Johnnie Walker food and whisky pairing demonstration by Nigel Richter – Event

On the 19th of March I was invited to go for a food and whisky pairing demonstration.

Whisky being Johnnie Walker and food prepared by Nigel Richter, the chef behind the menu of NAKED Restaurant, Dining in the dark and now the ambassador for Johnnie Walker.

The event was held at The Food Studio, a quiet and hidden restaurant

The Food Studio offers cooking classes gourmet style, check out their website!

The entrance.

The place may be small, but it gives off a cozy ambiance.

This is Nigel Richter, the chef for the day. He was already working on the food when I came in.

Presenting the whiskies!

Nigel demonstrating the preparation for his cooking, why he chose those dishes and what do they really go well with.

Then it was time for us to try the food!

Tiger Prawn Tempura & Dungeness Crab Maki

I found the rice too mushy, like glutinous rice rather than actual nishiki rice.

But the pairing of the Japanese Ponzu Sauce (Citrus based) with the maki was surprisingly tasty!

(Paired with Johnnie Walker’s Black Label.)

Spiced Oxtail Cappuccino

Contains diced braised beef with parsnip and Shitake mushroom. I personally liked the mushroom which somewhat tastes buttery. (must be the olive oil) Beef was okay and nothing much to say about the parsnip.

(Paired with Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve.)

Smoked Cheese Cake

Now this was the star of the day, one of the tastiest cheese cake I’ve ever tasted! Strawberries were sweet, the amount of cheese was just right, and the base goes well with the cheese cream.

The crunch base was a little hard to break into pieces at first, but it was easier after awhile. It was fresh from the oven and needed time to cool down after all.

Paired with Johnnie Walker Double Black.

My second favourite pairing with the second course being first. This is by far the strongest out of the three whiskies, and gives a tangy aftertaste.