A Rare Culinary Collaboration Between Antinori and Firewood

Each course was paired with a carefully selected Antinori wine. One of Italy’s oldest wineries and among the world’s most enduring family-owned businesses, Antinori traces its winemaking heritage across 26 generations and more than six centuries. Representing the house was Guido Vannucchi, Antinori’s Asia-Pacific Export Manager, whose more than two decades with the winery brought an intimate understanding to each pairing, transforming the wines into expressions of a heritage refined over centuries.

The evening began outside Chambers Grill, with an aperitivo at the Hilton Kuala Lumpur lobby. Uruguay beef tartare, brightened with capers, gherkins and chives, arrived alongside smoked salmon over crisp sago squid crackers, enriched with orange and yuzu aioli. A saxophonist lent the reception a nostalgic cadence with jazz classics.

The mood within the restaurant was a sharp contrast: dim lighting and flickering candles softened the room, setting the rhythm for dinner. A simple bread course established the evening, served with two distinctive butters: one flavoured with onion and cheese, the other infused with kombu. Following that, Fresh Tiger Prawns, delicately sweet and succulent, met the tangy depth of an Assam Bisque that added a gentle warmth without overwhelming the seafood. The dish was paired with the 2023 Bramito della Sala, a Chardonnay whose notes of golden apple, lemon cream and vanilla closely followed the freshness of the prawns.

The next course of MBS 5 Uruguay Short Rib Torellini brought a more savoury richness, the tender, slow-cooked beef encased in delicate pasta and complemented by a silky onion soubise, red wine emulsion, pine nuts and shiso greens. Alongside it was the 2021 Il Bruciato, a structured blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah. With its ripe red fruit, sweet spice and tobacco notes, it added depth while allowing the dish’s comforting richness to remain the focal point.

As the evening progressed, the flavours grew deeper and more layered. Crisp quail-leg cigarillo was presented on a bed of morels, heirloom beetroot and white corn, while a black cherry-quail jus drew the elements together. The 2021 Cont’Ugo mirrored the dish’s darker fruit notes, a classic merlot characteristic, with aromas of Marasca cherry, raspberry and juniper. Then came the defining expression of the evening: the Australian Full Blood Wagyu Sirloin MBS 9. Each slice yielded effortlessly beneath the knife before melting on the palate, its generous marbling dissolving into an intensely buttery richness. It was paired with the 2020 Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Superiore DOC, a bold red blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc. Layers of dark fruit, sweet spice, toasted oak and earthy undertones mirrored the steak’s complexity.

The meal concluded on a brighter note with the Golden Layer dessert, where mango-passion crèmeux and calamansi mousse met a crisp chocolate-caramel crunch. Paired with the 2018 Muffato della Sala, a sweet dessert wine lifted by notes of dried and candied fruit, saffron and a refreshing acidity.

The final flourish of the dinner came through an auction of three bottles of Antinori wine, each signed by Vannucchi, a final tribute to the craftsmanship and heritage that had guided each element of the night.