Cépage (Closed)

不是偶然看見食評的話, 也不知道 Cépage 已經結了業, 實在感到非常可惜。很懷念 Cépage 的食品, 尤其出眾的甜品賣相，已足夠令人心花怒放，例如 Pineapple Carpaccio, Blueberries, Mayer Lemon Sorbet, Yogurt Crisp，一片乾菠蘿已能做到畫龍點睛的作用，鮮菠蘿則以Carpaccio形式送上，新鮮可口，配以檸檬味雪芭和藍莓粒，格外清新。 continue reading

Knowing that Cepage was wrapping up their operations in Hong Kong during the last week of June, Mr. C and his friends organized a dinner gathering to enjoy a final meal there before bidding farewell to this one starred establishment. Reserved for a Wednesday evening, the restaurant was surprisingly full on a weekday with most tables and their two private rooms being occupied. I guess we were not the only ones wanting to pay final fond sentiments to Cepage.Only two set menus were available to choose from that evening and we all selected the Menu Epicurean. However, since Mr. C is not particularly fond of anago and I was wanting to change my dessert, we asked the servers if we could make some swaps with the Menu Decouverte which they graciously agreed to.A lovely looking bread basket was proffered for our selection with four varieties to choose from. Mini baguettes, sun-dried tomato focaccia, miso brioche and sourdough slices. The tomato focaccia seemed to be the favourite, tart, juicy tomato on a crispy herb oil infused dough, while the chewiness of the baguettes was pleasing. I know Mr. E certainly liked his baguettes since he had more than six of them!The evening began with a trio of appetizers all featuring Caviar. We were advised to start with the pasta and then gradually work our way towards the left. The signature bundle of angel hair pasta tossed with truffle oil was beautifully presented. Al dente strands of thin pasta carrying a wonderful truffle fragrance was subtly savoury from the delicate brininess of the caviar. Just like before, it was an absolute pleasure to eat. If I had to pick a dish that I would miss most from here it would certainly be this! In the middle was a thick stalk of white asparagus with its tough outer skin peeled off revealing its tender inside. Juicy with a mild flavour, it was perfect in showing off the stronger taste of the caviar. A geometric pattern of marquise cut potato was the last appetiser. Spread with a thin layer of cream, the potatoes were nicely soft and like the asparagus, the slightly bland flavour of the vegetable was ideal with the caviar.Our second appetiser was smoked anago with foie gras. When it was placed in front of me I was stunned at how big a portion of foie gras they served... Pan-seared to a gorgeous tone of dark caramel, it was a little firm, but the center still retained a melty softness. So rich and decadent, I was only able to eat half before surrendering the rest to Mr. C. As for the anago, it tasted more like a lovely smoked ham than fish which was unusual yet strangely pleasant. And to relieve the heaviness of the appetiser, the accompanying cup of ginger broth did just that.Mr. C's replacement dish was pan-seared scallops. His favourite~ Two plump looking scallops with an accompanying dipping sauce. Looked really good and definitely a much lighter dish when compared to ours A covered dish when lifted revealed a single langoustine ravioli with Parmesan foam, showered with a generous shaving of black truffles. Bouncy langoustine meat paired nicely with the creamy Parmesean foam, and to me, truffles just made the dish that little bit more special Amadai with lobster in broth was next~ I adore amadai~ no fishiness at all and it was pan-fried until each scale was gorgeously crunchy It was a little tricky trying to maneuver the lobster meat out of its shell, but the sweetness of the lobster made it all worth the trouble in the end. Such a pretty dish, everything so artfully arranged and the colours of the ingredients just went really well together~As we were waiting for our final savoury dish, the servers pushed out their signature roast chicken as a surprise from the chef. Thank you~ Served gueridon style, it was just as