NUR Restaurant (Closed)

晚上帶著幾個？？號同疑惑嘅心態上左NUR,原來最後係意想不到嘅滿足。每道菜都加入多種由餐廳團隊挑選之農莊每日新鮮運到嘅蔬菜，同時亦只會用露台自家種嘅各種香草，連麵包都用上自然發酵方式製作，從食材到烹調方式以至賣相味道都完全感受到廚師細心去融合菜式嘅營養價值健康與味道，令帶著對主廚營養美食學理念嘅懷疑一掃而空，連我對面一向咀鵰嘅大小姐都成晚講e個好食喎e個好食喎。認真厲害開胃小食有三款homemade嘅風乾凍肉及鵝胸肉配上幾款新鮮蔬菜,蕃茄仔,青瓜,甘荀及蘿蔔,配搭清新自然發酵方式製作嘅麵包,外脆內軟好味十分特別嘅菜式,兩片翠綠Romaine中間夾住由開心果打成嘅醬,入口爽脆而充滿濃郁開心果味道只係表面輕輕燒香嘅skilfish鮮味而嫩滑無比由青豆做成嘅濃湯放上爽甜嘅皇帝蟹肉再配上自家製炸蝦片,一流!最為驚喜嘅菜式,當翠綠嘅露荀遇上香脆冬蟲草加上miso sauce,三者融合得接近完美,非常佩服主廚對於食材配搭嘅心思第一道主菜為吞拿魚配上牛油果,自家製泡菜及帶微辣而惹味嘅烤椒汁第二道主菜為三成熟燒鵝胸肉,配合清甜梨肉及爽脆菊苣,為全晚最美味菜式甜品日本產士多啤梨,乳酪,士多啤梨汁,看似簡單卻賣相漂亮味道甜甜酸酸而清新第二道甜品為香滑軟棉蕃薯配上dekopon orange及糖脆片,甜而不膩,為呢一餐劃上完美句號 continue reading

Every once in a while, you experience something so unexpected that it instantly forms a lasting memory. The tasting menu at NUR has left an indelible impression, one that has me comparing the meal to one of my top five ever.... Big call for sure, but there it is.Let me tell you a little bit about NUR. The chef and founder of NUR has an interesting background: inspired and tutored by culinary legend Raymond Blanc, Nurdin Topham's life changed when Blanc prepared him a tomato dish which was a revelation, tasting like nothing Chef Topham had tasted before. So much flavour, yet so light and balanced, the dish inspired a life changing decision, one that led to ten years in Blanc's two Michelin Starred Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, as well as a qualification as a natural therapist. The inspiration for NUR came once Nurdin was able to eat at Rene Redzepi's world famous NOMA in Copenhagen, which led to an internship at Redzepi's Nordic Food Lab, where he immersed himself in artisanal food production, science and fermentation. Wanting to open his own restaurant, but never thinking that Hong Kong would become home, it was a chance meeting with a HK chef that led to the opening of NUR. The rest, as they say, is history.I found myself sitting in the classy, yet understated dining room of NUR on a Saturday night. We were keen to get started and arrive a little before opening time of 630pm, which gave me the opportunity to stand at the entrance and watch the kitchen madly prepare for the session ahead. Chef Topham was marshalling the team and getting his hands dirty helping prepare for service. Once 630 ticked over, we were the first into the restaurant and seated at our table, which afforded great views of the dining area and kitchen.NUR offers a tasting menu only, so we were given a translucent menu that listed out offerings on the September menu, which looked tantalisingly delicious. The menu gave little away, just naming ingredients, and we were left to imagine the meal to come. We didn't have to wait long before a series of amuse bouche arrived at the table. Kicking off with a quartet of small, tasty looking bites on a simple rectangular plate, the sweet corn taco with chilli and coriander foam was a sensation. Quickly followed by scoffing the flaxseed with tomato, moving to the pickled radish and finishing with a round of cucumber with honeydew. It was hard to determine which was best, each was fantastic, but very different from the next.Another little treat before the meal started was a serving of goose ham, made from breast that was cured for eight weeks and leg that was cured for six. The light ham was powerfully flavoured, yet danced lightly on the palate. Accompanying the goose ham was a pickled veg with seaweed, which provided a little acidity to balance out the fatty ham. A shot glass of kombucha tea seasoned with lemon myrtle and spinach finished of the pre dinner snacks, it was refreshing and didn't have that pungent flavour that poorly prepared kombucha tea can have.Our nine course tasting menu started on a high. A beautifully presented plate of king crab mixed with pomelo, lemon, basil and decorative edible flowers was topped up with a lovely broth. There was a subtlety in the flavours, which were incredibly balanced and well layered. There was initially the little tart bite from the pomelo, which was quickly followed by the sweetness of the king