1-1/2 lb fresh corvina or snapper (approximately 6 oz per person)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp kosher salt
3/4 c freshly-squeezed lime juice
1 tsp rocoto pepper (or any spicy pepper; add additional as needed)
1 c cooked giant corn kernels from Peru (or use regular corn)
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 red onion, sliced thin

Method

Cut the fish into bite-sized cubes. Place fish in a bowl and rub cubes with the salt and garlic. Add the lime juice and let the fish marinate for about 5 minutes. Chop the rocoto pepper in small cubes and add as desired. Add more if you prefer a spicier ceviche. Add the corn, parsley, and red onions. Mix well. The ceviche is now ready to serve, or can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours. If you like, garnish with sweet potato slices and corn chips.

Kouzinas

Foxhole Market & Deli {187 Southwest Seventh Street; 305.529.6263}

Transport yourself back to the charming corner grocery store of your childhood at Foxhole Market & Deli. Foxhole comes to Miami’s booming Brickell area, with a full roster of healthy products at affordable prices. Everyday necessities like premier deli meats and cheese, dairy products, fresh produce, imported and domestic beer and wine, and baked goods are tucked away here, along with home and pet supplies, health and hygiene products, and cleaning supplies. Nestled beside the scenic Miami River, Foxhole has an outdoor area for customers to enjoy. And as if that wasn’t enough, they also have free Wifi, in-store ATMs, and order delivery. Foxholemarket.com

Kouzina Greek Bistro {3535 Northeast Second Avenue, Midtown; 954.394.4140}

An alfresco Greek kitchen comes to Midtown Miami, bringing sun-kissed wine grapes and village market provisions to delight in. Greek hospitality pioneers and Kouzina owners say they chose to open this Greek bistro in Miami because of the city’s natural Mediterranean sensibilities. The 90-seat indoor-outdoor restaurant serves simple and sophisticated home-cooked Greek fare packed with flavors from the Aegean sea, mountain oregano, and Mykonos island-harvested ingredients. kouzinabistro.com

Mixtura-Key Biscane {328 Crandon Boulevard Suite 120, Key Biscayne; 786.615.2468}

Specializing in Peruvian culinary arts, Mixtura brings staples from ancient cultures to the modern kitchen in their new Key Biscayne location. Already a neighborhood favorite in North Miami Beach, Mixtura unloads their Peruvian panache with first-rate ceviches, tiraditos, a killer Lomo Saltado over risotto, and a selection of plump sushi rolls. Undeniably fresh and inviting, Mixtura is sure to light up Key Biscayne with Peruvian fusion flair. mixturarestaurant.com

Nikko by Sunshine {186 Southeast 12th Terrace, CU-2, Brickell; 305.418.0151}

Brickell is shining a little bit brighter since Nikko by Sunshine moved into the area. Owner and Chef Sunchai “Sunshine” Naknoon, formerly of China Grill, Fisher Island Club, and the Sheraton Bal Harbour Beach Resort, opened a modern Asian kitchen in the swanky Solaris building on Biscayne Bay. Thailand-born and Japan-trained Sunshine is a true artisan, fashioning each sushi, sashimi, curry, and noodle as a masterpiece of gastronomy. His bounty of whimsical creations are filled with bold, succulent flavors that appeal to all the senses. nikkobysunshine.com

The District {190 Northeast 46th Street; 305.573.4199}

The District Miami braids together South Florida charm, pan-American flavor, and culinary craftsmanship to create one of Miami’s most unique dining destinations. Transforming a historic home in the winsome Buena Vista neighborhood into a contemporary eatery outfitted with sophistication and comfort, this must-see offers countless old-Florida delights and New-World treats. Plus, there’s the breath-taking décor—a dining room filled with custom-made Westchester-style leather couches and industrial touches of wood, metal, and brick. The full-bodied menu is directed by fresh and sustainable ingredients pulled from local farms, and rounded out by the bar’s wide selection of boutique wines and artisanal craft beers. The District is spearheaded and envisioned by global hospitality connoisseur Alexander Ringleb and Executive Chef Horacio Rivadero, <i>Food & Wine<i> magazine’s 2012 Best New Chef for the Gulf Region, combining the best of past and present, new and old, familiar and exotic, a paean to the glories of Florida. thedistrictmiami.com

