INFINITELY MORE, INFINITELY YOURS
VISA INFINITE presents Infinite Tastes, Beyond the Menu: A Curated Collection of Culinary Experiences by culinary artisans across Asia Pacific, inviting cardholders to discover and explore the world behind exceptional taste. Members are taken through a series of chef led, immersive experiences that reveal the realm in which we live, and how it is imagined, designed and shared.
THE START The flavour wheel: bread and wine. The premise: deceptively simple. Yet, this marks the beginning of a series of indelible food memories – meticulously designed and deliciously creative – exclusively curated by Harean Hettiarachchi of bread.lk and sommelier Shiyani Saranapala.
Cue a speciality Ethiopian coffee known for its vibrant, complex character with notes of velvety caramel, zesty orange, mellow honey and florals.
NOT JUST BREAD The signature offering commences with a wholegrain sourdough loaf baked with wild yeast, lending it a certain maltiness. Good bread, one is told, like all good things, takes time. For this loaf, 48 hours to be exact. The slow fermentation process allows for enzymes to break down, an integral component in separating the good from the not so good.
The bread in all its variations is the all-star; a blank canvas for the evening on which dynamic and disparate pairings make continued appearances.
With its earthy aftertaste, the sourdough is combined with what can only be described as a sublime experience for the palate: Black Garlic and Coffee Butter. The unlikely combination of almost fruity black garlic with bold acidic like coffee components is stellar – smooth, silky and unexpected.
The bread and butter are complemented by a palate cleansing Cava Brut, a refreshing, sparkling dry wine with crisp, citrusy and bready notes made using the traditional champagne method.
THE DEVILISH EGG Originally hailing from Europe, the hearty and complex 10 seed and grain sourdough loaf consists of black and white sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, oats, kurakkan seeds, and more. The bread’s chewy crunch is paired with creamy, chilled scrambled egg, wood-fired, charred leeks roasted in oil, garnished with an amino glaze and a sprinkling of salt to enhance the flavour.
The loaf with its multiseed varieties draws out an unexpected honeyed sweetness. This is deepened with a crisp, aromatic Côtes du Rhône Blanc, a full-bodied wine with fruit forward notes such as citrus, white blossom and peach. Egg shaped earthen vessels are used to age the wine naturally with their unique shape adding to its texture.
Next, a balanced lime infused tuna salad with not one but three types of chilli, zesty tomato for acidity and freshly made creamy mayo on toasted 10 seed sourdough gives the impression that it is ‘half salad-ish.’
Paired with a South of France Rosé, a dry wine with layers of nuance and complexity, its choice here is guerrilla like in its tactics – strategically introduced to cool the burning capsaicin sensation of the spicy food while accentuating the flavour itself.
CHEESE WOULD BE SO PREDICTABLE The oblong shaped rustic batard with its infamous crust and chewiness is accompanied by decadently creamy, freshly made signature labneh. In this instance, the greenhouse tomatoes with their sugar maceration leads the character profile.
The combination is further accented with New World Pinot Noir, known for its fruit forward, higher alcohol content and darker hue highlighting ripe, juicy black fruit notes.
An unexpected twist and sense of dual identity are presented for the labneh, now elevated in an innovative way with golden Bandarawela honey, roasted crunchy pumpkin seeds and a sprinkling of sea salt atop the rustic batard.
The attainment? Pure bliss. A pleasantly startling yet divine change from the savoury labneh enjoyed only moments earlier.
SWEET BUT MORE Creamy slow roasted peanut butter made in-house, Bandarawela honey, and 10 seed and grain sourdough with all its wonderful complexity and a sprinkling of sea salt, feel more like a decadent breakfast bar. The creation is versatile and can be topped off with simply anything one desires.
Coming full circle to where it all began, warm, out of the oven wholegrain sourdough is topped with dark chocolate shavings that immediately ooze and melt over the tiny toast, buttery goodness and a dusting of sea salt. It feels like childhood nostalgia on a plate.
The interplay of a Tawny Port with its sweet undertones of caramel and dried fruit is endlessly drinkable. This is dessert. This is surely where vocabulary fails. This is where immersion takes over.
THE END Hosted at Radicle Gallery, Infinite Tastes, Beyond the Menu truly embodies its ethos of taking members beyond a singular experience. By curating extraordinary dining moments that are worth having, sharing and recollecting over and over again, VISA Infinite invites cardholders to discover an exclusive world that goes infinitely further – every single time.