crab and finished with that wonderful broth. The flavours were divine and it took all of my willpower not to scoff the lot down, instead, I took my time and savoured every bite. It was so good that I even picked up the bowl and poured every last drop of that broth into my mouth!From its title, we had no idea what our next dish would consist of. We were informed that 'hamo' was in fact Japanese eel, but presented in a completely unique way so that a diner would never know it was eel unless being told. Presented as a spongy foam and accompanied with grapes, it was flavoured with tarragon and sat in an onion dashi. Each of the components were wonderful on their own, but when combining all of the ingredients together, magic happened and the dish came together. Wonderfully light flavours and textures tantalised the palate. NUR was batting two for two and I was starting to get excited!The meal was building beautifully and our next course of 'girolle' was another step up. Essentially a bowl of mixed mushrooms, the bowl included a foam that was also constructed from mushrooms. The flavour was wonderful but a little astringent, a matter that was quickly balanced once the sweetcorn in the dish was discovered. I was startled by how complex the layering of the flavours were, simply astounded. If anything, the 'girolle' was even better than the delectable dishes we'd had so far.Up next was 'hamachi', which is a white flesh fish, better known as amberjack or yellowtail outside of Japan. It was ever so lightly seared on one side and accompanied by pickled watermelon topped with pistachio foam, mint and honey dipped lettuce, all sitting atop a honeydew sauce. Again, each of the ingredients by themselves were beautifully cooked, but combined were somehow complete. The simple flavours built upon each other and connected in a way that seemed impossible when looking at the plate.The next dish was a little bit of a bummer for me, the 'golden egg' looked beautiful on the plate, the contrasting colours of the golden egg and the green zucchini, baby new peas and legumes were amazing. The egg was superbly cooked, but there was a flavour profile that didn't sit well on my palate, which impacted my enjoyment of the dish. SC had no such issues and wondered why I had any issues with it at all. It wasn't until our plates were being cleared and we were chatting to our waiter that it became clear that the egg had been marinated in turmeric, an Indian spice that I really dislike. Reflecting back, I wondered if you could still get that golden egg colour from saffron instead? I think I'd have loved that flavour combination.We were back on song with the next dish of 'sea bream', which had been slowly poached and then topped with preserved shallots and accompanied by heirloom tomatoes, matched with a trio of different flavoured basil leaves. The tomatoes were full flavoured and quite amazing and for a moment I imagined that the flavour was similar to that eureka moment that Chef Topham had tried the Raymond Blanc tomato dish. The sea bream was perfectly cooked and like every other dish that had proceeded it had incredibly well layered flavours.The moment I'd set eyes on the menu I'd been excited and apprehensive about the final savoury course and main dish. Titled 'BBQ'd Goose', my only other experience with goose in Hong Kong had been quite disappointing. When the dish was presented, we were kept in suspense a little longer, the presentation had the goose hidden underneath a thin layer of Tokyo turnip. Our waiter explained that the goose was medium rare as he poured a little of the goose juice into the stark black bowl. My apprehension quickly faded and was replaced with sense of admiration for the chef, who was clearly a master. The goose was incredible, the flavours deep and gamey, yet perfectly balanced. It was a fitting way to finish of the savoury component of our meal and left me wanting more.First dessert was as interesting as it was simple. A slice of yamanashi peach, topped with pretty