Italian dining with Heineken
Novelist Haruki Murakami is a beer cultist. He is also a great runner, who wants his epitaph to be engraved as, “a writer (and runner), who never walked.” On a full course marathon track, Murakami runs the last 5km mumbling, “beer, beer...” Likewise, many people around the world, though perhaps not as much as Murakami, drink beer like water. Once you open your eyes to the world of gourmet beers, you will realize how nicely it pairs with just about any kind of dish. What about restaurants where you can enjoy Italian cuisine along with star-served Heineken? Wine is not always the answer when it comes to pairing with Italian food. Beer can be a great casual drink with a course meal. Wherever there is a nice Italian dish along with a glass of draft Heineken, that’s where heaven is.A recipe from The Gorgeous Kitchen
Pairing Italian food and beer
The Gorgeous Kitchen
The noodles of the “Gorgeous Pasta” are hidden under red flakes so that you can’t tell if it is pasta at first glance unless you are told. Specially made by chef Chung Myeong-won, the Gorgeous Pasta is the signature menu item of this place. Topping the olive pasta are crisps of fried garlic and spicy shrimp, with a bit of breadcrumbs and Cheongyang red pepper. A mouthful of the pasta makes you really feel the deliciously spicy taste harmonized with the crispy and soft textures of the toppings. With a glass of Heineken, you can taste the freshness at its maximum. The restaurant’s romaine salad is even more flavorful with the homemade style breadcrumbs. The Gorgeous Kitchen uses the fourth floor and the rooftop of the building that’s better known for Mug for Rabbit. A large Heineken logo fills one side of the wall and the rooftop has a nice view of the neighborhood. We recommend going at night, to enjoy the cool atmosphere with an even cooler crowd.
De Karmeliet
Not far from Olympic Park, the tranquil neighborhood around De Karmeliet makes you feel like you’re in the suburbs. And the restaurant makes the best use of its green surroundings in its dishes. A seemingly ordinary caprese is topped with fresh pesto made from basil grown in the nearby garden. The restaurant grows five types of herbs including basil, and almost all of the herbs used in the dishes are freshly picked from the garden. The mixed seafood grill consisting of marinated mussels, lobster, shrimp, calamari, flatfish, and salmon is reminiscent of Sicialian cuisine. But De Karmeliet puts a special spin on the dish, by adding a sauce made with mussel stock and tomato sauce. The savory and light taste of the sauce calls for a beer. Sit in the open garden with a Heineken bottle in one hand to get that road trip feeling. Along with some great Italian dishes, De Karmeliet also serves excellent European family meals and a Belgian favorite, mussel stew.
A recipe from The Gorgeous Kitchen
Romaine salad
About Heineken
Heineken
Founded in 1864, Heineken is Holland’s favorite beer, just as what Cass is to Korea. The four ingredients that go into a bottle of Heineken are: water purified more than twice, thick malt the size of a grain, hops for a unique, fragrant taste, and Heineken’s own “A-yeast,” a special kind yeast that’s was developed in 1886.
Heineken Starserve
Think beers all taste the same? You’re so wrong. The same beer can taste different depending on the keg, temperature, cleanliness of the glass, and the way it’s poured. Starserve is the way Heineken is best served. There are five steps you should follow to starserve a Heineken that’s been chilled in a cooler. Bars and bartenders are directly maintained and trained by the Seoul headquarters in an effort to serve their product in its best form.
