2022 is a special year for Maison Martell. As the oldest cognac house with the richest heritage throughout its production, Martell Cordon Bleu is celebrating its 110th anniversary this year with a brand new campaign, together with the launch of Chinese New Year limited edition cognacs and an exclusive cognac pairing dinner menu at JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong’s Man Ho Chinese Restaurant.
As part of the exclusive launch of Martell Cordon Bleu’s new “Soar Beyond The Expected” 110th Anniversary Campaign, Maison Martell presents a new film featuring Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and French actor Vincent Cassel. As the new spokesperson of Martell Cordon Bleu, Leung joins Cassel as the cognac’s spokesperson celebrate for their audacious personality and coherence with Martell Cordon Bleu’s ultimate symbol of freedom. Directed by world-renowned photographer and filmmaker Wing Shya, the film tells two parallel stories, each featuring the lead characters share the same spirit of freedom and audacity that enables them to face challenges in their world with perseverance and determination to reach for greatness and the ability to soar to new heights and beyond the expected. The film stars Tony Leung, Martell’s new spokesperson, playing himself, while Vincent Cassel is set to portray Edouard Martell, the creator of Martell Cordon Bleu. The short film “Soar Beyond The Expected” is now available on Martell official channels.
Maison Martell is presenting an exclusive cognac pairing dinner menu in collaboration with Man Ho Chinese Restaurant at JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong. The eight-course Chinese menu
highlights the authentic craft of Cantonese master chef Jayson Tang in a full display of the grand possibilities of the Cantonese repertoire and highlights the excellence and range of Martell’s star cognacs namely the Martell VSOP, Martell XO, Martell Cordon Bleu, and Martell Cordon Bleu Extra.
Barbecued Pork Loin with Black Bean Sauce with Martell VSOP
The eight-course menu begins with Barbecued Pork Loin with Black Bean Sauce. A detour from
the traditional honey-glazed barbecued pork (char siu), the black bean sauce combined with soy sauce-preserved black beans and crushed soybean sauce, each adding savoury character that eases into Spanish Duroc pork. The even marbling of the pork offers a meltingly tender texture, its unctuous texture highlights the fruit-rich taste notes of the Martell VSOP, whose youngest eau-de-vie is at least four years old. Its sweet, fruity character complements the savoury character of the perfect Cantonese starter.
Pan-fried Hokkaido Scallop in Lobster Sauce with Martell XO
From a taste of youth of the VSOP to the deeper range of the Martell XO’s vintage character,
chef Jayson Tang’s Pan-Fried Hokkaido Scallop in Lobster Sauce is the perfect match with the
extra old cognac where the youngest eau de vie in its blend is at least 10 years old. An excellent pairing with the rich umami of shellfish and crustaceans, the show-stopping dish features a sashimi-grade Hokkaido sea scallop, pan-fried to keep its succulent texture while served alongside a lobster espuma for an ethereal texture. The subtle nuances and delicious texture of the Martell XO encapsulates a warming sensation of winter apples and brioche, with spice accents and a clean finish, complementing the rich umami of the scallop and lobster.
Braised Kanto Sea Cucumber with Morel Mushroom With Martell Cordon Bleu
Man Ho’s Braised Kanto Sea Cucumber with Morel Mushroom is an excellent marriage of land and sea. Taking pride in its crunchy texture, the Kanto sea cucumber is braised and served alongside French morel mushrooms, noted for its earthy aroma and magnificent texture. The dish pairs well with Martell Cordon Bleu, as the cognac’s nutty profile, enriches the mushroom’s earthy character with longevity hinted with fruits and spices to finish. Braised South African Dried Abalone, the climax of the menu, is paired with Martell Cordon Bleu. The South African dried abalone bears a more intense flavour while the texture turns soft and gelatinous through slow braising over an extended period. The braised abalone, served alongside a rich abalone sauce, is accompanied by a crispy pancake made with mountain yams, for a contrast of texture. The seafood dish is perfect with Martell Cordon Bleu Extra, its complex aroma of tarte tatin and dried fruits, and luscious taste of orangettes for a rounded finish matches well with the rich seafood main course.
The Martell Cordon Bleu 110th Anniversary Dinner Set Menu is available from 17th January to
20th February at Man Ho Chinese Restaurant at JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong. The menu,
complete with Martell cognac pairing is priced at HK$1,880 per person.
As part of Martell’s collaboration with Man Ho Chinese Restaurant, the hotel is also launching a
a limited edition Chinese New Year Hamper showcasing one bottle of Martell VSOP, together
with an array of Lunar New Year traditional treats, from the hotel’s Chinese New Year Pudding
and X.O. chilli sauce, black truffle oil, truffle honey, candied walnuts, dried rose petals, together
with dried goods in gift boxes such s dried shiitake mushrooms, abalone noodles, and local
preserved sausages. The prized Chinese New Hamper is priced at HK$3,688 per set, available at
JW Marriott’s online shop.
Ordering link: https://www.buys.hk/jw-marriott-hk/html/cny-pudding-2022-checkout-en.html
Martell’s 110th Anniversary is also an excellent time to showcase three new, exclusive limited-edition cognacs to commemorate the Year of the Tiger. Collaborating with London-based
Chinese artist Jacky Tsai, whose inventive approach blends traditional Eastern techniques with
Western pop art images, the Martell VSOP Limited Edition centres on the reinterpretation of the Martell swift emblem vividly matches with an explosive display of colours and alluring aromas rooted in Martell’s unique ageing style. Embrace the gleaming shades of copper that captures the spectacular aromas of French stone fruits such as mirabelles, and apricots, while its elegant taste hints on generous fruit note with a soft spicy finish. The Noblige Limited Edition embraces Maison Martell’s daring adventurous identity with the spirit of freedom, expressed through Jacky Tsai’s captivating collage of Eastern images, together with Tsai’s spectacular reinterpretation of the swift emblem soaring to new heights. The Noblige takes on a darker gold tone, with an abundance of pear and prune in its aroma, accented with vanilla accented with a blend of aromatic cedar, fine-grained oak and myrrh while the taste is smooth with longevity that lingers on the palate.
The Cordon Bleu Limited Edition, Martell’s legendary cognac takes on an impressive journey
exploring richness and elegance perfect for refined enjoyment over special occasions. The star of Maison Martell impresses with deep golden copper tones. The aroma morphs from fruity apple and candied fruit to nutty toasted almonds and mocha coffee. Thanks to the amazing Borderies eaux-de-vie, this cognac is exceptionally rounded with much complexity and a long finish highlighting the array of fruits and spices throughout. Each of the three Chinese New Year limited edition cognacs come in 700ml bottles with a colourful gift packaging deemed luxurious for gifting and enjoyable to be shared with friends and family.