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2013-09-03
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*******************Environment / Surrounding********************I've been here many times for after dinner drinks, and I've always felt comfortable at Common Room. Make no mistake, there is nothing common about its design that makes it comfortable, but rather the deco has a lot of wood with a mixture of black and glass design. This place is 4,000 square feet with a rustic industrial chic gastrobar featureing a 31 feet long mixology glass and cast iron liquor library.Coming here for dinner was sl
I've been here many times for after dinner drinks, and I've always felt comfortable at Common Room. Make no mistake, there is nothing common about its design that makes it comfortable, but rather the deco has a lot of wood with a mixture of black and glass design. This place is 4,000 square feet with a rustic industrial chic gastrobar featureing a 31 feet long mixology glass and cast iron liquor library.
Coming here for dinner was slightly different. The lighting is much brighter and you really get to feel comfortable the moment you step in. It's neither extremely fancy or too casual and it gives a feeling that this is a place that people where people would enjoy sitting around. Kind of like a 'common room' in the school days.
The area is quite big with a very long bar table on the left of the restaurant, and communual wooden tables that fill out the rest of the area.
Rating: 8/10
**************************Food******************************
Rating Scale from 1-5
I realise I am quite harsh on these, but for something to reach a 5 it has to be absolutely perfect. A 5 means la crème de la crème of its type and category; my point of view is that there is no such thing as perfect in texture, taste, presentation, smell etc and a 5 is virtually impossible.
0-1: Horrific, inedible
1-2: Will not order it again, and it's below average
2-3: Average joe food. Many places can replicate or make this.
3-4: Quite good and tasty. The higher end of 3 represents that the dish is identifiable to the restaurant and has its own distinctive taste and I will consider ordering again.
4-4.9: Very very tasty and the flavours of the dish is unique to the restaurant. In particular in the mid to higher ends to the 4, the food is almost proprietor-level good.
5: Pure bliss and so perfect that it's inexpressible.
Dinner Menu
As one can see, its a scrumptious world-inspired menu that will be served tapas style. There are all sorts of classic food with their own added flavour. Menus marked with the Common room Logo 'CR', are labeled as Common Room Favs.The drink menu is also comprehensive with many classic and contemporary cocktails. This iron liquor library also has a good list of wine (we had 2011 Cloudy bay Pinot Noir which isn't very common in HK) and whiskey (with whiskey from all over the world including Chivas 38 years, Yoishi 15 years etc.)
On with the food!
Tapas 1: Chicken Liver and Foie Gras Pate (3.9/5)
The pate, spiked with peppercorn and brandy, topped off with a fruity layer of jam was fabulous. The jar filled with pate was way more than enough for 4 people. The pate really delivered in that it was full of rich flavors and it was the perfect texture to spread on the homemade crostinis, which was also well made. The jar of pate is quite large, so expect to be very full from this.
Tapas 2: Classic Mac + Cheese (3.9/5)
Mac and cheese is so common and made easily, yet there is such a huge variation in the quality of a true mac and cheese. To me, mac and cheese doesn't neccessarily have to be fancy; it just has to really really good.The mac and cheese served here used several types of cheese: Gruyere, Parmesan, and Gouda, topping it off with a large Buffalo Mozerlla cheese in the middle. The mixture of cheese gave a rich, and not overly thick flavour and texture of cheese that will make your tongue wanting for more. Especially if you're a Buffalo mozerlla lover, the chunk in the middle balances out the heavy flavours of the mixture with a light spongy touch.
Another wonderful addition are the bread crumbs on top of the dish which gives a crunch and texture to the smooth creamy dish. I wouldn't exactly call this 'classic' way of making mac and cheese given the cheese choices, but it isn't overly fancy and they made it just right.
This is a dish I would order again, without a doubt.
Tapas 3: Steak Tartare served on homemade crisps (3.6/5)
The steak tartare was seasoned with mustard, vinegar, pepper, and topped with a raw egg on top which came with hommade crisps shaped like waffles. The presentation was simple but striking due to the combination of colours on the plate. The steak was very flavourful with an oozing amount of mustard and a touch of vinegar to cover enhance (and cover) the raw taste of the steak. It was a good mixture of flavours because the vinegar really brought out the flavours of the meat. There was nothing extraodinary about the steak tartare and some parts of the meat was too chewy to the point I couldn't swallow them.