Boxpark {1111 Southwest First Avenue, Brickell; 305.356.8385}

Celebrating food in its wild, wholesome glory, Boxpark is a purist’s refuge. Following the perfect order of nature to allow the cuisine to evolve organically, Boxpark respects farm-to-table cooking with an especially humble approach to food by sourcing locally and honoring the quality of fresh ingredients found in South Florida. A hands-off aesthetic that allows the true form of ingredients to shine gives way to their mantra, “Food. Unfiltered.” This new culinary enclave comes to Brickell in an open-concept space with a beautiful, accessible kitchen that invites curiosity and conversation in a communal dining room. Exotic selections like rabbit and alligator mingle with seasonal fare to transform the ordinary into extraordinary, satiating the most sophisticated of palates with honest cooking and refined provisions. boxparkmiami.com 

Europa Delicatessen And Gourmet Market {425 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach; 305.534.0070}

Europa Delicatessen and Gourmet Market is a family-owned boutique deli and gourmet store offering the highest quality in Western and Eastern European deli products, imported ethnic gourmet groceries and baskets, bakery items, salads, soups, and sandwiches from Russia, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary and Austria, to mention a few. Settled on the tip of Miami Beach’s South of Fifth District, Europa is the one-stop shop that’s been missing from the neighborhood—until now. It’s a deli, a bakery, a gourmet market, and a coffeehouse all rolled into one. What’s more, Europa prepares breakfast, lunch, and dinner for dine-in, takeout, or delivery.

Altamare {1233 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach; 305.532.3061}

On the west end of Lincoln Road lies Altamare, the best place to find fresh fish and pasta in town, not to mention the hottest celeb sightings on the beach. Now open for lunch, Altamare’s ocean fare remains as fresh as ever, with all of their seafood collected from local purveyors. From Pan-Seared Day Boat Scallops and local Snapper Ceviche to braised Harris Ranch Ribs and housemade Mushroom Ravioli, every dish is simple and classic, ensuring that the freshness always shines through. altamarerestaurant.com

Alba Seaside Italian

You’ve been all over the culinary scene in the U.S., but what is your background with Italian cuisine?

I claim it as a birth right—I am half Italian and half Lebanese. And, as any decent Italian-Lebanese family, mine was heavily invested in the kitchen. We eat, drink, and are generally pretty merry. As far as professional cooking, though, I started working in an Italian restaurant when I was 13, and have worked in and around great Italian restaurants ever since. The truth is, Italy rules the world. Think about it: we make the best shoes, the best clothes, and the best food.

So when did you make your way south to Miami?

I’m originally from New York City—that’s where I was born and raised. Then I moved to the Hamptons (the east end of Long Island) around the middle of my career. Like every other New Yorker, I popped down to Miami in the winter. While visiting one weekend, I decided to stay a little longer, and I liked it so much I stayed for a decade. [Laughs]

So you’ve been busy cooking for 10 years?

Cooking, owning, running restaurants. Most recently, I was the executive vice president for Gulf Stream Park—a horse race track—and before that, I was the executive chef at STK. Even before I made the move to Miami, I was traveling the world and doing television shows. Most of the shows are completed, but I’m currently doing a show on Lifetime called “All Mixed Up”—kind of like Chopped. Three culinary students wage food fights against each other. I’m judge, jury, and executioner. It doesn’t get better than that.

Speaking of TV, you once had a stint on Hell’s Kitchen. Any big take-away from that experience?

That’s kind of a funny story. It was season one when I made it on the show, and at the time, there was nothing to compare it to. Back then all you had was Emeril and Paula Deen, so I had no idea what to expect. The premise, of course, was that the “top chef” wins a million-dollar restaurant. Looking for a new venture, I was all about it. And sure, people get scared by the scrutiny, by Ramsay yelling in your face. But I managed to be insulated from all the craziness because I was already a chef—the cooking wasn’t anything new to me. So as far as a lesson or take-away, I’d say the show taught me to be under the critical eye of a much wider audience. It’s not often that a person gets to look at himself, both strengths and weaknesses in the spotlight, with a national and international TV audience. I’m much more mindful of myself now. It’s like being under a microscope. You see failure or weakness, and that pushes perfection.

After the TV craze died down and you settled in Miami, you opened Alba. It’s an interesting concept as Italian restaurants go—a blend of new and old, a meeting of beach fare and traditional fare, and it’s open for breakfast. How does that all fit together?

Conceptually, all of the pieces operate interchangeably. There’s one main kitchen that serves three areas—stretching from a pool bar where guests sip on piña coladas and eat fish tacos, to a more formal restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, to a banquet area for events. The dining room sees the most business for breakfast and dinner, but come lunch, the terrace gets all the action. I mean—we’re just steps away from the surf here, with tropical breezes and gorgeous weather. Who wants to be inside when you’ve got that at your feet?

