At Poleng Lounge, the dynamic play of satay sampi, infused with a paste of Balinese spices, suggests an equally forthright red wine. PHOTO: RACHEL SALE
	Asian Cuisine - strikes a pack of red matches By Jen L. Karetnick
		When friends learned I was traveling to San Francisco to eat Asian cuisines not widely available anywhere else in the country - less strictly Chinese and Japanese, more Singaporean, Indonesian, Korean - and pair them with local red wines ranging from Pinots and Cabs to Merlots and Mourvèdres, I'd inevitably receive a universal, dumbfounded look that said, in short, "Daft woman's got no palate." But to my face it would be a variation of, "Really? Well, good luck with that." Yes, bias thrives, and it's directed at those who dare propose that there is room in the wine-with-Asian-food box for more than just Riesling. And as usual, the narrow-mindedness is born from ignorance. Indeed, even getting a mediocre Chardonnay accepted as an appropriate beverage for, say, Cantonese fare was once a struggle. Typically, sweet plum wine was the only adult beverage available. Yet as Chinese restaurants became more regionally oriented and less dumbed-down for American tastes, focusing on the zestier Hunan and Szechuan cuisines, and authentic Japanese and Thai restaurants began to multiply, a small but steadily growing number of white wine aficionados across the nation started matching up dishes with wines that boasted high acidity (my favored Sauvignon Blanc); or plenty of fruit and spice (Gewürztraminer); or the ideal high-acid Riesling shimmering with a touch of natural residual sugar. The concept of drinking vinifera wines with Asian food caught on, and many higher-end establishments began offering wine lists that featured at least a few plush and aromatic choices. Not unexpectedly, intrigued by the potential of a vast and long-overlooked market, California winemakers travel to the Far East frequently, both as ambassadors on behalf of their wineries and on personal recognizance via solo or sponsored, chef-led, insider/in-the-know trips, such as the "Worlds of Flavor" travel program for professionals run by the Culinary Institute of America to Vietnam. Napa Valley winemaker Mike Martini, who attended the Vietnamese CIA program that was organized by director Greg Dresher and associate Michael Coons, was impressed by how well, generally speaking, red wine went with the food. "Basically, we are talking red with mid-palate fruitiness and lower tannin levels - preferably without a lot of alcohol," he emphasizes. "What didn't work was high alcohol with high tannin levels." The learning experience is mutually beneficial to Asian diners and American winemakers - particularly in places like Korea, where recent Free Trade Negotiations could soon result in duty-free wine exports. (The next CIA-orchestrated Asia trip will be to Thailand in November; visit www.worldsofflavor.com for details.) Elsewhere, however, the public skepticism about pairing a dish such as pad Thai with a juicy, berry-fresh Merlot persists, even though it's just a more exotic version of peanut butter and jelly. Something about the pungency of Southeast Asian ingredients - fish sauce, lemon grass, coconut milk, dried shrimp paste, galangal, bitter greens, kaffir lime leaf - scares the pedestrian purist. And while it's true that kimchee might not be the best accompaniment to a Cabernet Sauvignon, bulgogi (Korean barbecued beef) would be a succulent sampling. Put to the test, Korean food works marvelously: The bi bim pap Korean hot pot at chef-owner Sam Josi's Umami, an intriguing pan-Asian venue in the Marina district, has just about everything, aside from the main ingredient of braised Niman Ranch pork, that a red wine drinker would expect to fear: broccolini, baby carrots, green garlic and quail egg. Yet the gentle, slow melding of ingredients results in an unctuous flavor best complemented by a Southern Rhône vintage such as the 2005 Domaine Lafond Côtes du Rhône that Josi recommends. If a primarily syrah-based wine doesn't appeal, though, diners can look to a more traditional grenache-based, Southern Rhône-styled, California-produced wine such as a Beckmen bottling. "There's a mythology about reds not going with this kind of food," says Rand Nielsen, wine director for Straits, a modern Singaporean restaurant located in San Francisco's swank Westfield Centre. Singaporean cuisine is a complex mixture of Indian, Indonesian, Malaysian and Chinese influences, heavy on the curries and sambals. "It's Riesling food, sure, but who's to say it's also not Pinot food? Pinot Noir is, far and away, the most versatile red wine. It's light textured enough to go with fish and chicken. There's not a dish on this menu you can't drink Pinot with, so we have an extremely extensive collection of it." > Heather Johnson, general manager of Roe Restaurant & Lounge, which reopened in May after renovations under new chef, Vietnamese-born Thai Tran, agrees: "Pinots are easy to pair with anything. They especially cut through a lot of our salmon dishes," including Tran's just-launched citrus-brined grilled