If you swoon over crispy octopus, velvety urchin, salty pearls of caviar and bottles of bubbly, add this to your New York City dining itinerary. Dom Pérignon’s head winemaker Vincent Chaperon teamed up with Chef Yim Jung-sik of two Michelin-starred Korean restaurant Jung Sik to create an indulgent culinary experience. For six weeks, starting June 20, 2016, the restaurant will offer a four-course menu plus pre-dessert and dessert, paired with Dom Pérignon Vintage 2006 Blanc and Dom Pérignon P2-1998.
The menu was created to pair two different palate experiences, but with a major similarity: fermentation. Vincent Chaperon spoke in winemaker poetry about his champagnes and the relationship with Jung-sik. “To understand the wine and to better understand Dom Pérignon, the food is key,” he said, noting the importance of pairing. “For us, it’s a way to make people enter into our universe.” With both wine aging and Korean cuisine comes complexity and umami, making the two a match.
Fifth course at Jung-sik.
Chaperon selected the wines based on their vintage. Each Dom Pérignon wine has three life stages or “Pléntitudes,” as he calls them. The first is revealed after at least seven years of maturation, like the menu’s 2006. The second is after a minimum of 12 years (the 1998), and the third is after 20 years of aging. The wine changes with each Pléntitude, capturing a different flavor. “Those Plénitudes are like life. You have specific moments in your life where you have radiance and charisma, just like the wine. Our job as winemakers to catch those moments,” Chaperon said.
While Chef Jung-sik is known for his very scientific approach to cooking, Chaperon notes that both he and the chef share values of both a rational and intuitive approach to their crafts.
“The most important thing is the vision. I think the finality of Dom Pérignon is a kind of quest—something that is never finished. It’s a perpetual quest for harmony,” he says.
The 2-person menu is priced at $550; call (212) 219-0900 or visit OpenTable for reservations.
