If you tend to grab a cold, malty Tsingtao lager to pair with that bag of Cantonese American takeout you just brought home, consider heading to a bottle shop next time.
“Wine makes sense for this cuisine for me, even though it isn’t the norm or a classic thought,” says Ryan Bailey, partner and beverage director at acclaimed Michelin-starred restaurant Kato in Los Angeles. More and more high-end restaurants like his are dedicating a large amount of attention, craft and detail to sourcing wines. The same philosophy can be extended to take out.
While Chinese cuisine offers a dizzying array of enticing flavors, American Chinese dishes tend to hew to sweeter, richer, saucier and stronger tastes, many of which evolved from Cantonese dishes. The smokiness and sweetness of many dishes and their sauces (think black bean sauce, sweet and sour sauce or garlic sauce) can make wine pairing a challenge. But certainly not impossible—and we’d venture that an ethereal pairing can only make the dish soar higher.
There are some rules of thumb that can make these pairings easier. We asked experts for insights, plus some of their favorite bottles to go alongside a handful of the most popular take-out items.
Dan Dan Noodles: Manzanilla or Kabinett Riesling
Dan dan noodles are a beloved Sichuan classic of flour noodles—topped with minced pork, scallions and a sweet sauce of sesame paste, soy sauce, chili oil, vinegar and roasted Sichuan peppercorns—that crave a dry wine. Bailey recommends a Manzanilla from Sanlucar
This Article was originally published on Wine Enthusiast