good as when I had it last time. Roasted beautifully, the chicken was tender and juicy whether it was meat from the breast or thigh and the skin retained a slight crisp. The potatoes deserve a special mention, soft and mushy with a crispy edge, they were delicious from being roasted with the drippings of the chicken. So so good...And then our actual main dish was served. There was a choice between roasted quail and hide beef and I picked the quail. Stuffed with foie gras it was roasted and laid on top of a bed of ratatouille. The quail had a welcome gamy flavour while the stuffing of foie gras added a richness to the overall dish. If I was not so full from the chicken beforehand, I would have enjoyed this dish even more.I did not try the hide beef, but it looked highly appetising as well. Cooked to a pink medium Mr C did say it was tender with a nice beefy flavour.And for desserts~ The original dessert was a small cup of chilled Alphonso mango pudding with exotic sorbet. I had a small spoonful of this and it tasted exactly like a Mango Weiss bars, which essentially is a bar of ice block/cream where two-thirds is mango sorbet while the remaining one-third is iced cream. For me, I opted to change it for their chocolate souffle~ Tall, dark and handsome fluffy, it was sinfully rich and just so chocolaty... an absolute chocoholics dream dessert! Paired with a small bowl of Tahitian vanilla bean ice-cream, this really made my night But it did not end there...Extra desserts from chef~ Dark chocolate tart and a huge cherry clafoutis! Even though I was so full already, I could not resist sampling both. The chocolate tart made my inner chocoholic do a happy dance~ lusciously smooth and bittersweet ganache on a crisp shortcrust pastry.. so good! While the cherry clafoutis was something totally different altogether. It had a texture similar to baked custard, quite eggy, but not overly sweet and packed full of cherries. Pleasant, but really filling.And so it concluded. A wonderful evening, great company and lovely food. Farewell Cepage, you will be missed~ continue reading

All my previous dining experiences in Cepage were highly rated and enjoyable, so it always remained among one of my highest acclaimed restaurants in Hong Kong. Until my recent Christmas dinner Service is always spot on with no doubt. From how they dealt with our reservations(I was sent pictures of the exact seating area and menu) to actually serving us on the night.Cepage has the whole package: with one michelin star under its belt, the Les Amis group restaurant located in Wanchai nestled between all the other bustling restaurants firmly holds its place as the most refined among them all. It boasts beautiful decor, tasteful artwork and one of the hugest wine collections in town, with over 2000 wine labels if memory serves me well.We were set to sample either the Christmas Set Menu (Menu Noel) at approximately 1,580 HKD per person or a regular 5-course Epicurien menu at 1,070 HKD.In light of the festivities we opted for the Christmas Set Menu - looking at it retrospectively that was a poor choice on my part.I'm not a particular fan of fried food so when we were presented with this to start with, it etched a slight frown on my face, nevertheless I was looking forward to sample the rest of the menu This was an alternate dish offered to me as I don't eat raw food. It was very nice, well paired with an asian inspired sauce This was not as simple as it looked! The scallop was wrapped in truffle This was by far the best dish among the entire menu! The onion tart was very refined and went perfectly with the trufflesThis dish was rather average. Despite the use of delicate ingredientsI was not impressed by this dish. It didn't feel very Christmasy for starters, nor did it stand out to me at all. I had much higher expectations for Cepage. If I dare be rude, it instantly reminded me of beef brisket noodles and for the price charged per head for the dinner, much need not