Spicy starters, deep-fried desserts – it all gets better with a great drink match.
Chinese food is the best in the world. They’re big words but, hey, it’s a big, endlessly varied cuisine. There’s the numbing heat of Sichuan province, the saucy stir-fries of Cantonese cuisine, and the lamb-and-cumin combo of Xinjian, just to name a few. There’s also more of a wheat and noodle culture in the country’s north and a rice-heavy style in the south. Oh yeah, Chinese food is good.
In Australia, we’ve traditionally been more exposed to those special fried rice-serving suburban Chinese restaurants, which lean more towards the Cantonese style. And who doesn’t have a soft spot for those? In my little coastal hometown, the long-running Chinese joint is still everyone’s favourite place to eat lemon chicken and celebrate a birthday.
Of course, these days we’re also spoiled for regional Chinese cuisines, giving us two big choices: what we want to eat, and what we want to drink with it. Because it doesn’t matter what’s on your Chinese order, there’s always a drink pairing to knock it up a notch. Use your noodle when it comes to your own favourite dishes and pairings but, to get you started, here are a few of ours.
Small plates are big business in Chinese feasts and they’re definitely the way to start your meal. There are any number of ways to go but, for us, something a little salty and crispy is a surefire way to get the appetite going for the banquet to come.
We’re starting with san choi bao (an umami-heavy mix of pork mince and vegetables wrapped up in a crunchy lettuce leaf), freshly-fried spring rolls (prawn and pork is always a winner), salt and pepper calamari, and drunken chicken – a dish of tender, juicy chicken poached in shaoxing wine and cleaved across the bone.
Pairing wise, it’s hard to top the ultimate all-rounder: sparkling wine. For us, the crunchy acidity, zippy citrus flavours and delicate richness of Clover Hill Exceptionnelle makes the perfect balance with our salty starters. Plus, you can raise a toast to the meal to come.
If you’ve ever sat with friends, soaking up the boisterous energy of a rowdy dumpling joint on a Saturday night, you’ll know that a spread of xiao long bao and shumai with a round of icy-cold beers is a perfect meal. Maybe throw a vegetable or two on the side to keep Mum happy.
But whether you’re dialling up the dumplings or getting a few as part of a larger banquet, there’s no shortage of styles to choose from. For our part, we’re big on those xiao long bao (that’s the style of dumpling with soup on the inside), the sweet-savoury one-two punch of pork buns, plus a few dumpling classics – steamed prawn and pork, and pan-fried beef.
With so much flavour on the plate, we reckon the best drink is something simple and refreshing, and those boxes are ticked by Indonesia’s favourite local lager, Bintang Pilsener.
Chinese meals are often structured around one or two larger central dishes, typically with some simple sides like stir-fried vegetables (Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce, please and thank you) or saucy silken tofu to round it all out. Those big guys in the middle can be anything from steamed fish to roast pork laden with five spice, but we’ve got a few mains of our own in mind.
We’re talking Peking duck with its tender meat and shatteringly crisp skin (from a technique that involves blowing air to separate the skin and flesh), sweet-and-crispy fried favourite lemon chicken, and spicy, smoky Sichuan eggplant.
To complement that tasty trio (plus sides, of course) you could definitely go for beer again, but if you want a pairing worthy of those more robust flavours, a Whisky Highball should be your go-to. A classic blend of whisky and soda (we love the combo of Monkey Shoulder Scotch and Fever Tree soda), you get those woody, caramelly whisky notes tempered by a fizzy soda. It’s a winner, trust us.
When it comes to rice and noodles, we say take your pick – everything is the correct answer. If you’re just picking a main for yourself, noodle soups (especially the ones packed with wontons) are hard to top but, as part of a spread, there are a few classics that stick out.
Special fried rice – that ultra-savoury mix of tiny prawns, Chinese ham and vegetables – could be a meal in itself but, topped with the likes of lemon chicken or Sichuan eggplant, it’s a real upgrade on your plain steamed jasmine. On the noodle side, the Chinese-Malaysian char kway teow reigns supreme. Wide noodles slathered in a dark, slightly-smoky sauce? Uh, yes please.
Whichever way you’re going, a light and fresh red wine is going to do the trick, and we reckon a gamay like Lingo Gam Gamay is ideal. There’s plenty of lively berry flavours there to play off any salty or spicy notes in your noodles and rice, while the wine is crisp, light and low on tannins.
There’s a special place in our heart for the desserts in a Chinese restaurant banquet. Sometimes it’s deep-fried ice cream but best of all are the sweet-and-crispy fried fruit fritters. Choose banana or pineapple (go with your heart) and a big scoop of ice cream and you’re nearly at perfection – all it needs is a well-matched drink.
Dessert wines can have a reputation for sweetness but, when they’re done well, it’s all in perfect balance. This is what you’re getting with Bethany Late Harvest Riesling, which offsets its serious sugar levels with a really racy acidity. That sweet/acidic combo makes this dessert-style riesling a proper match for our fruity, creamy fried dessert.
