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2012-11-21
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The upside of working in Central is that you are spoiled for choice when it comes to finding a restaurant for lunch. The downside is that a lot of these restaurants are wincingly overpriced, and you will have to walk a bit further in order to find more reasonably priced eateries.Agnès b. le pain grillé at La Loggia is tucked away inside Lane Crawford on the third floor in IFC. Going through an inconspicuous entrance brings you to an intimate, sophisticated restaurant that overlooks a beautiful h
Agnès b. le pain grillé at La Loggia is tucked away inside Lane Crawford on the third floor in IFC. Going through an inconspicuous entrance brings you to an intimate, sophisticated restaurant that overlooks a beautiful harbour view. La Loggia is the name of Agnes b.’s grandmother’s holiday home in the south of France, and the restaurant’s decor displays a sense of elegance and style that is reminiscent of Agnes b.‘s fashion designs.
Despite the brand's accolade in the fashion world, however, the restaurant fails to deliver the same level of inspiration when it comes to food. The restaurant serves a 2-course lunch menu for $248-$358 (+10%), depending on which main course you order. Lunch comes with a coffee or tea, and you can add $38 for a dessert. I’m not complaining about the prices per se, as it is after all a perceptibly high-end restaurant located in the plush IFC environs, but for this amount paid for lunch I was after something more delicious and satisfying to help me carry through the day.
A smart basket of baguettes made its way to our table shortly after we sat down.
(1) We started off with the Daily Soup, which was a Pumpkin Soup. It was naturally flavoured by the pumpkin, and had a thick, soothing texture.
(2) The appetiser, Marinated Tuna with Crab Meat, Capsicum & Herb Salad, was deliciously comforting. Even though the piece of marinated tuna looked rather lonely on its own, its taste was mellow and delicate. The crab meat, which was coated in a mayonnaise-like dressing, was full of fresh flavours.
(3) The Madeira Wine Jelly in Duck Foie Gras Terrine was creamy and indulgent. It paired well with a piece of crunchy toasted brioche, and the rhubarb compote gave this appetiser sweetness.
(4) The Duck Breast Salad, however, certainly did not win me over. Small cubes of duck breast lounged on top of a pile of green salad; the duck skin was thick and not properly grilled, which made the salad rather greasy and lacking in flavours.
(5) As much as I love pasta of any sort, the Shrimp Tagliolini Pasta served with Julienne Vegetables, Cherry Tomatoes & Garlic in White Wine Sauce did not lift my spirits. Not only was it a tad predictable in appearance, the taste was just equally unexciting – it was in want of more sauce and more vibrant flavours.
(6) On other days I would have been up for a piece of cake as a nice way to end my meal, but after the disheartening main courses, all I wanted was a cup of Cafe au Lait. Fortunately, it was a decent cup of coffee, with a bitter but fine, aromatic taste.
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