Recently, on behalf of the Asian community I was honored to attend a new menu tasting dinner at
151 Boutique Bar and Kitchen inside
Hotel Indigo Asheville. The tasting dinner was a part of "Locals Know Best" Food and Beverage campaign, which is aim to work with local farms and to invite the local to share their favorite neighborhood dish, in all of the Hotel Indigos.
The tasting dinner included four food courses (Begin, Comfort, Fulfill, Complete) which were paired with different wines and a martini.
"Begin" --- I have to say, the salad was the best salad I never had in my life. Different than the normal green salad. First of all, the salad looked great, having chopped tomatoes, Gorgonzola, garlic toasted walnuts on the top, wrapped by an English cucumber. Second, the salad was made with citrus vinaigrette, which increased my appetite. And the cucumber added the fresh finish in my mouth when I finished each bite. What's more, the salad was paired with a glass of Sant' Antonio Fontana Soave from Italy, which is a medium-sweet but is well-balanced acidity. The whole experience of the "Begin" was perfect.
"Comfort" --- The second course was a crab cake dish served with white wine butter sauce and topped with micro arugula. The crab cake had a perfect texture, outside was crispy, but inside soft. Also the crab cake was from Blue Water Seafood Asheville, one of 25 local partners which Hotel Indigo Asheville works with. This dish was a good example for the Local Knows Best campaign. Plus, having a glass of Annabella Chardonnay with the dish made the experience even better.
"Fulfill" --- The main course was a homemade Pappardelle pasta dish, which was braised in red wine and tomato also having braciole and thinly sliced Angus sirloin on the top of the pasta. Paired with a glass of Coltibuono Cetemura Chianti Italy, it made me really enjoy the main course.
"Complete" --- Now it's time for dessert, house made mango creme brulee, which was filled with some tiny cubes of fresh mango. The mango creme brulee tasted very fresh and medium sweet. And don't forget to get an Espresso Bean Martini. They were so perfect with each other. Delicious!
As you can see, the whole dinner was excellent. And the 151 Boutique Bar and Kitchen is one of my favorite restaurants in the Asheville area. If you ever have a chance to visit Asheville NC, stop by Hotel Indigo, get a couple drinks, grab a bite and enjoy the unique atmosphere.
