Kareena Mahbubani has unlocked the mysteries of being a successful restaurateur. The principal of Mystic Thai and Mystic India in Montego Bay, Mahbubani has a loyal following that has been amassed because of her attentiveness, restaurants’ exceptional service, delicious dishes, and imaginative client events. Thursday Food had the opportunity, recently, to participate in one of the latter. Mahbubani partnered with CPJ Wines to host a four-course dinner with dishes paired with Californian wines from Josh Cellars.

The event was slated to begin at 7:30 pm and at 7:30, all 32 guests were seated around tables. Thursday Food should note that, in addition to hosting the four-course wine dinner, Mystic Thai was open for regular service. Every table in the restaurant was occupied by 9:00 pm. Every, One.

The staff accommodated as many walk-ins as they could and graciously did so. Seeing a bustling restaurant on a midweek night proves that restaurateurs like Mahbubani have the secret sauce and that the award-winning establishment is not about to surrender its title [Best Theme Restaurant] any time soon.

But let’s talk about the wine and food.

The first course comprised three perfectly rolled pieces of sushi, and this was paired with rosé. The sushi was fresh and bursting with umami flavour and paired well with the rosé’s crisp notes of peach, strawberry and nectarine. Full disclosure: guests could not get enough of the rosé.

This was followed by a trio of skewers — tofu teriyaki, lemon curry chicken, and pork yakitori — which were paired with Sauvignon Blanc. The wine, described as “sunshine in a glass”, had green apple on the nose and notes of lemon and kiwi. It was delightfully bright and crisp and was a perfect accompaniment to the sweet, citrusy and piquant notes of the skewers.

Before each course Spencer May, business development officer – wines & spirits, Caribbean Producers Jamaica Limited, guided guests through tasting notes of each wine and shared why they were chosen for the corresponding course. However, no amount of storytelling could prepare guests for the satisfying third course.

Flaming beef in scallion sauce was served with perfectly cooked quinoa, and if that wasn’t enough, the dish was flambéed tableside. Dinner and a show! After the initial sips and bites, guests fully understood just how alluring a perfect pairing could be. The nuanced oak notes and pronounced cherry and dark fruit flavours of the Pinot Noir were an ideal match for the complex herbaceous dish.

Dinner closed with tempura green apple, rose ice cream, and chocolate mousse. The dessert trio was paired with the Legacy Red Blend and was the perfect way to end the evening. The Legacy Red Blend’s well-balanced notes of black peppercorn and juicy stone fruit made the final course sing.

Mystic Thai’s four-course Josh Cellars wine dinner was, in a word, splendid. Thursday Food looks forward to participating in many more of Mahbubani’s wine-paired multi-course dinners.