salmon with fennel-prawn hash and a curry-orange-miso reduction. Thus, Roe's list of reds, which Johnson claims she just finished but is, like all good art, constantly in flux, leads off with a select six of 2003 vintage Pinots from neighboring counties. "I'm all about the domestics, the locals, as much as possible," Johnson says. Nielsen takes that enthusiasm for Pinot and multiplies it exponentially. His recently revised list - he wrote the initial draft for this location, Straits's third, before it had opened, so it was strictly food-oriented and not based on customers' buying habits - offers more than two dozen "local" (California and Oregon) Pinots alone. And certainly his point is proved by superb matches: The 2005 Siduri Pinot Noir with the wok-tossed shrimp in spicy tomato sauce is an unexpected success with the slightly prickly tannins evened out by the cooked wedges of tomato, as is the frank lushness of the 2005 Carneros Creek Reserve with chef-owner Chris Yeo's signature lamb shank korma, a cinnamon-and-clove-scented dish he says his customers "won't allow me to take off the menu." Yeo, who drinks a half-glass of red wine per day medicinally, is the first to suggest a palate-cleansing red to cut this addictive gravy that he reduces from a healthy amount of red wine. But Nielsen has also included an eclectic assortment of reds, from a 2004 Fort Ross Pinotage to a 2004 Klinker Brick Zinfandel, both of which he recommends with the piquant grilled beef in grape leaves. "The body of the wines fears not the rich texture of the meats," he quips. "The pepper notes are also a nice match for the grilled aromas of the grape leaves." At Bong Su, a lovely year-old restaurant that takes its main influences from Vietnam, China and France, sommelier Peter Greerty works equally hard to make his clientele comfortable with one good old notion: In for a penny, in for a pound. In other words, if you're going to start by sipping the 2004 Dierberg Pinot Noir with chef-co-owner Tammy Huynh's Kobe beef pho or delectable little shrimp "cupcakes," you might as well graduate to the 2003 Niebaum-Coppola Cabernet Franc at some point, along with the shaking beef and empress rice topped with perfectly fried quail eggs. Bong Su has a prodigious wine room stocked with numerous rare and worldly vintages, so in addition to local finds, some beautiful French, Italian and South American bottlings rest here, as well. California Cab lovers can dip into big, steakhouse reds at Desi Danganan's, Kane Douglas's and chef Tim Luym's Poleng Lounge, a one-year-old Balinese restaurant in the up-and-coming NoPa (North of the Panhandle) neighborhood that serves reinterpreted pan-Asian street food. The décor and vibe in this place are the equivalent of mind-clearing yoga poses, belying that most of these dishes are completely explosive. From the Indo-Thai eggplant "temple" - two different types of sautéed eggplant with an aggressively curried dip - to the satay sampi, minced beef and pork mixed with a Balinese spice paste and molded around lemon grass before grilling, this fare is a study in vibrancy. So the gunpowder-keg-of-a-2004 Solaris Cabernet Sauvignon seemed almost tame in comparison. At the same time, its faint whiff of coconut and vanillin oak, plus a touch of caramel on the palate, carried a glass of it through to a sweet ending of coconut bread pudding surrounded by a vanilla pool of chewy tapioca pearls. Alternatively, a glass of 2005 Gnarly Head Old Vines Zinfandel does the tonsular trick with beef tenderloin salpicao with poached marrow, coconut breadsticks and mango salsa. The cleansing licorice in the quaff balances the pepper and garlic front-runners of the salpicao, and the sweet wring of cassis from the fruit off these 80-year-old vines allows the tropical fruits in the dish to come out and play. Key word: play. Winemakers sometimes remember what it is. Mike Martini did while tasting his way through Vietnam: "The fun thing is to experiment," he says. And while it's an activity that straight-laced wine connoisseurs disregard, Straits' Nielsen encourages: "Most sommeliers talk too much and listen too little. I like my customers to experiment. When they ask me what I like, I say it doesn't matter what I like, it matters what you like. I have them describe to me their preferences, then I bring them a bottle. If they don't like it, I have no problem bringing them something else and drinking the first bottle with my own dinner." Roe's Johnson might casually suggest that a more adventurous guest try a Jade Mountain Mourvèdre instead of a Pinot with a fish dish, even with a raw one (Roe serves sushi as well). But she, too, lets her customers lead the way, especially when it comes to the manner of dining. "They can go either way - family-style or traditional. We let them orchestrate it." But just how dinner is served is a serious element to savoring wine - any wine, not just red - with an Asian meal. Whether it's at izakaya-style Umami, where you're likely to linger over edamame hummus or ahi poke cakes with an intriguing date; Poleng Lounge, which morphs into a nightclub