KUALA LUMPUR, 9 December 2019 –
Heineken Malaysia Berhad (HEINEKEN Malaysia) introduced members of the media and consumers to an exclusive beer and food pairing experience – “Sip and Savour”. Through a series collaboration with select restaurant partners, HEINEKEN Malaysia’s signature lagers, stouts and ciders prove to be the perfect partners to pair with these specially curated menus for the upcoming festive season. The three participating outlets are The BAR°N Wine Bar, SOULed OUT Kuala Lumpur, and Lavo Restro Wine Atelier.
“We want to show our consumers how our lagers, stouts, and ciders are much more than refreshing drinks on their own. Thanks to our valued restaurant partners and the insightful guidance of our Culinary and Beer expert, Thomas Ling, consumers can now experience these delectable beer and food pairings throughout this festive season at The BAR°N, SOULed OUT, and Lavo. Beer has a place at the dinner table, and we want to help spread the love for beers and ciders, as well as showcase the diverse options when it comes to pairing,” said Renuka Indrarajah, HEINEKEN Malaysia’s Corporate Affairs & Legal Director.
Thomas Ling, renowned Culinary and Beer expert, shared, “Beer and Food have brought people together for centuries now. With the year-end festivities approaching, we want diners to have a truly exceptional experience enjoying the right beer paired with the right food. The pairings selected here show how lagers, stouts, and ciders can cut, contrast, complement, and cleanse the palate in their own way.”
“The carbonation, alcohol and hops from beer ‘cut through’ the flavours and textures on your taste buds; for instance, the classic lager and pizza pairing or cider and creamy pasta. Beer can also complement similar flavours and characteristics in food. That is why stout goes perfectly with the smoky char on the grilled meat. At the same time, beer and food can create a contrast pairing, bringing out unique characteristics in both your pint and your plate. An example of a good contrast pairing is oysters and stout. You can also use your beer to cleanse your palate. For example, you can use the cool and refreshing flavour of lager beer to wash down the heat of fried chicken”, he added.
“We are proud to share our finest grills and cuisines in collaboration with HEINEKEN Malaysia. Inspired by our passion towards our love for good food and company, guests are guaranteed an indulgent experience with our exclusive eight-course beer pairing menu. Lager drinkers can choose from our assortment of oriental salad, The BAR°N Mamak Special, signature cheese papachos or fettuccini carbonara to pair with their favorite drinks. And there is no better way to celebrate Christmas than with our classic roasted turkey, paired seamlessly with the sweetness of cider. Last but definitely not least, end your meal with our signature ribs and chocolate lava cake, accompanied by a glass of stout,” said Raymond Toh, Head of Culinary for The BAR°N.
“We are delighted to share our delicious array of food paired perfectly with some of HEINEKEN Malaysia’s brands. At SOULed OUT, there’s something for everyone with our legendary four kitchens, namely Western, Asian, Northern Indian, and SO Pizza. This holiday season, we are presenting our specially curated menu at our flagship outlet – SOULed OUT Kuala Lumpur in Hartamas. Your favorite lagers will pair perfectly with our signature Wagyu beef noodles, smoked salmon taco, and poached Atlantic sole. For ale lovers out there, we actually use Kilkenny to braise our beef meatballs, which gives them a rich flavour while balancing the bitterness of the ale. Another interesting and innovative pairing in our menu is stout with Vietnamese lamb cutlet and grilled root vegetables,” said Chef Ben, SOULed OUT Group Head Chef.
The Lavo Kitchen team had this to say: “We are thrilled to share our tantalising Asian-Western Fusion menu together with some of HEINEKEN Malaysia’s signature beers and ciders. Here at MEDIA RELEASE Lavo, we strive to bring guests a carefully curated visual feast that will entice you to relax and unwind in style and comfort along with great company. Cider fans will cheer the night as we kick off the evening with our crispy Truffle Fries paired nicely with the refreshing Strongbow Gold Apple Cider. Guests will also find out how effortlessly their favourite lagers cut through our mouth-watering Char Kuey Teow, Salted Egg Chicken Bites, and Say Cheese Pizza. To end the evening with a bang, guests can enjoy our signature Lavo Meat Platter with the more fullbodied aromas of Kilkenny and Guinness for that extra oomph!”
For more exciting updates, follow HEINEKEN Malaysia via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HeinekenMalaysiaBerhad/ and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/heinekenmalaysia/
Firm favourites included pineapple and red pepper-marinated leg of lamb, roasted slowly on a chain suspended above the flames and served with a Guinness-infused rosemary sauce, and mussels in a flavoursome rice wine broth cooked inside sections of bamboo trunk.
“The rich, roasted aroma of Guinness – because the barley goes through the roasting process, unlike other types of beer – means it pairs beautifully with the fire-roasted dishes we’ve cooked for Flavour by Fire. And because the Guinness is served cold, it makes it a really refreshing accompaniment to the heat of the food.” commented Johnny Fua.
Suren Krishnan, from Tipsy Boar, agreed: “The creamy, bold flavours in Guinness pair well with the style of barbeque we do, which also has a pretty bold and robust flavour profile.”
Suren’s style, a mash-up of Southern USA, European, and Asian barbeque techniques, focused – as the name of his restaurant suggests – on various cuts of pork. Artisanal chorizo and German sausages, Kansas-style spare ribs, and pork knuckle slathered in a Guinness glaze were cooked in a ‘low-and-slow’ style over wood from locally-grown mangrove and fruit-trees. The end result: melt-in-the-mouth, rich and satisfying dishes which had attendees clamouring for more.
Meanwhile, Pitmaster Kok Fung, from Texas Barbeque joint Burnin’ Pit, harnessed the power of fire in a similar way. His signature dish, dry-rubbed beef brisket, was smoked for over 12 hours to impart an incredible depth of flavour to the mouth-wateringly tender meat. The wood used in the smoker – tropical fruit trees such as mango, jackfruit and durian – added a Malaysian twist to his authentic, rustic style. Served up with pickled mangos, gherkins and jalapenos and a smoky Gula Melaka and berry barbeque sauce, the cold, smooth Guinness contrasted with the sharp and sweet flavours of the sides and the richness of the meat to create a well-rounded flavour experience.
This being a Guinness event, there were plenty of other activities to keep attendees entertained after they had feasted on all the food on offer. Performances from fan favourites Kyoto Protocol, K-Town Clan, Crinkle Cut, Church Mouse and Skits got people moving on Day 1 of Guinness Flavour by Fire, while Day 2 saw Jumero, Kaya, Dani Komari, Samantha Diana and Muzza and Arjuna take the stage to heat things up.
Perhaps the most popular activity was the Guinness STOUTie machine – a device which uses a malt extract to print a selfie directly onto the head of a glass of Guinness. Previously only available at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, Ireland, hundreds of people lined up to get this exclusive opportunity at Flavour by Fire.
For the real Guinness aficionados, the chance to learn how to correctly execute the famous Guinness ‘Two Part Pour’ also proved enticing – especially as their teacher was none other than Guinness Expert Cian Hulm.
Finally, the return of the Guinness Long Bar Challenge – previously seen at Guinness St. Patrick’s Day events – gave party-goers the chance to get their hands on exclusive Guinness merchandise by sliding a bottle of Guinness down a bar in a test of skill and precision. T-shirts, bottles of Guinness-infused steak and barbeque sauces, and handmade Guinness chopping boards – perfect for serving up your own home-made fire-kissed dishes – went home with the winners across both days of Flavour by Fire.
For more information on Guinness and to keep an eye out for future events, check out facebook.com/guinnessmalaysia.
