Essa Fakhry

Last March, for our guest collaboration dinner, chef Essa Fakhry of Note, Dublin’s Bar and Bistro, joined our kitchen for one evening.

With a flair for highlighting seasonal ingredients and fostering relationships with local suppliers, as well as supporting artisanal growers, Note’s ethos has very much in common with Planque’s driving values.

After the dinner, we sat with Essa to talk about memorable bottles, Guinness and friendship.

Here is our conversation.

1. You're handed a wine list, what do you do?

I always like to scan through the list first to see if there’s any special bottles I may have had before or maybe missed the opportunity to have, something that I think might interest the whole table. I rarely look at a wine list to pair with food, I’ll leave that in the capable hands of the floor staff serving, I’m more interested in the bottles we're drinking just to taste the wine.

2. How do you know the wine you're drinking is good?

My own taste aside, what i find most exciting in a wine is one that changes over time. It’s always fascinating to taste a wine that develops with every glass over the course of a bottle.

3. What is something fascinating you’ve been told over lunch?

That Cornflakes were invented by Kellogg’s in the United States as a breakfast cereal so dull that it would discourage people from masturbating.

4. In whose company do you most enjoy drinking wine?

Anyone who's excited about sharing their favourite bottles or ones that I might find interesting.

5. Can you describe your ideal combination of wine, music and setting?

White Burgundy, Frank Ocean, cliff side in the mediterranean

6. What sort of food would you add to the equation?

Saint marcellin, fromage de tête, crusty baguette and a tin of anchovies

7. What was the most memorable bottle of wine you’ve drank?

Benoit Marguet ‘Shaman’ 17

8. Where did you drink it?

At Note, the evening before we opened the doors to the public.

9. Is there a characteristic you look for in a wine and in a friend?

Interesting yet un-offensive

10. What is your approach to drinking?

Every situation I think dictates its own approach. In many cases a pint of Guinness tastes better than the best pinot noir.

11. Do you apply this approach in other aspects of life?

I find a pint of Guinness only rarely doesn’t improve the situation.

12. What shall we open next?

Your favourite champagne of course

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