First Friday delicious dinner menu at the North Star Micro Hotel in Durban.
One year ago, South Africa went into a strict lockdown because of Covid. We have lived with Covid for a year now, challenging every way of life. During the last year, the North Star Micro Hotel launched. The doors opened, and then Covid hit.
The North Star hotel team worked to keep the doors open and make the most of serving the first clients in the area. As the restrictions started to ease, the breakfast run opened to Eeastmore crescent. Coffee is ready.
The morning runners, walkers and cyclist all stopped at the gate to buy a quick coffee. Soon the cakes started selling, and before you knew it, people were on the lawn drinking coffee enjoying a sea view. The North Star hotel became busy every morning because of the coffee run. A coffee introduced the new hotel on the block to the locals.
The covid restrictions slowly eased and allowed people to visit for a sit-down coffee. Soon the restrictions eased more, and people visited for breakfast and lunch. The coffee started brewing early, cakes sold out, the wine started flowing, and today the Mexi bowl is today’s bestseller.
The goal is to serve clients. A coffee allows you to drop in for a visit and become a local. The bar started opening, and soon the sunset hour became famous for drinks. The sunset view over the waves is quite a view.
The staff changed, and a new chef joined the team. The menu evolved into a blend of local and international-inspired dishes. The lunch hour became busy because of the privacy and the view. Who doesn’t enjoy finding a new hangout in your area?
The North Star offers weekly specials, and because of the opportunity, there is a First Friday gourmet menu available. The first Friday gourmet menu is a start of the month menu, one of its kind to offer guests a special evening at the North Star Hotel.
The Gourmet Dinner is this week, Friday, 2 April 2021 and will cost R400 per person.
You can book a delicious three-course set menu. Your set menu will consist of the following dishes.
Starters
Your starter course is Tuna carpaccio with avocado, cherry tomatoes, fresh rocket and served with a soy reduction.
Main Course
Your main course is Deconstructed Beef wellington with creamy spinach, sauteed mushrooms served with jus.
Tuna Taste
Seared or raw, it tastes more mild, tender, and oily.
Desserts
Your dessert is Cinnamon panna cotta poached pear, mango gel and peanut brittle.
Let’s look into a few wine pairing to suit your gourmet menu.
What wine pairs well with Tuna?
A perfect wine pairing with Tuna is Sauvignon Blanc.
Sauvignon Blanc is fragrant and fresh. As the wine warms in your glass, you will pick up hints of gooseberry flavours with minerally, zesty, flinty undertones. The fruitiness of the wine and the rich oily tender taste of the Tuna is a perfect complementary pairing.
You can also choose an unwooded chardonnay.
Chardonnay is a dry, medium- to full-bodied white wine. Its flavours range from apple and lemon to papaya, pineapple and a little bit of vanilla when it’s aged with oak.
What wine pairs well with Beef Wellington?
A great wine to pair with Beef wellington is Cabernet Sauvignon or a Bourdeaux blend.
Flavoured red meat dishes pair well with robust red wine. You can consider a dry, tannic red wine with a well-salted cut of meat.
The reason red wine pairs well with red meat is that red wine is higher in tannins. The tannins in the red wine can feel dry, but the rich fattiness in red meat is the perfect pairing.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon’s classic profile tends to be full-bodied wines with high tannins and balanced acidity contributing to its ageing potential. Cabernet Sauvignon grapes produce wines with blackcurrant notes accompanied by green pepper, mint and cedar notes.
South Africa produces Cabernet Sauvignon wines that are jammy and balanced.
What’s in a Bordeaux red blend?
A Bordeaux red blend usually combines two or more of the classic Bordeaux varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec.
Bordeaux is a respected red wine blend around the world due to its ageing potential. The ageing process will allow the tannins in the wine to soften. While ageing, the different components of the wine will blend, resulting in wines of complexity and roundness.
What wine pairs well with Panna Cotta?
Sweet white wine and Dessert wine is the perfect pairing for a Panna Cotta dessert with cinnamon and pears.
These wines are sweeter and compliment the sweet and creamy flavours in your Panna Cotta dessert. The aromatic sweetness of the sweet wine balances the taste of the cinnamon, pears and creamy dessert. The pairing leaves you with a satisfied palate experience.
Ever since the new chef joined the North Star Micro Hotel, the dishes and the menu keep expanding. The chef works to serve the North Star Visitors a relaxed culinary experience with a sea view.
You can book your table today for this Friday’s gourmet dinner. If you are excited about this First Friday menu as we are, please share the blog with anyone who enjoys delicious food and wine.
Venue
The Northstar Micro Hotel
26 Eastmore crescent, Umhlanga Rocks
Time 18:30 for 19:30
To make your booking today, send an e-mail to info@northstar-hotel.com.
