1/3/2024 0 Comments Lic higher burnin ipa![]() Lewis ties each point back to its dining-room application. And finally, they get to the milk, tasting a series of glasses that illustrate “body” in a beverage, with the scale of skim milk to heavy cream representing light- to full-bodied. They then conduct a similar experiment with tannins using tea, tasting it every few minutes as the brew grows stronger. They empty their glasses into spit cups to make room for what’s next: tasting a range of sugar solutions to gauge that element’s impact, from a rounder textural note to significant sweetness. “One more time, feel the pain,” Lewis urges before the last increment. Facial expressions change as the solution goes from pleasantly tart to pucker-inducing. Together they add lemon juice to the water drop by drop, tasting after each addition. “What we’re gonna do is deliberately put this into a sweet spot, and then we’re gonna really screw it up and go out of balance, and then we’re gonna bring it back into balance with sugar,” Lewis says. Lewis first instructs everyone to pour a glass of water and taste it as they would a wine (swirl, sniff, swish and all) to establish a “neutral” baseline. “This will be interesting,” he says with a glance toward the milk bucket.Īfter calibrating their palates with an Austrian Grüner Veltliner, the group begins lesson No. Lewis calls the buzzing room to order and explains today’s goal: to gain a deeper understanding of wine’s basic components (acid, body, sugar, tannins) and therefore better describe and contextualize wines for guests. ![]() Wine training is routine at many restaurants, but it becomes clear that this session will be anything but ordinary as Kāwi beverage manager Isabella Fitzgerald strolls in with an ice bucket of quarter-gallon milks. ![]() Lewis (at left) stands in on Kāwi’s pre-shift meeting, which involves tastings and going over menu changes. The training is voluntary, so, as Lewis puts it, “this is just them wanting to do better.” Everyone takes a seat around a table set with wine glasses, cups and blind-tasting grids for reference. Lewis hops off the subway and enters through the development’s grand lobby (“There’s more marble here than what’s left in Italy,” he comments) to the fifth-floor restaurant.Īt the far end of the warm-toned space, a 10-person mix of front-of-house staff files into the private-dining area, a dark, cozy room with a karaoke machine. It’s time to get to work, training staff at Momofuku’s newest Korean concept, Kāwi, at Hudson Yards. After all, as Lewis says, “I have the dream job.” 9:45 a.m. But he’s used to the pressure, and he keeps it all in perspective. The intensity is understandable-it’s Lewis’ third attempt at the notoriously difficult exam, and on top of that, he’s overseeing beverage programs for the group, which has 13 diverse concepts across the U.S., Australia and Canada, including six Wine Spectator Restaurant Award winners, and three openings on the horizon. It’s been just six hours since he returned from a visit to the group’s Washington, D.C., restraurant, CCDC, but Lewis is the zone. “I’m a crazy person that likes to have constant change and challenges, so a routine day is very boring for me,” he says. ![]() Lewis is preparing to take the Master Sommelier exam on July 22, and mornings in the office are rare opportunities for complete focus in his chaotic schedule. ![]() But the vibe is quite subdued in the group’s New York City headquarters this morning, illuminated only by the soft glow of sunlight and silent except for the keyboard clicks of the first employee to arrive: corporate beverage director Jake Lewis. Chang’s menus famously include unconventional and exuberant dishes, from shrimp toast to spicy beef ramen to quadruple-fried chicken served cold. Momofuku is known for its vibrant, energetic restaurants and chef David Chang’s colorful cuisine. ![]()
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