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OMGD China Dinner

Bailliage of China
Beijing, June 19, 2021

Summer solstice at Opera Bombana
" Our culinary guide was Andrea Susto, Executive Chef "

In Italy’s Alpine north lies a majestic land of jagged mountains and deep, verdant valleys. The Austrian Empire claimed it in 1804 and held it until 1918 when the sun set on what had been Europe’s mighty dual monarchy, the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Known today as Alto Adige/Südtirol, Austro-Hungarian’s imperial past is still emphatically present in its rich cuisine. It is where Eastern Europe meets the Mediterranean, where Wiener Schnitzel, Hungarian Gulyás, and Italian polenta converge on a plate.

In this exclusive Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs (OMGD) event, we discovered the elements of the region’s trans-national food culture and honoured its history through an expertly curated selection of exciting wines.

Our culinary guide was Andrea Susto, Executive Chef of Opera Bombana Beijing, recently hailed by Italy’s prestigious “Reporter Gourmet” magazine as one of the best young Italian chefs abroad.

Chef Andrea is a fast-rising star of the international fine-dining scene. Both a Chef and Sommelier by profession he came to Beijing six months ago armed with an impressive resumé of experience in critically-acclaimed, multi-Michelin-starred establishments. Born and raised in Alto Adige/Südtirol, Chef Andrea dazzled us with a modern eight-course tasting dinner inspired by classic dishes from his childhood.

In celebration of the summer solstice, we selected a wide diversity of wines, hailing from the edelweiss-scented Alpine foothills of Südsteiermark, the sea-misted lowlands of Friuli-Venezia-Giulia and the ancient volcanic soils of Tokaj. They came dressed in this season’s ravishing colours of straw, gold, orange, pink, silver-green, ruby and amber.

The evening was a memorable, immersive experience. We raised our crystal glasses in celebration of the glamour, gastronomic pleasures and high culture of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

After dinner, we gathered at the Éclat Hotel’s fashion-forward, jewel-toned Georges Bar for after-dinner cocktails.

We are deeply indebted to Chef Andrea, General Manager Vincenzo Stratoti, their excellent team at Opera Bombana, Bruce Li of The Wine Republic, together with our confrères Dany Luetzel, General Manager of the Éclat Hotel, and Davide Lupi, Director at China Wines and Spirits.

It was a summer solstice celebration like no other.

Vive la Chaîne!

Michael Delacruz
Vice-Échanson

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