DaleW wrote:
> Arv Rao lured 4 thirsty and hungry oenofools to Phoenix Garden in
> midtown for a CdP-fest. Chteauneuf and Cantonese? I confess I was
> sceptical. The food was actually very very very good- we had honey pork
> ribs, salt & pepper shrimp, scallops, shrimp dumplings, snow pea
> leaves, peking duck, a braised duck with black mushrooms, and my
> personal favorite, an oyster-tofu-pork casserole. Only the shrimp
> dishes were actually a bad match with the red Rhones, but the dishes
> themselves were tasty -I could come back for a Chablis/Savennieres
> dinner with all shrimp or squid.

Peking Duck is Cantonese? Who knew? ;-) That is a very good sounding
menu, even to someone like myself who was raised on Cantonese cooking.
It's a shame that no one brought a white CNdP, which IMO may have gone
fabulously with the more delicate food, though there's nothing wrong
with that Dönnhoff. It's also good see the choices: Beaucastel, Clos
des Papes and Vieux Donjon are among my favorites, along with Vieux
Telegraphe, Marcoux and Pegau (and all among what I'd call the
traditionalists of the region, though Brettcastel is sui generis).

Mark Lipton