Scotch single malt whisky brand The Balvenie partners six MICHELIN Guide Singapore restaurants for top-notch whisky and food pairing experiences.
Popular premium single malt Scotch whisky brand The Balvenie is no stranger to fancy whisky dinners – it has hosted many dozen over the past few years – but its latest set of whisky-drenched dining experiences will proper you high enough into the culinary stratosphere to make you see stars. Literally. The Balvenie has again partnered the MICHELIN Guide for “Handcrafted By”, a series of whisky dinners hosted at various Michelin-rated establishments to showcase the concept of craft.
This ongoing The Balvenie x MICHELIN Guide Singapore dinner series features six highly-lauded venues; the first three to present their specially-curated, limited-time only collaboration menus are contemporary Italian restaurant Braci, fine dining Chinese restaurant Shisen Hanten, and modern Australian barbecue eatery Burnt Ends.
The Balvenie will tell you that the tie-up with MICHELIN is all about the celebration of craftsmanship, along its core brand message of its “five rare crafts”. But we suspect it’s really because the single malt whisky brand understands one altruism – that those who enjoy well-made whisky are those who are likely to enjoy good food. And vici versa.
For now, the two ongoing The Balvenie x MICHELIN Guide Singapore ‘Handcrafted By” dining experiences are:
The Balvenie x Burnt Ends
One MICHELIN-starred restaurant Burnt Ends is best known for its elevated wood-fired cookery. Its chef-owner Dave Pynt was quick to recognise the connection between his food and the craft of making whisky, particularly the firing of the oak barrels by the coopers that is used to mature the spirit.
It also helps that Pynt a huge fan of whisky. “The reason I like drinking whisky is that there’s so much variety, including different types of cask,” Pynt enthuses. “Part of the fun is getting some of what you haven’t had before.”
Burnt Ends is presenting two exclusive dishes in its “Handcrafted By” menu – a lamb shank barbacoa tortilla that’s paired with the The Balvenie 17 Year Old DoubleWood, as well as a whisky ice cream cone that comes with The Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask.
These two dishes – and their Balvenie pairings – are available at Burnt Ends from 7 September to 7 November 2021. Reserve a table online here or call the restaurant at 6224 3933.
Shisen Hanten
Spicy Sichuanese cuisine and whisky may sound like an odd and unexpected pairing, but Executive Sous Chef Ling Heng Yao of Shisen Hanten believes it’s a gateway to new flavour experiences.
He consulted with Chef Chen Kentaro to create two special dishes for their The Balvenie x MICHELIN dining experience. There’s salt-baked abalone with Szechwan sauce that comes paired with The Balvenie 14 Year Old The Week of Peat, where the characteristic numbing spiciness in the sauce will accentuate the honey, vanilla and citrus notes of the whisky. The other dish is Dungeness crab served as a soup; here Chef Ling says you can either sip the soup and whisky alternatively, or even pour some whisky into the soup for a totally different taste experience.
Both exclusive dishes and their paired whiskies are available at Shisen Hanten from now to 24 October 2021. Reserve a table online here or call the restaurant at 6831 6262.
The limited-time collaboration menu at Braci ended earlier this year.
“We are proud to be able to extend our partnership with MICHELIN Guide for a second year running to include more restaurants across Southeast Asia,” says Brett Bayly, Regional Brand Ambassador for The Balvenie. “The concept of whisky-paired dinners may be new to some, but embodies the pursuit of ultimate craftsmanship.”
“The diversity of the restaurants allows us to not only raise the bar on whisky-paired dining experiences, but also demonstrate how each expression of The Balvenie unveils various tasting notes that pair perfectly with different haute cuisines,” he adds.
You can find out more about The Balvenie x MICHELIN Guide Singapore at the official “Handcrafted By” website.
Follow us on Telegram to get updated on news and events!