The homemade crisps were very thin almost like the waffle chips you can buy in the supermarket. They also don't make you feel like you're eating a drench of oil which was fantastic. However, after eating a few more of these, you will feel the 'heat' or 'fire' (热气) in the mouth.
The combination of the two together is both a hit and a miss, in my opinion. In terms of adding texture, I find the crisp to be the perfect complement, but it also misses in the flavour department. When I ate the dish, I wasn't quite sure if I should be eating them together or not.
Tapas 4&5: Lobster Risotto, Lobster Linguini (3.4/5)
The lobster risotto dominated its presentation with the big lobster head served on top its risotto. The dish was served with lobster chunks, cream, garlic and white wine as the basis of the sauce. The al dente risotto and the lobster chunks were quite good. However, aside from the lobster chunks, there wasn't too much lobster flavour anywhere else.I also tried the lobster linguini which was served with spicy vegetables in a tomato based sauce. Turns out, the linguini was much spicier than we expected. The linguini was also al dente and the lobster was separately served unlike the risotto which had the lobster chunks mixed in the pasta.
Unless you are craving for lobster dishes, I wouldn't order these specifically as there are many many more delectable dishes on the menu.
Tapas 6: Grilled Shrimp Poutine (4/5)
The grliled shrimp poutine is one to be remembered at Common Room. Forget about the cocktails, and the vast iron cast library. The shrimp poutine is gook looking, mouth watering and irresistable.Before I tasted the dish, I had assumed that only the top layer will have cheese and I would have to spread out the shrimp in small pieces so that I will have flavour to get through the stack of fries. Turns out, the phrase 'don't judge the book by its cover' applies.
The shrimp is sauteed to perfection, and it was marinated very simply.The shrimp tasted extremely fresh and the meat remained crisp.
Layered beneath the shrimp lies melted cheddar cheese and truffle sauce and stacks of french fries. This wonderful poutine was full of shrimp flavour through all of the fries because the sauce itself tasted like shrimp! Mixed in with cheddar cheese and a hint of truffle the sauce was made to perfection. As the sauce was thick, the fries remained crisp even after some time (well, it's also possible that we finished it so quickly that there was no chance for the fries to get soggy).
This dish is unique and when I revisit this restaurant, it would be the first thing I would order even before I get seated.
Tapas 7: Wagyu Foie Gras Burgers (3.7/5)
The Wagyu foie gras burger also comes with carmelised onions, arugula and balsamic reduction (on the foie gras).The flavours were blissfully sweet (from the foie gras balsamic glazing and the carmelised onions), and guilty oily (from the wagyu fat and the foie gras oil). It tasted like I expected, and it's executed very well.
There are other places that serves this as well, hence the slight knock on the ratings. I would respectfully order this again nonetheless!
**************************Service******************************
The overall service varies from waiter to waiter. We were seated immediately upon arrival, and we were served with drinks quickly. Most of the staff was friendly but not extremely informative in terms of their food offerings. They knew what the food entails but not all staffs were clear on how it was cooked.
However, there was one particular staff that was extremely rude, even to the point of insulting the dinner guests. To give an abridged anecdote, one of the dinner guests asked whether if it was a good idea to add the Wagyu Foie Gras Burger, with which the staff replied you're too fat for it (in a condescending tone). Throughout, this staff served us several times during the dinner and each time she came in with an attitude.
In the end, this is not a fine-dine restaurant, and perhaps I was expecting too much because the food was excellent. Yet, the one particular staff made the meal quite unpleasant.
***************************Conclusion**************************
This is not only a great hang out place at night, but it is also a great place to have delectable favorite classic foods that's done right. Things are in small portions which allows you to eat a variety of things.
From the wonderful mac and cheese to the memorable shrimp poutine, this is a place to remember. However, for the noisy environment and the non-fine dining set up, you're really only paying for the food and the selection of cocktails.
I would recommend this restaurant for anyone, in particular for those who plan to have drinks after a good meal!
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