Last night Nancy and I had the opportunity to visit Akash Vineyard, one of our local Temecula wineries for a dinner/event. The weather was perfect. You just can’t beat a beautiful night out in the vineyards. Kaci Goff was our chef for the night. She is the owner/chef of Wolf and Woman Restaurant and Catering and prepared various dishes displaying her interpretation of Malaysian Tamil Cuisine.
We were lucky enough to sit at a great table with people who enjoy food and wine as much as Nancy and me. Chef Dylan Soro and his wife Nikki from Soro’s Mediterranean Grill and Kenneth Dawkins and his wife Devyn from Temecula T-Shirts.
Let’s Talk About The Food!
Not having any experience in Malaysian Tamil Cuisine, I was very interested in exploring her menu for the night. You can see by looking at the menu that there are a lot of Indian influences. When looking at the written menu, it appeared that some items did not make it to the plate and some items were added. Bottom line is that Chief Kaci did an outstanding job putting together a very memorable dinner in the vineyard showcasing her cuisine.
The Scallop Carpaccio was a great way to start our meal. The scallops were tender and flavorful from the chutney which brought a slight tartness to the dish. Some texture was brought to the dish from some hidden nuggets of crispy chicken skin, thinly sliced radish, and fresh-cut purple beans. The Kashmiri chili gave us just enough of a kick to get us ready for the next dish.
Our whole table was definitely impressed with the soup. Chef Kaci made Rasam which is a South Indian spiced soup with tamarind, tomatoes, spices, and herbs. To look at it one might think it to be a simple broth. The combination of the various spices and herbs made this a very complex tasting, but light comforting soup that would be great after a long day at work.
The Chai Apricot Upside-Down Cake was our dessert and Nancy couldn’t stop talking about it. The cake was moist and sweet and matched perfectly with the Chef’s ice cream.
About the Wines!
Sorry to say that due to some medicine that I am currently taking, I couldn’t enjoy the wines of Akash. Everyone at our table mentioned how good they were and how they matched perfectly with our meal. I had to be satisfied with doing a little swirling and sniffing. I can tell you that Akash served a Gewurtztrminer blend and a Viognier directly from their barrels that have not been bottled as of yet. Based on responses from our table they are definitely something to look forward to! Akash also served their 2019 Malbec which was described as being full-bodied, dry, and matched perfectly with the Biryani that was served by Chef Kaci.
I will definitely have to return to Akash Vineyards in a few weeks and have a real tasting when I can enjoy the fruits of the vine once more! As always, thanks for Spending Time in My Kitchen!
