The right wine for Asian food

I EXPECT that there are many who, like me, have become so accustomed to drinking wine with our meals that the idea of just water as the beverage becomes unthinkable. It's like a saying I read in a Chinese restaurant in London more than 40 years ago: "Water is for washing!"

Last week we had dinner at a very popular and well-regarded HDB coffee shop which had been recommended by fellow gourmands. The advice was "go early - 6.30pm - because you have to queue". We felt that, notwithstanding that it was a coffee shop, we should have wines with our dinner. Just one white and one red, plus wine glasses as we expected that the place would not have any glassware.

Queue we did have to, not for long though, and the ambience was what might be termed "rough and ready". Despite fumes from the passing traffic and accompanying dust, we were soon distracted by the food and the greater pleasure of the wines. The food arrived in rapid succession - it was satisfactory but nothing to shout about. The wines, though, were good!