flowers, sat in a bed of peach juice and was paired with a slice of tofu. I've never been a fan of tofu, which was reinforced when I tried a small section of the tofu before any other component. It wasn't until I combined the peach and peach juice with the tofu that it all came together, and then I understood. Yum!Last dessert, and regrettably the last item on the tasting menu, was the 'fig', which sounded simple but was anything but. A couple of lightly stewed fig pieces were sitting atop some wedges of walnut cake and accompanied by some chia seed tuile and the creamiest of ice creams made from fig leaves. It looked spectacular (as had all of the dishes). It was also an incredible way to finish off what had been a truly memorable meal. The fig had that lovely balance of sweetness and savoury, but was enhanced enormously by the ice cream. It was a #nomnomnom moment for sure.We spent a little time chatting to our waiter at the end of the meal, he'd been with us through the journey and had carefully explained each meal as it had been presented. It was indicative of the service at NUR, which was attentive and friendly... We certainly felt welcomed. As a bonus, he introduced us to Chef Topham on our way out, so I was able tell the chef personally how much we'd enjoyed the meal.As we were leaving, our waiter also let us know a little secret. One of Hong Kong's most awarded chefs, a chef that arguably runs Asia's top restaurant was sitting at the table next to us, enjoying a meal with his family at NUR. Yep, it's that type of place, extrodanary food and a very reasonable price, so much so that an amazing chef was also in enjoying the meal.I've been lucky enough to eat at some of the best restaurants in the world, in fact I'd had my best meal ever recently at The Square in London (post coming soon). I'd have to say that NUR easily ranks up amongst the best. I guess the only thing that's a bit of a mystery to me is.... How can NUR only have one Michelin Star!! A travesty that the Michelin guide needs to immediately fix! I'll be back @FoodMeUpScottyLoved the little plant holder!The meal started with beautiful and strong flavours and never let up!The King Crab dish was unbelievable!As was this simple bowl of mushrooms and sweetcornThe kitchen hard at it continue reading

NUR , means LIGHT in Arabic , quite an interesting name .NUR provided 3 kinds of set menu (" FEAST " included 9 courses at $988 , " LIGHT " included 6 courses at $788 and a caring menu specially for vegetarian .) They are willing to delivery the nourishing gastronomy , food will be sourced locally and responsibly in NUR , dishes are not just tasty , but nourishing our bodies as well! Not advertising , Head chef Nurdin Topham is super energetic with a handsome looking. Haha . I like him Dinners can see how he lead the kitchen and how the team selected finest ingredients with utmost care via the half- open kitchen . Their welcome snacks offer you carrots , cucumber and parsley mouse . Simple , looks delicate as well .  A very colourful presentation , looks fresh , tastes fresh .  Vegetables married with a respect of nutrition ,everything on the platter is a crunchy bite . Healthy , No Guilty  !This eye catching platter is a good start to whet your appetite and looking forward to coming delicacies ! The first one is tomatoes . Zen heirloom tomatoes , small but juicy . Three kinds of lovely tomato are equally plump in nature . The waiter will pour a flask of tomato water when is ready to serve , meanwhile you can see how the tomato juice blended subtly with the water . This is simply delighted ." Oyster " presented elegantly on a marbled platform . Topped with wasabi foam , very inventive thoughts . Oyster is fatty , thick and plump , guess it's practically still moving . The briny sensation will leave you licking the shell . Wasabi foam is light ,yet added sparks to the oyster and escalate the tastes . A big , favourable oyster that you can feel satisfies about food . Lip - smacking ! "Salmon "is another surprise