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2010-01-26
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Came here with my girlfriend for my last dinner before leaving Hong Kong, so the mood was a little melancholy. We were in Happy Valley and she had a sudden craving for Oysters, and so here we ventured.The restaurant was small but the decor was simple and classy, following the new line of cozy yet upscale seafood bars that are en vogue at the moment. For oysters we put ourselves in the hands of our waiter. When our platter came, it included two briny ones (supposedly) South Bend from America, M
The restaurant was small but the decor was simple and classy, following the new line of cozy yet upscale seafood bars that are en vogue at the moment.
For oysters we put ourselves in the hands of our waiter. When our platter came, it included two briny ones (supposedly) South Bend from America, Malpeque from Canada, and two French ones - La Royale Cabanon and Gillardeau, which were creamier and in season. The oysters were good, nothing blew my mind. My favourite was actually Malpeque, which was billed as a briny oyster but actually had a wonderful creamy texture as well. A little downside was that we had to ask for vinegar, as they provided only the heavier sauce.
To accompany the oysters we both had some wine - I had the Sanctuary Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand - it was dry and a tad acidic, and did not really accompany the oysters too well, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The missus had the Maimai Chardonnay, which she really enjoyed - it had a much more fruitier flavor with hints of berries
For appetizers I ordered the 48 month aged Iberico Bellota ham. Now this was a treat! It was a little costly, $300 for less than 100 grams, but it was worth it. It makes prosciutto look like crude oscar mayer ham. Even if you have had iberico ham before, this ham absolutely took my breath away. It really is quite difficult to describe, try it yourself! The waiter also recommended the garlic bread, so we got that too. It was very very good as well, with the bread being crispy yet soft, and the garlic aromatic yet not overpowering. The amount of butter they put is probably the daily calorie quota for a child.
For the main courses I chose fish (it was a seafood bar, right) - more specifically the grouper fillet, oven-baked with a black truffle butter sauce. It was also after the debacle of a dish at Cova that made me curious to see how this restaurant stacked up. My girlfriend chose the Australian Rack of Lamb. Both dishes were accompanied by seasonal vegetables. For the fish, it came out hot (restaurant one, Cova zero) and the skin looked well cooked and crispy underneath the sauce. However, while Cova over-cooked the fish, the restaurant undercooked it. I could feel the chewiness of the fish in spite of the vegetables and heavy sauce. Finally, the sauce was way way way too salty. Despite billing it as a truffle sauce, the gallon of butter they added completely rendered the truffles indistinguishable. It was a disappointing dish.
The rack of lamb on the other hand seemed great. I only tried a piece (despite her insistence I try more, I simply was not that hungry), and it was cooked well, but the missus enjoyed it immensely!
For dessert we ordered the Creme Brulee, and this was not very good at all. The caramel layer on top was too thick, and therefore made the dish too sweet. Comparatively, the custard base at the bottom was too thin, which made it not feel like a creme brulee at all. We ended up leaving half of it.
The appetizers were great, the oysters fine, the mains (at least for me) not so and the dessert pretty bad. Come here for some decent oysters, and perhaps the appetizers (the ham was truly delicious), but if you come for a full meal, don't expect to get your value's worth!
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