Are there any dishes on the menu that take you back to your childhood?

Sure, there are a couple of dishes that are riffs on childhood staples—the Baked Clams Oreganata, for instance, which is reminiscent of what I grew up with, and the Calamari Arrabbiata served over lemon-pepper biscotti. Our Eggplant Parmigiana is also prepared in a traditional Sicilian style—batter-dipped eggplant, lots of shaved 24-month-aged Parmesan, torn fresh basil, and San Marzano tomatoes. We also do Short Ribs braised in Chianti. Then we cook up a lot of seafood, of course—oysters, lobster, Florida stone crab, black mussels, yellowtail snapper, ahi tuna, Key West pink shrimp. I mean, we’re right next to the ocean, so why wouldn’t we?

We do add a bit of an American twist to things—like the Nutella Milk Shakes and Candy Bars. You might say it’s not authentic Italian, but it’s got to happen. I have a Nutella habit, you know.

Sinking teeth into the menu sounds tempting enough, but what about the design of the space? How does that fit in with the concept?

The materials were picked for very clear reasons—mostly for a fun vibe and attention to sustainability. The floor is Brazilian hardwood with a terrazzo runway. That’s very ’50s and ’60s. The front of the bar and back bar are made with reclaimed woods. Glass shelves line the back bar so you can see the ocean and the reflection of what’s going on behind you. The tables in the dining room are walnut wood butcher blocks—single pieces. The chef’s room also boasts a single-piece butcher block table (with room for 20), while every kind of horse racing paraphernalia you can imagine lines the walls. Then there are odes to American-Italian film classics hanging throughout the restaurant. The Sophia Lauren art—well, she’s a beautiful woman who’s the quintessential Italian diva. Why wouldn’t we have her adorning the place?

Last words: if you were close to death, what would be your last meal?

The first thing I would have are our Bacon-Wrapped Dates. Then I would move onto our Shellfish Royale, add a pound of steamed and chilled killer crab, and work my way towards a dance with the braised Short Ribs with carrot butterscotch. I’d finish it off with Flourless Chocolate Cake, take my last breath, and call it a good life.

The Dome

The Dome Restaurant, Bar, and Lounge opened over a year ago in Coral Gables. Since then, the restaurant has practically defined itself by being unexpected. The ambience appears opulent, but sustainability is the founding concept. Seafood is to be expected, but organic produce and caviar are staples—and new specials are offered daily. And although trendy people may gather there, Owner Rachel Dominguez feels that The Dome offers guests of all sorts an approachable and fun place to dine and drink.

Dominguez describes The Dome’s cuisine as Latin fusion—New-World flavors incorporated with a Latin twist. “My heritage is Cuban and Russian, and Chef Nilton Castillo was born in Peru. Our combined backgrounds and Chef’s global cooking style make for a dynamic and creative menu,” Dominguez says.

The Dome has become known for its (mostly) organic ingredients used in creative and unexpected ways. Instead of using cream in the soups, for example, Chef Castillo incorporates yucca purée to give it the same consistency. “Our Carrot Ginger and Banana soups are my current favorites, but the menu—from small plates to entrées—is always changing,” Dominguez says. “People know us for our seafood and organic vegetables more than anything, along with our daily fresh fish, oysters, lobster, and caviar.”

The Dome’s Caviar Bar features nine different caviars (including vegan and vegetarian versions), many of which are affordably-priced. “I am so excited to be one of the first to truly represent the caviar bar concept here in South Florida, alongside an amazing menu,” Dominguez says. “Chef Castillo and I have so much fun creating organic, healthy, and innovative dishes.”

In fact, although Chef Castillo trained under notable chefs the country over, but began his career at the culinary program at Coral Gables Senior High School—the same program Rachel Dominguez now supports through her foundation, The Culinary Youth Project. Dominguez works with the local community, restaurants, and chefs to raise funds for the organization, which focuses on locally-sourced organic produce and even shares a garden with The Dome.

What’s more, The Dome is the first and only LEED Silver-certified restaurant in Coral Gables. From the chemical-free cleaning products to the environmentally-friendly materials used to build the space, the restaurant encompasses a sustainable environment while projecting a chic, social vibe.

“Our space is beautiful, but we’re striving for a relaxed, fun atmosphere,” Dominguez says. “The Dome is a place to discover the unexpected, but we’ll welcome you like family. Come as you are, and enjoy a fun-filled culinary experience.”

