Modern restaurateurs are transforming Asian dining by offering new, dynamic beverages to complement fine food
Tara Lee
Sun
The Lotus Cocktail, on the menu at Wild Rice on West Pender. New Asian cocktails combine both Western and Eastern ingredients. Photograph by : Bill Keay, Vancouver Sun
‘Martinis and Chinese food, who knew?” When Wild Rice first opened, it used that tagline to draw attention to its departure from the stereotype of quick, alcohol-free Chinese eating. Indeed, up until the last few years, Vancouver diners have satisfied themselves with paltry wine lists and the “special tea” that Chinese restaurants used to serve to drinkers seeking a furtive rye or rum nightcap.
However, new restaurateurs are breaking away from conventional sobriety by transforming Asian cuisine into a leisurely eating and sipping experience. Tom Poirier, co-owner of Wild Rice, explains: “We wanted to still have that Asian influence but create an atmosphere where you would like to relax and enjoy a really high-quality meal with a good beverage, whether it’s a glass of wine, a martini or a cocktail.”
This break with tradition has led to innovative fusion cocktails that bring together Western and Eastern ingredients. Both Poirier and James Iranzad, owner of Flying Tiger, felt it was important to offer drinks that could pair well with the dynamic melding of cultures, techniques and flavours that occurs on their food menus. As Poirier says, “It’s almost like having two dishes, the best of two worlds.”
This dynamic between bar and kitchen has produced drinks inflected with such exciting flavours as cilantro, Thai basil, tamarind, cardamom and lychee. Iranzad says that Asian cocktails are “just more interesting” because they invite experimentation beyond the classics into a world of mixed flavour combinations.
These experiments add a twist to popular drinks like the Caesar by replacing ingredients like Tabasco with the heat of wasabi or sambal chili. Wild Rice is working on its version of Long Island iced tea that takes pear green tea as its inspirational ingredient. Meanwhile, a drink like the Flying Tiger’s Chinese Jimmy offers a concoction of sake, Hendrick’s gin, Cointreau, soda and muddled lime — a unique Asian fusion creation.
The intention is to come up with cocktails that, Iranzad emphasizes, are original without becoming “contrived.” Exotic garnishes like daikon radish, star fruit or tiger prawn are used only if they incorporate well with the drink.
Both restaurants are careful to select Asian ingredients that not only fulfil the important taste and aesthetic factors, but are also in Confucian harmony with the flavours of the dishes. For instance, Poirier suggests pairing subtle menu selections with a cocktail that features the spicy bite of ginger beer, while cooling down piquant mains with drinks that refresh using lychee juice or Asian pear liqueur.
Ultimately, these drinks perform what the food and the population at large are already doing. Iranzad explicitly recognizes his own personal Asian influences with drinks that are named after the many friends, such as Abner Chong, who have been such an important part of his social community. His naming choices highlight palate-pleasing drinks that provide a liquid reflection of the Asian flavours that are now an integral part of Vancouver’s taste makeup.
WILD RICE’S LOTUS
2 oz. vodka (lychee-infused)
3 oz. lychee juice
2 oz. ginger ale
Couple of squeezes of fresh lime juice
Pour over ice in an 8 oz. glass.
Note: To infuse vodka, take a can of lychees and place lychees in 4-5 oz. of vodka. Leave to infuse for 3 to 4 days.
THE FLYING TIGER’S BRITNEY WONG
Couple of cucumber chunks
Couple of sprigs of mint
1/2 cup fresh watermelon
1 oz. lychee juice
2 oz. Shochu or 1 1/2 oz. regular vodka
In a shaker, muddle (mash) together the cucumber and the mint using a stir stick. Then, muddle with the watermelon. Next, add the lychee juice and the vodka. Shake and then strain through a sieve. Garnish with mini scoops of watermelon and mint leaves.
© The Vancouver Sun 2006