be said of that..So for dessert they served us with this Christmas Log. I took one look at it and instantly lost interest. It did not look creative, appeasing nor appetizing and I can assure you that its taste reflected that too. Again, I had much much higher expectations for Cepage. I sincerely had hoped that they made more of an effort with their christmas menu. This so called dessert was something I could've bought from any supermarket and I'm leaving it at that.In conclusion, we were not happy with our Christmas dinner at Cepage. We've always had nothing but praise for the restaurant and its food. It was always a treat to dine here, but this time, we were thoroughly let down by the food. The menu didn't seem to be very well thought out nor executed up to its normal standards. We would have been much happier ordering off the a la carte menu. It came to around 4000HKD and neither of us walked away patting our wallets happily thinking it was good money spent on a decent meal. Still skeptical of returning again to allow it to redeem itself, but our recent dining experience really struck itself off my favourites list.. continue reading

是晚想吃得fancy點，想吃 presentation 能有驚喜的，本來是想到TATE的，但已經fully booked。Cépage是於早兩天致電book枱，有禮的服務員回覆7點半時段客滿，只能安排在9點15分入座。那⋯那那不是要吃到凌晨嗎？也只能怪自已太遲預約吧。當晚於8點多到達，先到天台小酌兩杯。於差不多過百頁的WINE LIST中選了杯champagne (~$200) 及 virgin mary(<$100)。傾傾講講說說笑笑吹吹風然後準時入座。有個4-course set($780)、5-course set($1080)、tasting menu($1,3xx)及數款a-la-carte選擇，我諗應該仲有啲 off menu dishes嘅。我倆分別點了4-course set(只有甜品可以2選1)及5-course set(主菜及甜品可以2選1)。款式及味道可以，最基本及起碼是暖的，但算不上出色。Scallop Maki Rolled in Tuber Melanosporum, Celery Rémoulade、Teppanyaki Seared Hokkaido Scallops with Teriyaki Sauce1st course 同樣都係帶子，帶子卷做得不錯，肉質滑嫩不過無奈我不太喜歡黑松露之氣味，但整體味道不俗，是不錯的前菜。server 說吃完可以將個黑松露汁一飲而盡。Seared Scallops 肥大，試了一點，算是做到表面香口中心鮮嫩，但略嫌鹽下得太重手了。2nd course 分別係Pan Fried Foie Gras, Enhanced with Quince, a Smooth Ginger Glaze and 'Jus Court' 及 Lightly Smoked Eel with Fine Dijon Mustard and Dashi BouillonFoie Gras做得出色不油膩，但鹽亦下重手了一丁點。Foie Gras確實真的被梨子Enchanced了。朋友則說 Eel 及 vegetables 有點苦，亦不太明白點解要配 Dashi Bouillon 。3rd course 則是Hokkaido Sea Urchin Over Lobster Flan, Veil of Aniseed Foam 及 Salmon under the Veil of Silky Herbal Ravioli, Enhanced with Langoustine Bisque賣相是討好的，Sea Urchin 亦很鮮嫩，但配上 Lobster Flan 味道開始奇怪了⋯ 始終不喜歡 Lobster 濃湯陣味⋯朋友的 Salmon Ravioli 可算是全晚最差⋯ Ravioli 皮有點‘UN”而且有點腥，好似做得唔好嘅蝦餃皮⋯ 魚很嫩滑，但亦有點腥⋯ 再配上 Langoustine Bisque 可謂腥上加腥⋯朋友看到鄰座的老外吃這道菜時神式同樣有異，怕亦是覺得配搭及味道古怪吧。我的4th course 係 "Zaru" Inaniwa Udon Dipping Lobster Bouillon, Fresh GingerUdon 有陣油’益‘味⋯ 又加上龍蝦湯⋯ 情緒開始進入低潮⋯主菜我選了Slices of Hilda Beef with Aromatic Garnish，朋友的則是Oxtail "Pot Au Feu" Cooked in Black Truffle Bouillon and Winter Vegetables。好彩主菜配搭正常！牛肉是全晚做得最好的，但比不上 Gaddi's 及 Madam Sixty Ate。另外，牛尾回歸傳統做法，味道立即重拾高水準，加上黑松露高湯相得益漳。Dessert: Poached <Bonnie Louise> Creamy Dark Chocolate with Pear Sorbert、Strawberry Sorbet & Yuzu Granita over Golden Sake Jelly with Sparkling Crystal Lid。味道中規中距，與價錢成正比。賣相不算outstanding。最後加上 Tea / Coffee 及 Petite Four。食物大體上做得不俗，很多細節看得出心思，烹調時間掌握得拾到好處。chef 好似好鐘意‘湯’咁，幾道course都不約而同建議你飲埋個湯 / 汁去。不過食材選用上稍稍不夠百變。用來裝飾的唔記得咩tempura係4個course上都有出現，而lobster做的汁醬亦用於3個course上。可能係成本控制上的結果，你亦都可以話人地唔會個個course都share嘅。 continue reading

Once a year you get to choose where you wanna go, on that special day. You are very grateful for what you've been blessed with. Every good, beautiful and delicious thing is from above. Environmentiana Krall singing S'wonderful softly in the background. Note: 36-month iberico ham available that evening. 