wows you . It brushed with butter to enhance natural flavours , perfectly trimmed , completely silky . Such greasy stewing method with their special marination leaves nothing to be desired . Sides add substance and heft too ! The salmon , which is blasted with chives , suppose is not my cup at all , turns out to a very palatable taste that are irresistible . Beet root and minced citrus not only radiate the vibrance of spring views in a delicate way ,but also smartly paired to balance the general mouthfuls . Can't expect salmon could be that sophisticated . Experience this unforgettable combination and tempt your tastebuds !Here comes the " Crab " . A bowl of refreshing sensation to continue your gourmet journey . King crab itself is succulent , mixed distinctively well with the pomelo . This light emotion goes gradually fruity which is likeable . Every spoonful is light yet create dazzling effects under the contribution of garden herbs , so aromatic! " Eggs " is one of their signature . No doubt , it is a highlight . A common dish done uncommonly well .  Taiyouran egg is a kind of farmer egg , that' s why the egg is sweet in nature . Dinners can definitely taste the farm - to - table freshness . The mouthwatering egg yolk oozes out and quickly run over the underneath whole grains ,remarkably form a wonderful twist. The grains cooked into a al dente texture and absorbed the truffle broth and raised the sense of portobello mushroom . The whole thing is rich , mellow and strong .All ingredients combined together is a vibrant chores . The other fish course which  is  also a main dish " mackerel " performed comparatively about average in contrast other outstanding dishes .  Mackerel is firm in texture , not fishy but meaty , not bad , however it serves with coco beans which is not matched and inessential . Moreover , the sauce can't enliven under the shiso zest . The help of shiso is too weak , can' stand out . The tastes overall is quite insipid . Main course " Beef " cut thick to ensure juiciness, successfully maintain its tenderness as well. Roasted Mayura wagyu sirloin is so juicy it bursts like a water pipe when you cut into it. The high -end quality let the rare meat dissolves on your tongue and its underneath awaits a bed of fresh greens and fatty belly , just like pancetta. Although the time of management on roasting the wagyu deserves praises ,  somehow the sauce is too heavy and overpowering . I don't appreciate the black sesame hint it tastes , is really weird .  Anyway , Aubergine and greens leafs '  tastes are pleased and outweigh the garnishing use. It got the potential to dilute the heaviness and greasiness .The portion is incredibly generous as well, best pick for Steak lovers , especially male ! Dessert Time ! Miss rabbit favourite time ! " Chocolate " is heavenly created for chocolate lovers ! All you need to do is enjoy the chocolate homemade ice cream which encased in milk chocolate ganache and generously spoon the silky dark chocolate with crumbles ! The flaky crust on sides form a harmonious marriage of decadent flavours and the traces of mango paste infuses the ice cream with intense flavours . Such fruitful temptation feed your inner child . The last dessert is " Watermelon " . This is fruity light , the decor of rose petals makes a graceful look , pass along a sense of mild fragrant  . Underneath is Apple custard , which is entirely smashed ,  melted swiftly with a vague pomegranate hint .  This cooling touch end up your meal impeccably . The entire dining experience is delectable . Each painstakingly selected ingredient contributes to the greatness of the dish . I also specially appreciate how they present and reveal their mission uniquely , very customise and nifty . The decor is simply chic and stylish with clear- cut design , Miss rabbit do like the layout and the washroom is unexpectedly grand ! But it's quite noisy when it's full house . Anyway , still in an acceptable range , come on , is central . Services are above average , staffs are smart and friendly with a smiling face  .They are alerted to dinners' needs and settle it effectively . The passion from NUR is immensely strong with positive inflection . I do think this eatery is potential with talented chefs team .  Hope they can keep it up ,  just like their name " NUR " , light bulbs need electricity to maintain its brightness ! continue reading

