Laurent Perrier Ultra Brut tasting menu at Hi Sushi
For some, January is all about detox and abstinence, punishment for the joviality of Xmas merrymaking. Personally I find the concept of enforced abstinence miserable and soul destroying in one of the coldest and most depressing months of the year, so I spent last Tuesday evening trying out a far more enjoyable alternative: champagne and sushi.
You can currently experience a decadent `tasting menu` courtesy of Laurent Perrier at any Hi Sushi restaurant across London right now. The idea is that the light and crisp notes of the champagne and the clean fresh flavours of the sushi create a healthy and refreshing dining experience. The concept of choosing sparkling to accompany your sashimi is fairly standard and perhaps for this reason has been overlooked in recent food trends which is a mistake- it really is a match made in heaven.
Laurent Perrier Ultra Brut is an incredibly pure drink; unlike other brands they use no added sugar so it has a very dry, organic taste with honeysuckle notes just bubbling under the surface. And it looks fantastic too – this is the drink born the same year as the Eiffel tower was completed, a drink created by the widowed and rather genius Mathilde Emilie Perrier. Like the famous tower this particular Brut has maintained its chic good looks with a crystal clear complexion and steady stream of bubbles that look quite at home in tall flutes sitting next to trays of artfully crafted sushi.
It`s a truly sensational meal: salmon carpaccio, slices of sea bass, steamed rice, blackened cod, teriyaki chicken, wasabi peas and tempura cut rolls infused with the Perrier itself and then dressed in caviar. Even the chocolate pudding can be classed as `healthy`- there is a jewel like green tea fondue encased inside! The experience is truly divine. For an hour its possible to sit surrounded by walls of bamboo, listening to water trickle into a jasmine lined pool, inhale fragrant spices, tuck into the most stunning Japanese cuisine and sip on a glass of first class champagne. Or you can drink tea on a sofa in front of the TV. I know which option I prefer!!
For more info: Laurent-Perrier
The three-course tasting menu includes a bottle of Laurent-Perrier Ultra Brut (between two people) and will be served exclusively for the month of January 2010 at Koi Sushi (1e Palace Gate, Kensington, W8 5LS), Hi Sushi Izakaya (27 Catherine Street, Covent Garden, WC2B 5JS), Hi Sushi Salsa (16 Hampstead High Street, NW3 1PX), Hi Sushi Salsa (3a Camden Wharf, 28 Jamestown Road, NW1 7BY).
