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South Africa on the Horizon
The view from the interior is
spectacular.
Dr. Iain Corness
One has to be careful of superlatives when reviewing a restaurant,
but when you are standing on the 34th floor of the Hilton, with panoramic
views of Pattaya Bay both East and West, it is difficult not to wax
eloquent. There is no other restaurant in Pattaya with such majestic views.
Full stop!
Rainbow trout.
The event the Dining Out team was attending was a South
African Wine Dinner, with the South African Ambassador H.E. Ruby Marks, the
Argentine Ambassador H.E. Ana Maria Ramirez and the President of the
Thai-South African Chamber of Commerce Graham MacDonald MBE all in
attendance.
The
view from the balcony is even more spectacular.
The wines being tasted were from the Graham Beck vineyards in South Africa,
with Graham Beck himself an interesting wine producer, who set out
originally to produce ‘champagne’, which we now know as ‘methode
champenoise’.
As the reception wine, we enjoyed the Graham Beck, Cap Classique, Brut Rose
NV and continued on from the somewhat windy exterior section and into the
covered dining area, all glass enclosed and the spectacular view for
everyone.
The Horizon’s chef is Shaun Venter, another South African, who proudly told
me that he had imported many of the ingredients directly from South Africa,
though some he had managed to procure locally. For Shaun, this wine dinner
was an opportunity to show off the native South African cuisine (as well as
his own skills in preparation and presentation).
The first course was a Smokey seared scallop with a pumpkin puree and
scallion vinaigrette and taken with the Brut Rose (which everyone enjoyed).
The official ‘starter’ was a snowfish ceviche which featured roasted avocado
and caramelized butternut, all taken with the next wine, a Graham Beck, The
Game Reserve, Chenin Blanc 2011. Once more a most enjoyable combination that
had everyone expectantly waiting for the next unique dish.
Chef Shaun had decided on two main courses, one fish featuring rainbow trout
and the other meat labeled “Braai’d (South African BBQ) and Braised”, and
the mains were served in that order.
The seafood main had a west coast crayfish risotto, saffron mussels and
burnt lemon taken with the Graham Beck Waterside Chardonnay 2012. Although
young, it was a most pleasant chardonnay and went well with the delicate
nature of the risotto.
The main meat course was much more dominant on the palate, with an
Australian grilled beef tenderloin and we were given the choice of two reds
to go with this. These were a Graham Beck, The Game Reserve Cabernet
Sauvignon 2010 and a Graham Beck, The Ridge, Syrah 2009.
On
our table, the Syrah was the more popular, exhibiting less of the tannins
than that of the Cab/Sauv. However, both went very well with the Aussie
beef!
The final course was a dessert with brandy snap, toasted marshmallows and
Amarula ice cream. We polished off the last of the Ridge Syrah with the
dessert!
It was a simply spectacular evening with innovative courses and enjoyable
wines taken in a superlative venue. By the way, the Graham Beck wines are
available through the Tops supermarket chain. Well worth your while having a
browse. Vineyard representative Alec Lowe also advised the diners that the
Graham Beck Game Reserve labels came from the fact that this vineyard was
the only one in the world with a game reserve next door, complete with wild
leopards!
This wine dinner was THB 3,300 per person and worth every last baht. Keep a
lookout for the next one. We certainly will!
Horizon Restaurant, 34th floor Hilton Pattaya, above the Central Festival
Center, Beach Road. Open seven days for dinner 6.00 p.m. until 11.30 p.m.
Dress code smart. Valet parking available. Booking recommended 038 825 3000.
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Pork in a Dijon Mustard sauce
Pork can be bought everywhere and is one of the most
nutritious, easily prepared ingredients in the home kitchen. The Dijon
mustard gives the flavor to this dish. The addition of the garlic just
heightens the flavors. If you want to give it an “Asian” flavor,
sprinkle with chopped coriander before serving. An ideal main dish for a
dinner party at home.
Ingredients |
Serves 6 |
Butter |
1 tbspn |
Olive oil |
1 tbspn |
Pork fillet medallions |
800 gm |
Sour cream |
1 cup |
Milk |
1/3 cup |
Dijon mustard |
2 tbspns |
Garlic crushed |
2 cloves |
Green onions chopped |
½ cup |
Ground black pepper |
as garnish |
Cooking Method
In a large skillet or even the wok, over medium heat, melt butter
with olive oil until it begins to sizzle; add pork medallions. Cook over
medium high heat, turning once, for about 5 minutes or until pork is
browned and fork tender.
Remove pork from skillet; set aside. In the same wok add sour cream,
milk, garlic and Dijon mustard. Continue cooking, stirring constantly,
until sauce is smooth and heated through. Pour sauce over pork
medallions, garnish with green onions, sprinkle ground black pepper
liberally over them and add coriander if desired.
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