Overall the food was good, but there was a big disconnect between the food and the service. If you are going for a special occasion, be prepared take a risk of possibly spoiling your mood. I was with three other friends, as soon as we arrived, a waiter came over to pour some water, but spilt it all over the table, over my menu and serviette. Instead of cleaning it up immediately, he just walked away. So I asked another waiter who passed by to wipe off the table, and he just took my serviette and dried off the table with it. When I asked for a new one, which I had to go a third waiter, he seemed to be completely discontent about my request, as though I was being unreasonably demanding. What a great start to the meal. Throughout the night, we were served by 3-4 waiters, who were all unprofessional and not attentive. They were not familiar with their own dishes and just gave generic descriptions to the dishes. We had to guess and in the end we had to ask for a menu as reference. A couple of them would mumble and most of the time didn't respond upon requests for pouring of water or wine. Good thing the food was good and innovative and credit must given to Chef Nurdin Topham. In particular, the amuse bouche with candies carrots, beet chip and cucumber rolls were light and refreshing. The 9 course feast had the perfect portions and just the right number of dishes. The langoustine was cooked to perfection, with a nice touch of Thai from mango peanut and yoghurt. The mackerel was slow cooked and it was to the juiciest, silkiest mackerel I have ever had. The best dish was the banana dessert with baked banana with white chocolate, Sichuan pepper, and caramel, well textured, not overly sweet and had just the right hint of spiciness. I wanted more.   Unfortunately the sweet savoring taste of the dessert was quickly ruined by the poor servicing staff... again. We were offered the coffee/tea menu, before the table was even cleared, and they only gave us 3 menus for the 4 of us. When we asked for one more, we were asked to share!  Then we noticed the group of male servers were very eager about taking photos for the pretty girls at the table next to ours. To be fair, the girls were cute, but shouldn't the staff be a bit more professional and treated all the guests equally? Service was worse than a dai pai dong! Has F&B service in HK come so low? continue reading

首先說環境，老實說不適合拍拖來，因為個場好似food court ，啲燈好光，部份枱好密，而且一入到餐廳就聞到好大陣油煙味，因為好大個open kitchen ；不過好彩，我們大抵得到全場最好的一張枱，因為自成一角，遠離開open kitchen的油煙，而且燈又暗啲（所以啲相映得麻麻），對個環境算好滿意。 NUR是甚麼呢？阿拉伯文是light 的意思，他們做的是 nourishing gastronomy , 即係咩？即係凡事都要有個說法，摘取最新鮮的材料，加上有創意的配搭，份子料理之中要做到營養高，味道好是也，這就是NUR 的中心思想。 咁即係食咩呀？menu 有兩款 “Light” 和”Feast”價錢是＄788 及＄988，全枱人都要選同一款menu ，一場來到就要是”Feast” 吃它的九道菜。 酒未揀好，餐前小食已經急不及待送上，beetroot taco with watercress emulsion ，slow-cooked carrot，cucumbers，仲有一杯青綠色的Jasmine kombucha ，果然好清新。 新一道菜蕃茄，延續清新感覺，個tomato water 好甜。 Langoustine (類似scampi，不過又唔係scampi) ，mango , peanut, yoghurt ，我覺得好好食。 King crab, pomelo , gardens herbs, 邊個 garden 啲herbs ? 個侍應話係佢哋自己喺花園種嘅herbs，加埋蟹肉，柚子同柚子汁，好light。 Organic Irish salmon , cucumber , smoked buttermilk , dill 呢個係全晚我最鍾意的，個 buttermilk 好味，件三文魚如果可以大件啲就好。 Taiyouran egg, whole grains , shiitake mushroom , garlic chive 隻蛋半生熟，將啲蛋液混埋grains ，真係好似早餐，兩款菇都好味。呢道菜仲跟佢哋自己整嘅organic sourdough bread ，朋友話好食，不過個mushroom butter 就過鹹，麵包唔係的朋友，冇食 。 Wild pacific cod ，coco beans , shiso ，好食，件cod fish 可以大件啲就好。 Roasted Mayura wagyu sirloin, black garlic，個黑蒜太濃，和牛一向麻麻，反而鍾意面頭幾塊葉。 最後兩味甜品，watermelon and rose, apple custard, pomegranate 同埋 Banana，white chocolate ，Sichuan pepper 兩樣都好得意，最好係唔甜。 每道菜都幾有心機，至少有諗過，材料係幾 fresh，一道菜有濃有淡，如果你對herbs 有偏好就啱哂添。 會唔會再去？hmm……如果book 返同一張枱應該ok。 continue reading