Savor the flavors of European forests with a wild morel mushroom wine dinner

Wine enthusiasts often pay special attention to pairing each dish with a specific wine, enjoying the harmonious culinary experience. Many hotels and high-end restaurants in Taiwan also offer wine dinners (wine dinner), where chefs create pairings of fine wines and gourmet dishes based on the characteristics of the ingredients and wines. Europe offers many unique ingredients, and pairing them with wine enhances their flavors. Among them, the morel mushroom (Morel) has a tender, crisp texture and a rich, intense flavor, frequently used in Italian and French cuisine. As it cannot be cultivated artificially and is thus rare, its price is second only to that of truffles.

The Danieli’s Italian Restaurant at The Landis Taipei will host a “European Wild Morel Mushroom Wine Dinner” at 6 PM on July 1. Designed by Chef Dario Congera, an Italian chef well-versed in cooking morel mushrooms, the dinner features six morel mushroom dishes: creamy chicken jus morel mushroom soufflé, garlic morel mushroom tomato oxtail soup, morel mushroom beef pasta roll with saffron foam, mustard sorbet with homemade biscuit, low-temperature oven-baked Australian wagyu ribeye with smoked morel mushrooms, creamed potatoes and herb sauce, and sweet and sour mango charlotte with coconut sauce. Each dish is paired with a vintage wine from Costa Winery, presenting a blend of morel mushrooms, beef, and fine wine.

Chef Dario Congera said that morel mushrooms, which appear brown and sponge-like with wrinkled caps resembling a sheep’s stomach and a veined pattern, grow in European forests during spring and summer. Europe has had mushroom dishes since the Middle Ages. Forest-grown morels have a unique earthy, wild flavor and nutty aroma, making them especially delicious when cooked with beef. Therefore, this time beef is chosen as a supporting ingredient to highlight the earthy aroma of the morels. These two “mountain delicacies,” paired with premium red wines from Costa Winery, transport your taste buds to European forests. Each set costs NT$5,800 + 10%. Reservation hotline: 02-8770-6565 ext. 3170.

(Reminder: Excessive drinking is harmful to health.)

Related links:

The Westin Taipei The Landis Taipei: http://www.westin.com.tw/