Peacock Garden Cafe

Chef Oscar del Rivero of Jaguar Ceviche, Talaverna, and Peacock Garden Café

I love cookbooks! My favorite one at the moment has to be “On the Line” by Eric Ripert. This particular book has great recipes, but also has a lot of information on the life of a restaurant. As a chef, I enjoy all details and stories on line cooks, equipment, wines, restaurant lingo, ingredients—you name it. Even if I were not in the business, I think I would still find them very entertaining and educational.

Chef de Cuisine Ezio Gamba of Cioppino of The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami

My favorite cookbook is called “Sven Elverfeld.” The author is by the chef de cuisine at Acqua at The Ritz-Carlton, Wolfsburg. He personally sent me his book recently and it is amazing. The book is well executed, creative, and combines all the ingredients that I like to cook with, but on a completely different level.

Fish Fish

Owner and Creator Melvyn Franks of Fish Fish

“The Art of Simple Food” by Alice Waters. Waters states that a perfect meal is one that is balanced in texture, color, and flavor. That is the philosophy that inspires us at Fish Fish. We focus on clean, fresh fish from local sources. “Fish done right” is our motto, as we believe the most gratifying dish is often the least complex.

Rusty  Pelican

Executive Chef Jim Pastor of The Rusty Pelican

The last real cookbook I read was the one I found in my mother’s kitchen. It was written in Spanish, and featured very simple recipes. These recipes are what drive me to cook the way I do—beautiful, delicious comfort food, from the heart, just like my mother.

Biltmore

By Josh Tyson | Contributing Writer

Most cities with a culinary culture as robust and vigorous as Miami’s are peppered with French restaurants. These are seen by most food aficionados as benchmarks of a city’s seriousness in the matter of fine dining—France being the birthplace of many of the techniques and recipes used in modern kitchens worldwide.

In Miami, however, there’s always been just one serious French restaurant to speak of: Palme d’Or in The Biltmore Hotel of Coral Gables. Overall, The Biltmore offers unparalleled dining excellence within each of its restaurants, from the chic Fontana to the fine French Palme d’Or, whose acclaim includes a four-star review in The Miami Herald and top ranking by Zagat.

In a move that seems to buttress the hotel’s long-standing reputation as one of Miami’s most pedigreed luxury resorts, the ownership recently brought in Chef Gregory Pugin to helm the Miami institution. A classically-trained French chef, Pugin brings serious ability and unique verve to the post.

Before coming to Miami, he was in Las Vegas running the kitchen at Le Cirque in The Bellagio. “I saw coming to Miami to work at Palme d’Or as a great opportunity,” Chef Pugin says. “We share the same vision.”

Prior to that, the James Beard nominee was handpicked to work in the laboratory of Jöel Robuchon, the meticulous master chef with more Michelin stars than anyone on the planet. Working closely with Robuchon for four years involved globetrotting, opening restaurants, and working on a television show, but the biggest lessons imprinted on Pugin were precision and consistency.

“I’m always thinking about the experience,” Chef Pugin says. “I want this to be the best meal Biltmoreanyone has ever had.”

Pugin sticks to classic recipes and techniques, but likes to finish his dishes with a twist, creating presentations that burst to life in Palme d’Or’s luxe dining room. The Langoustine au Caviar, for instance—langoustines marinated in a citrus vinaigrette with passionfruit tapioca and finished with an apple-vodka gelée-—has an elegant richness that matches the verdant romanticism of the setting.

“We’re very excited to have a chef of Gregory’s caliber,” Director of Marketing Danielle Finnegan says. “There’s nobody in Miami with a résumé like his, and he represents the new frontier of culinary experience at The Biltmore.”

Pugin notes that with the full support of ownership, his ultimate goal is to craft a culinary experience on par with the fine French restaurants of New York and Paris: “Palme d’Or has always been the best French restaurant in Miami, and now I want it to be recognized as the top of the top in America.”

Creating The French Laundry of Miami might seem like an otherworldly undertaking, but anyone who’s been to The Biltmore knows that sublimely otherworldly things are à la mode here.

In fact, The Biltmore has always been associated with high style. From the massive pool where silver screen siren Esther Williams worked out her underwater choreography in the 1940s, to the barrel-vaulted ceilings bearing hand-painted frescos that lend the property the air of a Venetian palazzo, to the Moorish Giralda tower that gives the impression of a Spanish castle, The Biltmore is an ethereal place where magic happens.

