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2021-04-10
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Like many of you who are reading this, I was beyond excited when I finally (!) managed to make a reservation at this place.As a passionate food lover and aficionado of French cuisine, it pains me to say that the food here is so disappointing that I was prompted to finally post my first ever Openrice review after reading probably 2000+ reviews here.Let's get the positives out there first:- Service was friendly and attentive- Free water is provided (i.e. you're not forced to opt for still or spark
As a passionate food lover and aficionado of French cuisine, it pains me to say that the food here is so disappointing that I was prompted to finally post my first ever Openrice review after reading probably 2000+ reviews here.
Let's get the positives out there first:
- Service was friendly and attentive
- Free water is provided (i.e. you're not forced to opt for still or sparking water)
Now for the actual food. Let's ignore for a moment that the restaurant does not offer any sets; if the food speaks for itself a higher price is not an issue at all.
I ordered the Chicken Liver parfait ($88) as a starter.
Yes, the texture was creamy; the flavour of the liver was however severely lacking and way too overpowered by salt. The umami was missing. I understand this is not duck liver nor goose liver, but it looks like the seasoning or the proportion of ingredients can be improved. The sweetness of onions on the side provided a nice contrast to the saltiness of the chicken liver mousse but does not negate the lack of complexity of the mousse. The crotons which were provided to go with the mousse were crispy, but way too oily (my fingers were covered in oil). I've had crotons in other places which were far less oily. Overall, this dish wasn't unpalatable; but after seeing so many positive reviews of this dish I was very much let down by its taste. For the main I went for their signature duck breast ($435).
I've seen a few reviews suggesting their duck breast was overcooked, but it was obviously rude to ask the server to please help ensure the duck was not overcooked, particularly since she already mentioned to me the duck breast would be cooked medium rare when I placed the order. The duck breast came medium well - apart from the middlemost two(?) pieces, all the other pieces were overcooked and were borderline dry. Some pieces were even slightly difficult to chew. If it weren't for the flavourful sauce, a saving grace of the dish, I would not have been able to finish the duck breast at all. Also, at the time of visit, the side vegetable was endive which was a bitter vegetable. I do not understand how the bitterness of the endive complements the duck breast in any way; it was plainly unenjoyable. Based on reviews, the previous side veg were celeriac mash and pumpkin mash; I imagine either of these two would work much better than the endive.
Since both dishes were substantially below my expectations I decided to skip the dessert. It also did not help that there were three persistent flies hovering nearby in the entire duration of my meal. As a side note, I noticed that the beef tartare dish, ordered by the table next to me, was drenched in mayo. I am rather sure that's not how beef tartare is made (beef tartare lover here who has had beef tartare across the globe....).
I was so perplexed by this place that I decided to look up the restaurant owner (Tiffany Lo)'s instagram profile, which is public. Based on it, it looks like she has spent some time in London, which is filled with brilliant restaurants, including no shortage of amazing French restaurants offering dishes at a fraction of the price. I understand rent may be higher in Hong Kong, so I think the higher prices can be excused; nevertheless, surely there was something to be learnt in terms of flavour and cooking technique?
Overall, I am sad to report that, in my humble opinion, Jean May is definitely not worth your time and hassle. There is much better food elsewhere in Hong Kong.
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