after 10 p.m., or trend-setter Roe; or the more refined Straits or Bong Su, several plates will be on the table for sharing. At any moment, there could be vegetables, fish, chicken, meat, all available for simultaneous tasting. Spicy flavors playing against sweet. Pungent and salty over here, rich and mellow over there. What's a wine worry-wart to do? How to decide on a bottle when it might complement one tempting creation and completely defeat another? When dining at Bong Su, Greerty, if contacted ahead of time, will host guests in the wine room and give a short tasting seminar before dinner. One can sample anything from a Gamay Noir to a Sangiovese and see how they might work with the aromatics that inform the fare - there are even small bowls of Asian spices set out in the wine room for sniffing and matching purposes. In general, though, the answer, again, is to stop thinking like a Westerner. When many plates are to be shared for dinner (at Roe, there's the shrimp tempura roll with four different kinds of fish eggs, the curry duck confit, the warm mushroom salad, the miso-marinated cod, and that's just for starters), why not do the same with wine? Select a few bottles, open them all and allow them to breathe. Request multiple types of stemware and pour out three ounces in each. Then, you and your tablemates can pair a bite of this with a sip of that, be it a Pinot, a Syrah or a Mourvèdre - whatever vinous essences are required, forkful by forkful - for all your senses to take proper flight. Features Editor Jen L. Karetnick is the author of a recently released poetry collection, Necessary Salt (Pudding House Publications), and the editor of Hungry? Thirsty? Miami (forthcoming from Glove Box Guides). Recipes Shrimp "Cupcakes" From Chef/Co-Owner Tammy Huynh of Bong Su For the cupcakes: 2 1/4 cups rice flour 1/2 cup glutinous rice flour 1 can coconut cream 1 teaspoon salt 2 spring onions, finely chopped 3/4 cup of bay shrimp Vegetable oil 7-8 butter lettuce leaves 10-15 basil leaves For the dipping sauce: 5 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons water 1/3 cup fish sauce 1/2 cup fresh lime or lemon juice 1 tablespoon of sambal chili sauce You will need a banh khot mold, which resembles large escargot pans, available in Vietnamese grocery stores. Mix the two rice flours together. Add coconut cream to form a smooth, runny paste. Add salt and spring onion and mix through. Heat the specialty mold over a flame and grease with vegetable oil. Fill each indentation to about 2/3 full with batter. Cover and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the cover, add one prawn to each pancake. Cover again and allow to cook for a few more minutes until the center and the edges become crisp and golden. Serve wrapped in a lettuce leaf and basil, and with dipping sauce. Makes 24 to 30 cupcakes Grilled Beef in Grape Leaves From Chef/Owner Chris Yeo of Straits For the stuffed grape leaves: 1 pound ground beef 1/4 cup white onion, finely diced 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon ground peanuts 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce 1 teaspoon Thai basil, chopped fine 3 tablespoons honey 1/2 tablespoon sugar 1/2 tablespoon salt Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Roll into 1/2 ounce logs and wrap each with a grape leaf. Skewer each beef-stuffed grape leaf and grill on both sides until done, about 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside. For the lemon grass sauce: 1 ounce lemon grass, chopped 10 mint leaves 15 cilantro leaves 2 ounces minced garlic 4 ounces red Fresno peppers, seeded 1/4 cup fish sauce 1/4 cup corn syrup 3/4 cup lime juice 1/2 cup distilled vinegar 1 cup granulated sugar Combine all ingredients in a blender and purée until fine. For plating: 6 beef-stuffed grape leaves, skewered 3 butter lettuce leaves, trimmed 3 mint leaves 3 laksa leaves 3 Thai basil leaves 3 cilantro leaves 2 ounces lemon grass sauce 6 carrot batons 6 jicama batons Place one leaf of each herb in each of the lettuce cups. Stack lettuce cups on top of each other. Remove beef-stuffed grape leaves from skewers and stack them on top of lettuce cups. Pour lemon grass sauce into a ramekin and place on plate next to artfully piled carrots and jicama. Serves 4 to 6 Aka Miso Marinated Black Cod From Chef Thai Tran of Roe Restaurant & Lounge 3/4 cup mirin 3/4 cup sake 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 1 cup red miso paste 1 cup white miso paste 4 black cod fillets Bring mirin, sake and sugar to high boil until sugar is dissolved. Turn heat down to low and add miso pastes, mixing until incorporated. Cook in a double boiler on low-medium heat for 1 hour until caramel in color. Cool to room temperature. Place cod fillets in a non-reactive dish or bowl and let marinate for 2 to 3 days. Preheat boiler to 400°, lightly wipe excess miso off fillet and broil for 10 to 15 minutes, until surface caramelizes. Arrange about 2 to 3 baby bok choy in each bowl, lay black cod on vegetables, pour in coriander broth and garnish with cilantro leaves. Serves 4 For the coriander broth: 