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2024-05-28
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I have received many praises regarding this restaurant from friends and the internet. It is about time I came. From the moment I walked in, I knew the service would be top-notch. The environment is elegant and makes the small space seem spacious and heavenly. This restaurant does not use any dairy products which is great for a lactose-sensitive like me.$$$This is definitely on the far end of fine dining in Hong Kong with the weekday lunch sets priced at $928, $1,168, and $2,318 (including a kitc
$$$
This is definitely on the far end of fine dining in Hong Kong with the weekday lunch sets priced at $928, $1,168, and $2,318 (including a kitchen tour). We went for the cheapest option and still left very full and satisfied.
Amuse Bouche
The most memorable amuse-bouche is the phenomenal tomato and tofu dish that features a layer of tomato jelly, tofu, and tomato relish with Sichuan peppercorns. The tofu is extremely silky and creamy with a texture not dissimilar to burrata, working beautifully with the small heat emitting from the fresh tomatoes on top. Truly a great start to the meal.
The other amuse-bouche included a creamy foie gras lollipop paired with gingerbread and a house brewed kombucha spiked with seltzer for a pleasant palette cleanser and appetite stimulant.
Bread
Walking away from the extravagant and overwhelming bread baskets, Amber focuses on simplicity and perfecting that. Their sourdough is fermented for 48 hours and utterly flawless from the chewy and tangy interior to the crispy and crusty crust. It is consistent and reliable, no wildcards with flavors and techniques here.
The butter on the other hand is not like your traditional butter as it is made from caramelised enriched soy milk and lactose fermented cashew butter but it tastes exactly like cow butter with the same mouthfeel and creaminess that is mind-boggling. It’s lightly seasoned with soy sauce so you get subtle umami but really it is the pure creamy fat that you taste and goes so well with the acidic bread.
Truly a remarkable albeit simple representation of bread and butter that showcases the team’s hard work perfecting their craft.
Starter
For the starter, I chose their Nishimera salmon trout smoked in sakura wood topped with trout roe that made for an amazing twist on the mother-and-child pair. The trout is salty and bouncy whilst the roe is salty and gooey. The saltiness is balanced by the creamy, unctuous emulsion made from eggs and Junmai Sake that simultaneously offers lightness and richness. However, the true star of the dish had to be the perfectly cooked asparagus on the side that is brushed with kombu oil, taking this seasonal ingredient to the next level. Eating the crunchy asparagus with the tender trout was a textural umami bomb. This is by far the best starter I’ve ever had in any restaurant.
Main
The umami-rich starter was followed by another umami-rich dish but still somehow wasn’t overwhelming. The toothfish with Normandy scallops is a delicate and sophisticated dish that highlights the ocean’s abundance. The toothfish is firm yet flaky (a sign that it is perfectly cooked) and the huge scallops are tender and slightly opaque (also a sign that it is perfectly cooked). Wrapped in kelp for a crunch and umami, served on house-made garum (a fermented fish sauce made from marine organs) using scallop organs. This umami-loaded dish is balanced by the sweet and silky turnip puree on the side.
Dessert
This short but filling lunch concludes with a parade of sweets from the chosen dessert to the complementary celebratory cake to the petit fours.
My chosen dessert was the seasonal pineapple surprisingly paired with elements of rice and matcha. This was a refreshing and fruity choice that accentuated the naturally sweet pineapple.
The complementary cake was a longan mousse filled with hazelnut chocolate and topped with a yuzu curd. Extremely light mousse with rich chocolate and zesty curd, what more could you ask for? A very balanced dessert and they are very generous with the size of the cake so do come for celebrations.
Petite fours started with their deceptively light madeleine decorated with poppy seeds and a black lemon (basically dehydrated lemon/lime) gel in the middle. This shattered with minimal force and is easily the lightest madeleine I’ve ever eaten (I’ve had 3). Followed by a rich 70% chocolate encapsulating a yuzu and mikan (satsuma or Japanese mandarin) curd topped with toasty caramelized sunflower seeds. This indulgent bite is reconciled by the fresh fruit platter that reflected my childhood. The platter includes a variety of seasonal fruits imported from Taiwan, such as rose apple, mango, and a first-time milk fruit. This purple-fleshed fruit reminds me of mangosteen due to the white gel-like interior but the taste really does remind me of milk. Perhaps even more closely to coconut flesh which is also very creamy as milk fruit also has a slight crunch. An interesting fruit that you can only find in Amber in Hong Kong. We also ended with a fun tea called “Monkey Picked” which is under the subcategory of Tieguanyin, a black tea. This tea is shaken with raspberry jam and finished with Amalfi lemon zest for a refreshing final send-off.
Final thoughts
Given the high price tag, you can surely expect first-class service and food here. The food does not scream high innovation and unique ingredients but instead focuses on elevating existing and sustainable ingredients, creating surprising pairings via sophisticated techniques. I truly recommend coming here for a celebratory lunch and even ordering the cheapest option because you will surely be stuffed and satisfied.
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