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36 Seats Only: Cognac Runs Through the Whole Meal, Pontet-Canet Old and New Vintages Poured Side by Side

Cognac house Tesseron teams up with Bordeaux classified estate Château Pontet-Canet for the first time. Chefs Louis from Singapore and Raven from Taipei join forces on a six-course menu for a four-hands dinner on September 12, with only 36 seats available.

Raymond Kuan, Founder & Editorial Director
36 Seats Only: Cognac Runs Through the Whole Meal, Pontet-Canet Old and New Vintages Poured Side by Side

The real story here isn't who's cooking—it's how the drinks list is structured. At Les Tables par Réel in Taipei on September 12, the six-course tasting menu doesn't save Tesseron Cognac for the after-dinner slot. It runs through the entire meal, starting with a foie gras custard paired with Composition Cognac, and closing out with a Cognac baba cake. The centerpiece main course, Angus filet, comes served alongside both the Château Pontet-Canet 2002 and 2017 vintages, giving diners a rare chance to compare the same classified Bordeaux estate across a fifteen-year gap in one sitting.

36 Seats Only: Cognac Runs Through the Whole Meal, Pontet-Canet Old and New Vintages Poured Side by Side
36 Seats Only: Cognac Runs Through the Whole Meal, Pontet-Canet Old and New Vintages Poured Side by Side

Helming the kitchen are Chef Louis from Singapore's Les Ducs and Chef Raven from Taipei's Les Tables par Réel, marking their first-ever four-hands collaboration. The menu's pacing is deliberate: a chickpea crisp with Sturia caviar opens things up, followed by seared prawns, a 24-month aged Comté cheese soufflé, and a chicken and wild mushroom vol-au-vent building layer by layer. The main course is where the vertical tasting takes center stage, and dessert brings things full circle by closing with Cognac once again.

The Cognac lineup itself is more extensive than you might expect—guests will taste Tesseron Composition Royale cocktail, Composition VSOP, Lot No.90, Lot No.76, plus a classic Sidecar, covering everything from light and crisp to rich and full-bodied. Pairings include cheese from Le Comptoir and Evian water, rounding out the experience with these collaboration details.

36 Seats Only: Cognac Runs Through the Whole Meal, Pontet-Canet Old and New Vintages Poured Side by Side
36 Seats Only: Cognac Runs Through the Whole Meal, Pontet-Canet Old and New Vintages Poured Side by Side

Lunch seating (12:30) and dinner seating (18:30) each cap at 18 guests, for a total of just 36 seats across all of Taiwan. Regular price is NT$5,280 per person, with an early bird rate of NT$4,800 for reservations completed by August 21. Located at 1F, No. 75-2, Guide St., Datong District, Taipei City. Reservations available through the official website. Don't drink and drive. Drink responsibly.

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