1 tablespoon oil 4 cloves garlic 3" piece of ginger, peeled and sliced 2-3 shallots, sliced 1 stalk of lemon grass, slightly bruised 2 star anise 1 pinch ground coriander 1 pinch paprika 1 cup shrimp shells (substitute 1 can clam juice) 2 cups water 12 baby bok choy, bottom trimmed Cilantro leaves for garnish Heat oil in a medium pot, add garlic, ginger, shallot, lemon grass and star anise and sauté 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle in coriander and paprika, add shrimp shells or clam juice and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add water only if using shrimp shells (do not add water if using clam juice). Let simmer for 20 minutes, then strain. Season with salt and fresh cracked pepper. When ready to serve, add baby bok choy to broth and cook to your liking. Bi Bim Pap Korean Hot Pot Adapted from Chef/Owner Sam Josi of Umami 5 pounds trimmed pork Salt and pepper, to season 1/4 cup canola oil, divided 1 tablespoon garlic 1 tablespoon ginger 1 1/2 cup shallots 6 slices bacon, chopped 1/2 cup orange juice 1 tablespoon fish sauce Water to cover 1/2 cup shredded carrots 1/4 cup red cabbage or radicchio 1/4 cup green garlic, finely chopped (substitute green scallions) 1/2 cup honshimeji mushrooms 1/2 cup broccolini florets 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce 1 quail egg Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat stock pot and add 1/4 cup oil to cover bottom of pot. Sear pork, then remove and set aside In the same pot, sauté garlic and ginger. Add shallots and bacon and cook until caramelized. Add seared pork back into the pot, then add orange juice and fish sauce. Cover with water, then bring to a boil and cover with lid. Place in 400° oven and cook 2 to 3 hours, or until meat falls apart. Remove and shred pork meat. Chop meat to break up large chunks. Strain stock and reserve. In a sauté pan, heat 1/4 cup canola oil, add 1 cup shredded pork and sauté until golden brown. Form pork into a patty in center of pan and add shredded carrots, red cabbage, green garlic, mushrooms, broccolini, hoisin sauce and 1/2 cup reserved stock; reduce and cook until vegetables are tender. Add additional stock as needed until vegetables are tender. To serve, spoon over bed of steamed white rice. Crack quail egg over top; the heat will par cook it. Serves 4 Lamb Shank Korma From Chef/Owner Chris Yeo of Straits For the shanks: 3 tablespoons salt 1 teaspoon white pepper 1 teaspoon fennel powder 1 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon coriander 2 lamb foreshanks, frenched 2/3 cup vegetable oil 2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks 1 yellow onion, diced 1 tomato, cut into chunks 1 bay leaf 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup red wine Water In a bowl, combine salt, pepper, fennel powder, cumin and coriander. Season lamb shanks generously with spices. In a large sauté pan, add oil and heat. Brown on all sides. Remove shanks and set aside. Add carrots, onions and tomatoes to sauté pan. Cook vegetables until onions are translucent. In a braising pan, add shanks. Pour cooked vegetables over the top of shanks. Add bay leaf, chicken broth and red wine. Add water to pan until shanks are submerged in liquid. Wrap pan in aluminum foil and place in 450° oven for 11/2 hours. Meat should pull apart with a fork. Remove shanks from braising liquid and cool. For the sauce: 2 candle nuts 1/2 white onion, chopped 1 teaspoon garlic 1 teaspoon ginger 1 teaspoon lemon grass 1 teaspoon galanga 2/3 cup vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon kaffir lime leaf 1 teaspoon white pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon cardamom, whole pods 1/4 teaspoon brown mustard seed 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel 25 ounces coconut milk 2 teaspoons lamb stock or water 1 tablespoon salt 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons chicken powder Soak candle nuts in water for 15 minutes or until soft. Grind candle nut, onion, garlic, ginger, lemon grass and galanga until a paste is formed. In a tilt skillet, heat oil. Add lime leaf, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, cardamom, mustard seed and fennel. Cook until cloves open. Add paste to skillet. Cook paste for 20 minutes or until oil starts to seep out of paste. Add coconut milk, water, salt, sugar and chicken powder. Cook for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Pour over shanks and serve. Serves 4 to 6 - JLK Bread Pudding From Chef Tim Luym of Poleng Lounge 3 eggs 3/4 cup sugar 2 cups cream 2 cups milk 1/16 cup Frangelico or desired liquor 8 ounces stale coconut bread or croissant, cut or toen into a medium dice Beat eggs, adding sugar to eggs while beating. Add cream, milk and Frangelico. Mix well and set aside. Fill eight 4-ounce ramekins with stale bread to the top (approx 1 ounce). Pour in custard mixture 2/3 full and let sit for 3-5 minutes to absorb the liquid. Bake in a hot water bath at 300° for approximately 50 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Makes 8

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