A few weeks ago I attended a food and wine pairing at the recently established, Lanser’s on Main. Lanser’s on Main is a French and Italian style bistro based in Bryanston. The restaurant is headed up by Chef Lanser who has worked in the one Michelin Star restaurant, Rhodes 24, in London.
Lanser’s on Main regularly hosts food and wine pairing evenings. I was fortunate enough to attend the most recent one held in conjunction with wine estate, Hemel and Aarde. Upon our arrival, we were seated at a large table with fellow guests, making it a bit of a social event too (fortunately for me, it was great company). The first course was pan seared duck breast cooked in a plum sauce served on champ with pomegranate and drizzled with a Pinot Noir reduction. This dish was accompanied by smoked warthog carpaccio served with caramelised onions and cream. This first course was paired with Ataraxia Pinot Noir 2016 and Galpin Peak Pinot Noir 2017 (yes, TWO wines with just the first course – thank goodness for Uber). While I wasn’t a big fan of the warthog – carpaccio is not one of my favourites – I really enjoyed the duck. For the second course we were served a pallet cleanser, a litchi and celery sorbet. This was paired with Ataraxia Sauvignon Blanc 2018. The sorbet was lovely and refreshing and I loved the Ataraxia pairing. The third course consisted of a homemade kabeljou and red snapper fishcake served on a parmesan and rocket salad with a coconut curry sauce. This was paired with Kaalmansgat Chardonnay 2016. The fishcakes were cooked to perfection and I loved the flavourful coconut curry sauce. The next course was Belgium style half shell mussels in a garlic, lemon and parsley sauce served with crispy chips. This was paired with Ataraxia Chardonnay 2017. The Belgium style mussels were great and very authentic; they actually took me back to a similar dish that I had in Brussels a little over a year ago. For dessert we were served a chocolate truffle log with roasted nuts and mint. This was paired with both Hannibal 2016 and Serenity 2016. The dessert was decadent and delicious; loved it.
If you enjoy wine pairing, then you’re bound to enjoy a social evening like this at Lanser’s on Main. The service was great and the food was really enjoyable. Portion sizes (and wine top ups) are very generous making the experience great value for money. The restaurant has a lovely and elegant layout. The food and wine pairing event at Lanser’s on Main is definitely something worse experiencing with a group of friends or family.