The Joys of BYO

One of the many things that I love about HK is that most restaurants offer BYO, this is something where London is sadly still found wanting.

The concept of BYO is great. It offers you the chance to drink something really nice without being hosed on the corkage rates. Of course the other great benefit is that you don't have to slave away in the kitchen preparing a meal to go with that special Burgundy or Barolo you've been storing away all those years. Some wines cry out for slightly more adventurous dishes such as delicate fish dishes with lobster, sea bass or meatier dishes of venison. Most of us, despite our valiant attempts at following Jamie Oliver or Gordon Ramsey, simply are not able to whip up these dishes in our kitchens (particular HK sized-kitchens) on a Saturday afternoon. Restaurants here let you bring along your own bottle and charge between 100 - 350 HKD, although if you smile sweetly and offer the waiter a sneaky sip, corkage is often waived!

The reason behind my waxing lyrical about BYO restaurants is that I went to a great one here in HK. A fantastic Cantonese restaurant called Fook Lam Moon. I've been here once before and did a nice run of 97s from the Left bank, whilst being treated to the delicacy chicken's testicals! Having munched my way through the first one, fairly happily, but completely unaware of what it was that I was eating, my host kindly gave me it's mate and just as I was about to swallow allowed me in on his little secret. Somehow despite my brain's sudden repulsion towards what had been a great dinner, disaster was averted!

My second visit to Fook Lam Moon provided excellent, but much less adventurous food plus some seriously delicious wines. We started with a great bottle of 96 Batard Montrachet from the Queen of white Burgundy - Anne-Claude Leflaive. This wine is fab and just got better and better as the evening progressed: rich, nutty (brimming with almonds), toffee and caramel, but held up with lovely acidity and minerality. This was then followed by 66 and 70 l'Evangile. The 66, despite a fight with the cork, just pipped the 70, but both were on top form that night. The 66 just had a bit more concentration and reminded me of mulberries. The last 2 bottles of the evening were definitely worth the wait: 88 Clos de Beze and Chambertin from the great Armand Rousseau. Tonight the Clos de Beze was the winner. The nose was wonderful, the tannins were like cashmere and the fruit, now showing secondary and tertiary characteristics of leather and Indian tea, were dancing. The Chambertin was richer and more intense, but it was lacking some of the charm and feminity that made the Clos de Beze such a joy to drink. All in all though a fab night and one I definitely hope to repeat.