Penfolds wine dinner unfolds at Azure

Samuel Goldwyn films photo
Dylnn Proctor, featured here in the documentary film “Somm,” is Penfolds Winemaking Ambassador, and offered a history of the company and its winemaking processes during a Penfolds dinner at Azure restaurant.

BY NADINE KAM

Azure restaurant at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel welcomed master sommelier Dlynn Proctor during a Penfolds dinner that took place Nov. 24 at Azure restaurant in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.

Proctor, named “Best New Sommelier in America” by Wine & Spirits Magazine in 2008, is Penfolds Winemaking Ambassador, Americas, and was featured in the 2012 documentary “Somm,” which followed four men through the labyrinth exams of the Court of Master Sommeliers and the grueling Master Sommelier Exam, a test with one of the lowest pass rates in the world. Since its inception in 1969, fewer than 200 candidates have been named Masters.

While guests enjoyed a luxurious meal prepared by RHC executive chef Colin Hazama and Azure chef de cuisine Shaymus Alwin, Proctor shared Penfolds unique history as an Australian winemaker that helped to shape the country’s industry. Its attempt to create world-class vintages and achieve luxury status, given regional quirks, occurred over a relatively short span of 172 years when compared to Europe’s centuries of winemaking tradition.

Royal Hawaiian executive chef Colin Hazama, left, and Azure chef de cuisine Shaymus Alwin, teamed up to present the extravagant meal.

One of the most extravagant wines poured over the course of the evening was Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, which Fujioka’s Wine recently offered at $341.99. The Grange wine is a result of the late Max Schubert’s experiments in the 1950s and ’60s to create a wine in the style of Bordeaux, using the shiraz or syrah abundant in Australia, and a small amount of cabernet. The Bin 707 was named after the Boeing 707 aircraft which linked Sydney to California, a sister in wine production.

It was an evening well spent, both delicious and educational. A lot of effort went into the meal and when told I enjoyed the saturated essence of duck captured in the duck prosciutto, chef Alwin shared that he had two more ducks maturing, part of the lengthy process. He shared that he’s not a patient person except when it comes to the kitchen arts.

Dinner started with a beautiful amuse bouche of citrus-cured hamachi with vodka creme fraiche, Meyere lemon and Oscietra caviar.

Apple pear gazpacho was poured over Wailea hearts of palm panna cotta, escargot caviar relish, compressed Ho Farms cucumber, kaffir croutons and morsels of Dungeness crab. I was two-thirds pau when I was distracted and a waiter took away my plate. Bummer. I really wanted to finish this. I loved the lightness, multi-layers and beautiful textures. Paired with Penfolds Bin 51 Riesling.

New Year, DFS style

Nadine Kam photos
Morimoto's offering was foie gras chawanmushi with wasabi. It was so good I considered going back for seconds.

DFS Galleria Waikiki hosted its inaugural Aloha Nights block party on Kalakaua Avenue on Jan. 3, and brought in some major names to feed those who stopped to hear Jake Shimabukuro, Keola Beamer and Raiatea Helm perform, catch a glimpse of
Japanese TV personality IKKO, or check out what's inside the galleria, including the largest cosmetics department on the island.

The community thank-you party also celebrated the launch of The Vault Collection presented by DFS. The collection showcases rare and exceptional products that have never been seen in Hawaii, and is being shown by appointment only, through DFS Platinum Services Club at 931-2820.

The collection includes rare time pieces, exotic leather handbags from Chloe, Celine, Salvatore Ferragamo and more, as well as Bvlgari Sapphire Flower Collection jewelry Van Cleef & Arpels Snowflake floweret diamond necklace.

But a majority of those milling around Kalakaua were more in a more primal mode, figuring out what was for dinner at booths manned by Alan Wong's, Azure, Chai's Island Bistro, The Beachhouse at the Moana, Kai Market at the Sheraton, Morimoto's, Nobu, Roy's Waikiki, and Wolfgang's Steakhouse, which was serving a hamburger slider with chips for $5. There was a lot of beef all around, so I was hoping Wolfgang's would be offering their thick slabs of bacon or crab cakes.


As for how primal? Well, it just goes to show that locals know how to behave and keep a natural flow going at street fairs, by studying the signs from a distance so as not to get anyone's way, ordering quickly and moving aside to get out of the next person's way. But tourists came darting in at every direction, standing right at the table to study the signs for unduly long intervals, and there were a lot of Japanese tourists getting shoved by their larger Western counterparts.

The food was great though, and if DFS brings this back next year, maybe more locals will attend to show these tourists how it's done!

Robbyn Shim of Roy's Restaurants shows a plate of sous vide pork belly and roasted Hamakua mushroom baos that the restaurant was offering at $6 for three pieces or $2 each. This was before the varied toppings and sauces went on. Guests could help themselves, and they pretty much helped themselves to everything, which is partly why the line here was so long.

The pork was broke da mouth tender and though the mushroom doesn't look like much, it was super ono and tender as well! A nice man behind me in line thought I looked hopeless juggling camera and all, so he offered to help me with the toppings.

I started at the Ewa end of the food tents, where The Beachhouse at the Moana presented slices of grilled flat iron steak with apple wood-smoked bacon, sitting atop Surfing Goat cheese & macaroni, and topped with Kahuku corn jalapeno relish and gogi berry port wine demi, all for $5.

Tonkatsu specialists Ginza Bairin also offered chicken curry and had several takers rush up when they called out their last orders.

Azure restaurant offered an Alaskan crab claw with mustard creme fraiche and caviar, for $5.

The simplicity of ahi poke, Nobu style, was also appreciated.