Savouring Hennessy’s Paradis Impérial At D.C. Restaurant
When it comes to sampling cognac, it’s always a case of reacquainting one’s taste buds with its rich notes, often times harnessed by the most intricate processes in fine drink making. This was the case when I got to have a few swings and sips at Hennessy’s X.O and also, the rare chance to try out the exclusive Hennessy Paradis Imperial.
The luncheon began with a prelude serving of mini tartlets along with some Dom Perignon champagne to welcome the special occasion. Not long later, we were whisked away upstairs to the private area of D.C. Restaurant to begin the seven course spread.
First up was a serving of Whole Hokkaido live Uni Truffled eggs with Vegetal emulsion, an easy starter which went well with the casual champagne sip. Next, we were treated to Chef Darren Chin’s specially curated Moqueca, which was basically a dish with coconut cream, red prawns served with his special seafood stew.
We began pairing the cognac as the third course came through; Hokkaido green asparagus, a nicely presented serving of Sabah’s own bamboo lobster and some Sapporo snow crab gratin. This dish, we savoured it along with a pour of Hennessy X.O. on the rocks. The depthful notes of Hennessy’s famous X.O started out a little strong when paired with this dish, but as I made my way into the crab gratin, the strong, smoky note of the X.O sat well with the exotic theme of this dish.
Our fourth course was something a little more familiar; a serving of local market fish, apparently from the fresh waters of Kuala Selangor according to Darren Chin. The juicy piece of fish was served with some tasty potato scales that went superbly with the orange and wild flower honey sauce.
The climax of this gastronomical experience was with the main dish. Opting for a selection of Kyushu Japanese Wagyu, graded A5, I then got to pair this dish with the star of the show, the Paradis Impérial. Just before our mains, we were taken through a brief tasting to fully introduce our senses to the Paradis.
A strong pour that has a subtle smokiness about it, the Paradis Impérial has a combination of sweet and dry notes. It was later that I found out that these are in fact the Jasmine, Orange Blossom and Spring Essences tasting notes. On its own, it is a properly balanced cognac, and over time, when tried with some ice or neat, its character reveals different taste accents. For RM8,000 a bottle, I think it is quite the bottle to have for one of those exotic dinners.