Another gustatory portal awaits at Fontana, where Chef Guiseppe “Beppe” Galazzi, a native of Ferrara, Italy, creates rustic, seafood-focused dishes that are bright, big, and savory. The courtyard restaurant has an idyllic bubbling fountain and resplendent views of the property, but the real draw is a menu of classic Italian dishes. Chef Galazzi travels home to Italy for inspiration, bringing back authentic dishes that are often new to guests. For instance, a fresh Fava Bean Salad topped with sweet red onion and ventresca (preserved tuna belly) offers fresh tastes for Miami’s discerning palate.

Biltmore

“This is something that lots of restaurants don’t have,” Chef Galazzi says, going on to describe a salad topped with tender octopus from the Adriatic Coast cooked in the restaurant’s wood-fired oven.

Of course, capturing the rustic delights of Northern Italy demands housemade pastas, and Fontana does not disappoint. Here, fresh pappardelle sings in a beef ragoût and homemade potato gnocchi radiates comfort in tangy pesto.

Fontana is also where you can find the Biltmore’s Champagne Sunday Brunch, a lavish affair with a reputation that stretches nationwide. Offering everything from caviar to carved meat, to fresh omelettes to sushi, the brunch is capped by a wall of desserts created by Executive Pastry Chef Olivier Rodriguez.

Like all of the best pastry chefs, he’s a bit of a mad scientist, and Rodriguez knows the hotel inside and out. He joins Pugin and Galazzi at The Biltmore Culinary Academy, a recreational school for guests that teaches them how to create some of the gustatory enlightenment the property is famous for.

And if Chef Pugin has his way, Palme d’Or might become something The Biltmore is famous for—in a whole new way.

Sardinia Enoteca

serves one

Ingredients

4 large scallops
1-3/4 oz fregola or Sardinian couscous
1 Tbsp finely chopped carrot
1 Tbsp finely chopped celery
1 Tbsp finely chopped onion
1/2 c arugula
1/2 c chopped romaine
1/2 c chopped radicchio
1/2 c endive halves
5 baby heirloom tomatoes, cut in half
10 strings French beans
2 Tbsp pesto
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp saffron
1 c hot vegetable broth

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring 1 cup salted water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, add couscous, and cook with the carrots, celery, and onions. Meanwhile, preheat grill and season scallops with salt and pepper. Grill the scallops for 4 minutes on each side until golden.

In an oven-safe pan, add olive oil, vegetable broth, saffron, and grilled scallops. Place in oven without covering and cook for 4 minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix the arugula, romaine, endive, French beans, radicchio, and tomatoes. Add the couscous and the pesto. Mix again. Plate “salad,” then add scallops on the side and on top.

Suggested wine pairing: Villa Sparina Gavi di Gavi. This beautiful wine delivers fragrances of white flowers and stone fruit. It’s full and rich on the palate, yet soft and harmonious with tones of citrus fruits and peach resulting from the complete ripening of the Cortese grape. A recipient of Italy’s highest award, the “Tre Bicchieri” from the Gambero Rosso, the Gavi di Gavi will bring out the wonderful flavors of the scallops in harmony with the remaining ingredients in the dish.

Nobu

serves one

Ingredients

Dressing:
3-1/2 oz wasabi aïoli
1-1/2 oz artichoke dressing (2 parts yuzu, 2 parts olive oil, 1 part truffle oil)
truffle oil to taste

Pecan candy:
10 oz pecans
1/4 gallon simple syrup
oil for frying

Potato “mochi”:
2-1/4 lbs Idaho potatoes
1 egg
2 egg yolks
rice flour
salt to taste

Method

For the dressing: Mix all ingredients together well and set aside.

For the pecan candy: Blanch pecans in salted water and drain well. Place pecans in simple syrup and bring to a boil. Simmer for approximately 10-15 minutes, then remove from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes. Drain pecans and fry in hot oil.

For the potato “mochi”: Boil potatoes in skins until tender. Press potatoes through a ricer, then cool. Mix riced potatoes with egg and rice flour. Gently knead together. Roll mixture out into long cylinders and cut into 1/3-ounce portions. Fry 5 mochi at a time, and when golden brown remove and dust with Parmesan.

To plate: Dress butter lettuce hearts with dressing. Plate and sprinkle with dry miso and chives. Top with mochi, pecan candy, slices of truffle, and more Parmesan.

Suggested wine pairing: Schloss Vollrads Riesling QBA: The Schloss Vollrads Riesling comes from some of the steepest slopes in the Rheingau region, offering an inviting floral bouquet, subtle minerality, and complex fruit focused on flavors of green and yellow apple and Nashi pears. A touch of sweet honeysuckle on the finish is beautifully balanced with just the right amount of acid, offering a delightful pairing with the Asian flavors and fried components of this salad.