25g per serve. Service:Excellent, as expected. Participation of the entire table for a particular menu is not mandatory. like!! Our server asked if H wanted only hot food, and thus served hot water and made a substitution for the originally cold amuse bouche. They also gave us plates to share food - no intimidating airs and graces here! And I had a small stool to put my stuff on. Sadly, sparkling water was imposed on the other diners. Food:Bread basketSourdough, tomato focaccia, bacon rolls. Bacon roll was the best - haven't had it elsewhere. Very chewy body and the pancetta was very fragrant. You could taste the delicious oils. Menu epicurien (for me)Amuse bouche - avocado cream balanced with fresh tomato water, topped with light mediterranean yoghurt Intense and extremely fresh tomato water. Yoghurt was not too sour or overpowering. Not too thick either. Served cold. Enough tartness to get my juices flowing. Bring it on. Potato salad with oscietre caviar and mixed herbsThe potato was very soft but was not crumbly. You know how baked jacket potatoes go all crumbly in the center? This leaf of potato was more rubbery and 'malleable' in terms of texture. But it was soft. Quite an interesting texture actually. Wonder what potato they used. Smoked salmon was very intense and the caviar wasn't that bad. I actually ate all of it...and I usually stay away from these fishy things. Capers weren't too sour/salty. Good flavour profile. And of course it looked beautiful. Deep sea lobster ravioli and silky tofu in a light dashi buillon with kinome and junsaiOkay so this item was on my menu but I gave all of it away to a happy beneficiary who gladly took the langoustine ravioli. I finished the soup. It's like a consomme, but slightly over-seasoned. It was very hot though. You can see that the ravioli skin had some corriander incorporated into it but I couldn't taste it at all. And you can see how the corriander specks are uniform and evenly distributed. Man. So much skill must've gone into making this delicate skin. Upside down cheese souffle with tasmanian black truffleArtwork which pains me to eat. The natural patterns on a truffle's cross-section are beautiful. Natural is beautiful. The term 'souffle' here is slightly misleading here since the texture is unlike the traditional light and airy souffle. It's more custardy than anything - a mystery why they used 'souffle' in the first place. But regarding the taste - nothing impressive. And honestly, I couldn't really taste the truffle because it was sliced so thinly and there was nothing to bring out its delicate flavours. I nicked the origami paper though, so pretty . Kimedai fillet cooked in bamboo steamer, drizzled with rich tuna jus and olive oilBecause it's steamed, I guess it helped preserve the silky texture and moistness of the fillet. The green asparagus was in season - tender and sweet! I guess the tiny drizzling of juice reflects the chef's confidence in the natural sweetness of the fish. Poached cherry tiramisu layered with light mascarpone creamAgain, I had to marvel at how pretty this thing looked before digging in. Somehow they managed to find a really good piece of origami paper to match the speckled surface of the tiramisu. I nicked the piece of paper of course (it is still wedged comfortably under the sheet of glass on my desk). It was surprisingly light for a tiramisu - the creamy, cheesy bit was frothy and felt somewhat like whipped cream (just set). This might explain why I managed to finish the whole thing without feeling guilty..? The lady fingers were not soggy so the coffee liquor taste was not strong. I believe there was some cherry-flavored thing going on with the sponge. A sprinkling of crunchy, sweet, candied almond splinters added another dimension to the creamy, smooth dessert. The dessert is not chilled. But is it very good? I don't know. Perhaps not. Despite its visual appeal I think this dessert did not wow me in terms of flavour. A-la-carte:White asparagus soup with 18 months mimolette cheese $130This dish was an a la carte order. It was hot, steamy, frothy, and not creamy. Extra hot to suit the lady - server told us it was normally served lukewarm. A small chip of grilled cheese went surprisingly well with the soup. The grilled cheese was a delicious little morsel. I'm not sure if it was deep fried or grilled - or both. It was very cheesy and intense, a bit too salty if had alone, but it complemented the mild flavour of soup very well. continue reading