Last night we had the opportunity to sample the flavours of Northern Thailand and Laos at one of our favourite restaurants in Toronto: Sabai Sabai! And, as luck would have it, Sabai Sabai was pairing their delicious dishes with the one and only Veuve Clicquot Non-Vintage Brut Champagne!
You might be thinking … uh, Thai food and Champagne? Yes! It’s an amazing pairing so let us take you thought a sparkling re-cap of our night to show you why that’s the case.
Darren represents Veuve Cliquot and set the scene beautifully with a “Yellow Label” themed table setting. Madame Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin was a marketing original, and she drove home the idea of branding your wine. And true to form, Veuve continues with this mantra. Veuve themed napkins, glasses and ice bucket? Check, check and check!
Not to be outdone, the wonderful staff at Sabai Sabai found the most “Yellow Label” coloured orchids we’ve ever seen. Love!
Mitchell, our gracious server, poured our apperatif. A glass of Veuve Clicquot Non-Vintage Brut, of course. Refreshing, wonderfully citrusy and yeasty, with a delightful effervescence. The perfect “set up” for Northern Thai and Laotian cuisine, we think!
So why exactly is Veuve Clicquot Non-Vintage Brut Champagne the perfect match for Thai cuisine? Well, to keep it simple, the crisp cirtrus notes, the beautiful yeasty quality and the refreshing bubbles make for a perfect palate cleaner for the spice, oil, salt and delicious fats found in Thai fare. A rich champagne is versatile to stack up against not only seafood, but also chicken and pork. The pairing works wonders, and hey, move over Riesling and Gewurztraminer!
And what’s not to love about these awesome glasses?
Up first were Sabai Sabai’s Deep Fried Shrimp. Panko crusted and served with a tangy tamarind sauce, this dish is a perfect pairing for champagne. Not only is this dish deep fried, salty and seafood-based, it helps support the idea of demystifying champagne. You don’t always need to spring for lobster tails for the perfect pairing!
Up next were the Crispy Taro Rolls. Like the shrimp, this dish is deep fried, offering the perfect opening for perfect match. What makes this dish a home run is that the taro is subtle, yet rich in texture. And the crisp acidity of the Veuve helps to cleanse the palate of the rich flavour. We may have had two, or three bites…
But we were in good company, and the Taro Rolls were a huge hit! As was the minced pork lettuce wrap known as Laap Lao. Salty and savory, the Veuve held its own when paired with Laos’ national dish. Yum!
Now, you may be thinking Papaya Salad with bubbly? Yes! This salad is crunchy, aromatic and spicy, but not overpowering of the champagne. Veuve’s Non-Vintage Brut is rich in flavour and versatile enough to stand up to this classic dish and hold its own. Not only that, but the fish sauce in the dish underscores the classic pairing of Champagne and seafood. Delish!
Feast your eyes on this! It’s a feast of Thai and Laotian “small plates” served in a festive woven platter. We loved it so much we took it for a tour of the restaurant…
Including outside, for that golden photo opportunity!
But we did bring the platter inside to share with our fellow Sparkling Winos. As we mentioned before, Veuve’s Non-Vintage Brut is rich in flavour and versatile enough to stand up to spice, savoury sauces and meats like chicken and pork. Well, we couldn’t be more happy to say that the wine paired perfectly with Sabai Sabai’s Northern Thai Pork Skewers (served with a sweet and sour chili dip named nam jim), Pork Belly Lao Sausage (with lemongrass and galangal), Lao Style Chicken Wings and Grilled Satay Chicken. While each dish had its own unique flavour profile – from sweet, to slightly sour, to spicy and uniquely aromatic – the dishes did not over power the wine.
As you can probably tell, we were all ready to feast on this platter of Thai and Laotian delights!
And, as the meal came to close, we were happy with our digestif: another glass of Veuve Clicquot Non-Vintage Brut Champagne, of course!
We hope that you enjoyed our “Sparkling Re-cap” and that next time, when you consider having Thai and Laotian cuisine (from Sabai Sabai, of course!), you’ll consider having a glass of champagne, like Veuve Clicquot.
Not only are the crisp cirtrus and yeasty notes of Veuve Clicquot the perfect match of the savory, spicy and aromatic nature of Thai and Laotian cuisine, but the refreshing effervescence makes for a perfect palate cleaner! So don’t be scared – your bubbly will stand up to spice, oil, salt and delicious fats found in Thai fare. After all, champagne is versatile enough to match seafood, chicken and pork. The pairing works wonders. So say goodbye to Riesling and Gewurztraminer, and hello to Champagne, next time you’re in the mood for deep fried shrimp, Thai street noodles, penang or chicken satay!