2/F, JW Marriott Hotel Hangzhou, 28 South Hushu Road
湖墅南路28号杭州JW万豪酒店2楼
0571 8578 8888-6337
So I was at a rather nice wine-tasting at the JW Marriott’s Cru steakhouse with some friends the other night and was treated to a sumptuous six-course set menu, the details of which I shan’t bore you with just now. Oh go on then, I’ll give you a few snippets if you must insist. Of the four appetisers we had, two in particular stood out; the scallops in crispy filo pastry with a spicy coconut sauce and the lamb Carpaccio with a coriander-sesame dressing. Nicely paired with a Craggy Range Riesling and a Craggy Range Pinot Noir respectfully; the latter being a real gem. For the main course, a perfectly-cooked, and very tasty, grass-fed beef tenderloin with truffled whipped potatoes was outstanding, and this is what I’m getting at and to. All the above, and even the food that I didn’t mention, are all showcase products of New Zealand, even down to the hands that created them. Yes, that’s right, Cru has a new New Zealand chef and he’s about to review the menu.
Chef Dion McGrath certainly knows his way around these parts having spent more than 20 years working in Hong Kong, China, Thailand, and Australia not forgetting his native home of New Zealand. He’s even worked as far afield as Egypt, so you know he’s bound to have picked up familiarity with cuisine cultures that influence his own native creations, though saying that, New Zealand cuisine already has many influences from Asia and the Pacific Islands as was evident in the tasting menu. All you really need to know though is that Chef Dion has plenty of tricks under his toque.
Chef was fairly tight-lipped about what he has planned for Cru, but he told me he’s not about to make any great shakes to start with. He believes a grill restaurant should retain some of the classics (hallelujah) but is more in favour of offering a more regional repertoire. For example, he will introduce not just New Zealand and Australian beef to the customer, but will give them an opportunity to have an Argentinean steak or even China’s very own top beef products. Chef’s also going to offer dry-aged beef that’s already got my tongue tingling I can tell you. Clearly, he will be adding New Zealand influences to the menu as well (please God – make Chef put the Lamb Carpaccio on it!) but this is a man who likes to listen as well as please, so if you’ve got any special requests, then he’s ready and waiting for you at Cru. Enjoy!
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