An evening of bubbles at Venezia Club, Tianjin
Twice a month, Champagne Lovers Tianjin meet for an evening of bubbles and food. However, it is more, much more, than just having dinner. If it was about that, then everyone could just stay home and order their favourite take out and have a meal. The gathering at a restaurant is limited to 10 people to ensure that everyone has a chance to communicate with everyone. Yes, it is about building meaningful connections, having conversations that matter. It was with this in mind that we were hosted by Venezia Club for an evening of homely Italian dishes with some fine bubbly options.
Ten of us gathered in one of the restaurant's cosy rooms where we indulged in a 4 course menu specially created by the restaurant's chef. The room is a microcosm of what I love about this restaurant. Based on a villa concept, you really get the feeling that you are dining in someone's home. Coupled to this are the owners, Gabriele and his father, who are such an integral part of Tianjin's expat community. Gabriele's father, Renato, especially, has such rich stories to tell, and this imbues the restaurant with something that not many restaurants in Tianjin can offer - a warm history with the echo of so many voices as one passes through the different rooms. On the night, Gabriele takes care of us and along with Leon, an accomplished waiter with a penchant for respecting the ritual of pouring bubbles. There is something truly homely about this restaurant as you start to feel that you are the only guests in the restaurant.
To complement the specially created menu, I have paired each course with a beautiful range of Italian bubbles - the restaurant charges a corkage fee. Italian bubbles are much more than prosecco and this evening affords me a chance to share with guests three of my favourite Italian sparkling labels.
In typical Italian style, we start off with a negroni, one of the most obvious aperitivos out there. As one of our two guests find out, it is a very strong drink, being a combination of Vermouth, Gin and Campari. It is not an easy drink to love, but much like a love relationship born of struggle, it will be worth it.
The Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco Superiore, which is made in the heart of the Prosecco DOCG region, is a delightful prosecco with all the classic prosecco notes in abundance. Its elegance is noticeable on the first pouring. I fell in love with this prosecco about 8 years ago in Dubai. It is a fine paring with the foie gras because of its own high sugar content and balances that fattiness of the foie gras rather well. Highly recommended.
For our pasta course, we have the Three colour Home made Tagliolini - a dish that really sums up the homeliness of Venezia Club. It is a simple dish that can be made at home, or the kind of dish you could have on a week day at a friend's house - that is a good thing because the dish is in-keeping with the branding of this restaurant. It is not fine dining but hearty dining in a fine setting. The dish is about subtle flavours, with nothing overwhelming or dominant. We have it with one of the best rosé bubbles you would get for under $20 in China! It has elegant bubbles, not champagne elegant, but for a prosecco, very nice indeed. In fact, we had this at our last bubbly evening. Tremendous value - Astoria Prosecco Rosé.
The third course excites me most. Chef serves grilled salmon in a decadent vanilla cream, with nicely textured vegetables. The only thing missing is some bread to soak up the remaining sauce - it is so good. However, it is the sparkling pairing that thrills me - the Ca'Del Bosco Franciacorta Cuvée Prestige, often dubbed Italy's response to champagne, is exceptional and up there with my fave NV champagnes like Billecart Salmon and Ruinart Blanc de Blancs. Made the traditional way with double fermentation, this sparkling dazzles as it is poured, while effervescence is persistent, but awfully civilised. You can expect profound brioche notes, apple and pear and very rich mousse. It is truly a glorious bottle of sparkling wine. I am personally excited because the last time I had it was at a hotel in Beijing almost 6 months ago.
As everyone enjoys their Ca'del Bosco, a look around the room reveals precisely what I was hoping to achieve - everyone is immersed in the art of conversation. You could argue that this is invariably what happens at a dinner, but I think there is something more to it. It is so much easier to open yourself to the world and all its possibilities when you feel safe, and honestly, the kind of people here on the night is so conducive to open sharing. Matched with great food and mesmerising bubbles, it is no surprise that the conversation is flowing like the Ganges after a monsoon - effortlessly.
Of course, as we sip our last bubbles, we are reminded of the warm hospitality embodied by Gabriele and his dad as we are offered a limoncello as a digestive. No one would turn down such Italian warmth and service from the heart as we extend our stay a bit longer. I am not sure what guests will remember - that Italian homeliness, the specially curated 4 course menu or the fine bubbles we had on the night, but one thing is certain - there is a need for evenings like this where depth and substance are privileged. But it starts with bubbles. Cheers!
Essentials
Venezia Club,
48 Ziyou Road,
Hebei District,
Tianjin,
China
+86 22 8761 3413
I: bmstoltenkamp
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