A couple of weeks back, I was invited to a tasting of the new Remy Martin spirit, Remy V, at the new Mondrian Soho Hotel (9 Crosby St.). I remember the Mondrian from my Los Angeles years and was intrigued to see how the New York City version would capture the surreal experience.
The promenade to the entrance showcases a modern sitting garden and a large glass greenhouse containing Imperial No. 9, the hotel’s restaurant. Once inside, the sparsely spaced furniture and flowing curtains took me right back to Sunset Boulevard.
Before having the fun and exciting Remy V cocktails, we were treated to a unique meal. Imperial No. 9 executive chef Sam Talbot, of “Top Chef” fame, put together a brilliant menu that had our table indecisive to the point of ordering too much, but it was all delicious.
The shared menu helped ease my anxiety of wanting to taste everything. We started with scallop ceviche with pluots, ginger and chili water, cauliflower fritters with ricotta, sunflower-olive brittle and white balsamic and a salad of romaine hearts and white anchovy. The fritters were light and creamy inside and crispy on the outside, and the brittle was a nice textural balance.
We moved on to fish tacos, king crab a la plancha with sweet and sour butter and crispy garlic, and heirloom blue corn grits and shrimp with aged cheddar, maple jus and a slow poached egg. What a great take on shrimp and grits, with whole Peruvian corn for texture, and anything with sweet and sour butter would be good, but on crab legs we are talking ridiculous…RIDICULOUS!!!
With full bellies, we moved to the bar for a couple of Remy V cocktails. I was surprised to see that Remy V is a clear distilled spirit. It is made from the grapes of Cognac, France, using Remy Martin’s unique filtering process. However, it is not aged it in oak barrels to get that caramel color and flavor.
We tasted Remy V neat first. I enjoyed the pear and citrus notes and the smooth, fresh, clean taste. It can best be compared to vodka but with a real depth of flavor. I didn’t have to wait long to see how it mixed with other ingredients. My favorite was the V Femme Fatale. It was light, effervescent, not too sweet and “sippable” all night. Give it a try.
V FEMME FATALE
- 1.5 oz Remy Martin V
- .75 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1 oz simple syrup
- 1 oz rose water
- 4 seedless red grapes
- Sparkling wine
Muddle grapes and a splash of simple syrup in a mixing glass. Add lemon juice, rose water, Remy V and remaining simple syrup, ice. Shake vigorously, strain into a glass over fresh ice. Top with sparkling wine.
Thank you, Mondrian and Remy V, for a spiritedly delicious evening!
Enjoy, get eating and thanks for reading!
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Kysha Harris is owner of SCHOP! which is available for weekly service or for home entertaining. Questions? Comments? Requests? Feedback? Email kysha@iSCHOP.com.