Review: Pao & The Gang

On 3rd February we welcomed Venezuelan chef Pao Carlini to our Shoreditch home for an intimate sold-out supper-club celebrating Cacao in all its forms.

The 28 attendees were welcomed through the doors of our specialist liquor store, before being led up to our West Wing banqueting space, decked out in thematic table throws which mirrored the warm themes of the evening.

Attendees were then treated to a sumptuous 5-course banquet centred around the versatile tropical fruit Cacao.

Pao, utilising her 15 years of experience in professional kitchens and the hospitality industry (as well as her passion for all things Cacao), used her bespoke menu to prove that Cacao is so much more than just chocolate.

Each course throughout the supper was created so that it contained an element of the chocolate making process – starting with the fruit, then the seeds, then the butter, the mass before finally arriving at the king of it all: chocolate.

So, attendees were treated to an amuse bouche of lychee and soursop sorbet to begin with, before moving on to a Chicken Liver parfait featuring cocoa nibs and Bristol Cream Sherry.

Next up was a cauliflower veloute served with cauliflower croutons, followed by a fiery venison on mole served with dauphinoise, chipotle, escarole, spices of ancho and cascabel.

Then, almost inevitably, the final course of the banquet was dubbed ‘Chocolate Anarchy’ – a smorgasbord of chocolatey delights such as chocolate cake, chocolate brownie and chocolate crumb – ensuring that guests left with their cocoa cravings well and truly catered for.

Not simply treated to a top-quality banquet, our guests also got to learn a thing or two.

Between each course Pao came to the table to showcase her knowledge and passion for her craft, describing each of her dishes in detail and how each Cacao element was extracted from the raw fruit.

Meanwhile, as always our remit was the liquid accompaniments. We put together a complimentary cocktail menu specially for the evening – with each drink designed to pair a specific course and it’s flavour profiles.

There was the Ka’Pao to start – for which a glug of ABA Pisco was mixed with Kwai Fei, Lemon Sorbet, Lime Juice, Passion Fruit, Lychee and Chuncho Bitters.

This was closely followed by ‘Flor de Caracas’, which was paired the Chicken Liver Parfait as well as the Cauliflower Veloute which featured a base of Flor De Cana 7yr, with Pierre Ferrand Curacao, Punt e Mes, and Cocchi Storico Vermouth from Turin.

For the creamy cauliflower veloute, our mixologists put together ‘The Tree Frog’ – containing a measure of Element 29 Vodka, Smokey Roast Banana Syrup, Lime Juice, Smoked Rock Salt, and Creole Bitters.

A delicious and smooth French Corbieres was paired with the rich main of venison, mole and dauphinoise.

And finally, for the decadent chocolate desert we served a medley of Auchentoshan 3 Wood, Fig Liqueur, Amaro Angostura and, of course, Aztec Chocolate Bitters.

If you missed out this time round, never fear! After the success of the first night we’re pleased to announce that there will be a whole other round of Pao and the Gang here at TT Liquor on 11th March – just in time for Mothers’ Day!

Tickets will be released very soon so stay tuned and sign up to our mailing list to stay abreast of that, plus all our other goings on.