Each sweet ride came prepared with champagne and canapés (Photo: Pernod Ricard Malaysia)
It might seem strange to associate A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway’s seminal memoir, with a night out eating and drinking but no other book title best captures the spirit behind Pernod Ricard Malaysia’s recent culinary initiative. Designed as an intimate showcase of its portfolio of fine wines and spirits, only a dozen handpicked guests each night were privy to the three-day gourmet odyssey. Working together with Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (stylishly making sure no one drinks and drives) and the Curate Group, the team at Pernod Ricard Malaysia certainly pulled out all the stops.
The evening began with a fleet of white-gloved chauffeurs, driving the new electric EQS sedans, personally collecting each guest from their homes. And to ensure the drive was as pleasurable as possible due to the heavy rain and predicted traffic (it is Kuala Lumpur, after all), each vehicle came equipped with a tray of canapés and a bottle of Perrier-Jouët champagne, ceremoniously popped before the journey kicked off.
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Upon safe arrival at Platinum Park, guests were led to a speakeasy (the former Bar Shake space) to refresh themselves over cocktails called Fine à l’Eau, made using Martell cognac, lemon juice, sparkling water and a simple syrup, before proceeding to Sushi Ryu for the first chapter. Here, two of the finest creations from the oldest of the great cognac houses of France — Martell Cordon Bleu, served in teacups by geisha-esque dancers, and Martell XXO, accompanied by amberjack carpaccio topped with caviar and truffles, king crab with mozuku, hirame slices filled with sea urchin, gold-dusted aburi-ed flounder fin and a particularly heavenly negi toro.
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Escorted to the next tower building of Platinum Park and ushered up to the 48th floor, guests followed the beat of taiko drums to Wagyu Kappo Yoshida where it was time for Royal Salute whiskies to complement variations of A5 Yaeyama-Kyori beef: as a consommé, braised with chive and egg yolk, in a risotto with foie gras and seared. The third and final chapter concluded with a swinging flourish at Park Grill where Charleston dancers welcomed the party with classic cocktails like the Old Fashioned and Mayfair, all made using yet another whisky from the stellar Pernod Ricard stable — Chivas Regal.
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As guests tucked into Josper-grilled octopus in peri-peri sauce (paired with Chivas 18), Tomahawk steaks (Chivas 25) and pain perdu with coconut ice cream (Chivas Ultis XX, an exceptional 20-year-old blend), while being serenaded by the silky vocals of musical duo Mian Tan and keyboardist Simon Chan, Pernod Ricard Malaysia managing director Rajesh Mishra took a moment to reflect on the evening.
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“We decided to host this three-day initiative as a unique experience which we thought our consumers would enjoy. And isn’t it more fun to go on a journey, trying many different things, accompanied by our wide selection of spirits, than to sit in one spot for three to four hours? The different dishes, settings and environments really show the versatility and finesse of our universe of drinks. After all, as I have always maintained, we don’t just sell cognac or scotch. What we really do at Pernod Ricard is build human connections. This is our business.”
This article first appeared on July 1, 2024 in The Edge Malaysia.
