Name a better duo than Sonny and Cher.
Or Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.
Or Andre Agassi and a fluro-green tennis ball.*
*Yes, they’re all famous Armenians.
While we can never match Cher’s singing prowess, or be as Instagram-famous as Kim Kardashian, or take Andre Agassi on with a racket, we at least say that we’ve nailed food and beverage pairings down pat at the kitchen here at Sezar. Here are some of our six favourite pairings, as recommended by our expert staff members — feel free to get stuck into them or come up with your very own suggestion!
1) Cocktail: The Bubbly Armenian
Nothing gets a Friday night started than a glass of one of our most popular cocktails, The Bubbly Armenian. Fun and flirty, this cocktail is an effective yet simple blend of Prosecco, pomegranate liqueur, and peach sorbet. Enjoy it while you’re waiting for your tardy friends — and perhaps order one of our starters to soak up the alcohol, just in case you start to get peckish (let’s face it, you probably will).
Have it with: We can’t think of anything better to pair a sparkling drink with than our tempura zucchini flower with cheese, herb and tomato jam. For this reason, The Bubbly Armenian is the ideal pairing for this fun and tasty mezze plate.
2) Beer: Yan Yan
Beer has been produced in Armenia since ancient times so we’d like to think that we know what we’re doing. Today, Armenia (as well as the entire Middle East) is home to a handful of breweries, including newly opened craft beer breweries to cater to increasing global demand. Our most popular beer on the menu is our very own Yan Yan, an Armenian-style lager brewed right here in Melbourne.
Have it with: Light and malty, this beer pretty much goes with anything from our famous brown butter hommus with spring greens and chickpeas right down to our twice-cooked chicken wings with pomegranate caramel, pistachio and coriander.
3) White wine: Zorah ‘Voski’, Voskeat, Garandmak
We’ve got some pretty cool and unusual wines here at Sezar, with many labels from Armenia and the rest of the Middle East. This particular wine is made from voski grapes, an ancient variety that translated to “golden seed.” It’s a delicate golden-coloured grape that results in a full-bodied white that’s vibrant, juicy, and acidic.
Have it with: Our spanner crab manti, another favourite on the menu because who doesn’t like dumplings? This wine will cut through the rich and creamy chili butter and yoghurt dressing, making it the perfect pairing for this dish.
4) Amber wine: Pheasant’s Tears
This amber (or orange) wine is actually one of our most sought-after wines — and for good reason. This wine is made from the mtsvane, a light-skinned grape variety native to Georgia. Each glass is vibrant and citrus-tinged, with lovely hints of spice, nuts and faint hints of tea.
Have it with: We highly recommend enjoying a glass (or bottle) of this vividly-hued wine with one of our meaty mains, perhaps the BBQ pork with charred pineapple, sumac onion and persimmon amba. We think this best-selling dish pairs marvellously with the Pheasant’s Tears, with the wine’s crisp flavours and spicy aroma cutting through the fattiness of the pork meat.
5) Red wine: Zorah ‘Karasi, Areni Noir
The king of Armenia’s grapes (and perhaps one of the oldest grape varieties in the world), Areni has been around in Armenia for millennia. Medium-bodied with redcurrant and raspberry notes, a glass of this wine earthy, spicy and finishes off very sweet.
Have it with: Our 12-hour slow cooked lamb shoulder with a couple of our most popular sides and sauces, for a family-style feast that you’ll find hard to forget.
