Perfect match
Rich, sweet lobster meat can be too intense on its own but by pairing it with nutty yee mien, the flavour of the shellfish is extended. There are many sauces available to flavour the shellfish and noodles but supreme sauce is the simplest and most effective platform. The deep, gamey stock flavour allows the lobster's succulence to permeate through the noodles. The perfect wine with this dish needs fruit, diverse flavours, some creamy, rounded texture and plenty of lingering flavour to sit happily next to the lobster's succulence.
Shaw and Smith Unoaked Chardonnay 2005, Adelaide Hills, South Australia
This wine never fails to please. The core flavours are peaches, citrus and fruit salad. It's dry but you wouldn't know it. The lashings of pure chardonnay fruit give integrity to the wine. It's a perfect match with lobster yee mien with supreme stock. The deep fruit caresses the palate while the fresh complexity gives a high platform for the lobster sweetness and ocean tang. The long-lasting fruit flavours continue to play on the palate and the slightly chewy lobster carries the fruit from the wine and the supreme stock strength.
Available for HK$166 from Kedington Wines (tel: 2898 9323)
Palliser Pinot Gris 2006, Marlborough, New Zealand
New Zealand has so much more to offer than just its famed sauvignon blancs. Winemakers there are becoming increasingly conscious about regional diversity. Even within the Marlborough region there are sub-regions that are individualistic in their grape flavours. This Palliser pinot gris is indispensable on the Cantonese table. The piercingly bright pinot gris fruit sits alongside the lobster freshness and the varied stock flavour richness. The wine has a creamy texture that matches without conflicting with the spongy assertiveness of the yee mien. The combination follows the same flavour and textural path. It's a perfect match.
Available for HK$180 from Watson's (tel: 2530 5002)
La Vieille Ferme Cotes du Luberon Blanc 2006, Rhone Valley, France
La Vieille Ferme has grown up and left the historic Rhone noble house of Chateau de Beaucastel. The quality, fair price and tastiness of the wine has in a short decade and a half put La Vieille Ferme among some of the best-value wines in the world. This Rhone-blend white is savoury, with tones of mineral nerviness and a perfect match with lobster yee mien. The red version of La Vieille Ferme is also a perfect match but chill it for a bit to allow the spicy earthy tones to come out to play with the lobster.
Available for HK$96 from Altaya (tel: 2523 1945)
