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2014-03-17
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Sitting at the intersection of Glenealy and Wyndham Street, the Tipping Point's humble storefront is easily passable next to the array of flashy restaurant signboards and glossy fluorescent lights on Wyndham. But the moment I stepped in, there was no mistaking the purpose of its existence; three ceiling-high tanks were the soul of Tipping Point, testament to the latest craft brewer in town. But enough with the introductions, food was why I was here. Given the long day and late dinner, I decided
Sitting at the intersection of Glenealy and Wyndham Street, the Tipping Point's humble storefront is easily passable next to the array of flashy restaurant signboards and glossy fluorescent lights on Wyndham. But the moment I stepped in, there was no mistaking the purpose of its existence; three ceiling-high tanks were the soul of Tipping Point, testament to the latest craft brewer in town. But enough with the introductions, food was why I was here. Given the long day and late dinner, I decided that abundant sustenance would be required to replenish my depleted energy Ok fine, if you prefer the less eloquent figure of speech, then yes, I over-ordered.
As if they heard my grumbling stomach, the waitress handed me a bowl of complimentary Popcorn (free) before I made my actual orders, which was gratifying, especially to famished customers such as myself. There's two things that work like magic in almost all recipes: duck's fat and butter. While popcorn is traditionally made with butter, the appetizer here was made with duck fat and sprinkled with dried bonito flakes, the result was a myriad of intense savory flavors captured in a fluffy textured vessel; it was addicting to say the least, as a testament to that, I asked for and finished a second bowl.
My first order up was Crab Okonomiyaki ($165). While I acknowledge their creative efforts in including this in a barfood menu, their dish still requires some refinement; The ingredients lacked structure and the flavor needed some direction. Perhaps a sharper sauce would do the trick. But more importantly, I would much prefer a piping hot okonomiyaki in contrast to a frosty beer.
The next dish, Vietnamese Berkshire BBQ Pork neck ($198), was easily my favorite dish of the night. For all those out there that like BBQ and NY style (charred) steaks, I believe you'll enjoy this. The surface of the meat was charred, but not overly so, resulting in a smoky exterior with loose crispy bits. The interior was succulent and tender with a touch of sweetness, naturally what you'd expect from Berkshire pork. This was a perfect ten for me.
Next came the American IPA style beer Vuur & Vlam from Brouwerij de Molen brewery ($88) and Pear Cider ($78), strange that it came in the middle of the meal, but that didn't bother me. Well, beer is a food group right? But even stranger was that I only noticed that the beer wasn't cold till I finished half of it. Quite bizarre, since i usually prefer my beer absolutely frosted; this beer was quite hoppy and earthy/bready, ending with light floral notes, which might be why it worked well even though not completely cold. A round of applause to all the pioneers that are popularizing craft beer in Hong Kong. The cider, naturally, was crisp and refreshing; as a reference, this was more musky than the more common Sommersby Apple Cider. Anyhow, not to deviate too much off track, back to food now.
Next up was the Grilled Corn with Lime, Sour Cream & Parmesan ($80) as well as Bacon and Jalapeño Mac and Cheese ($105), which looked like identical twins! The corn was (of course) cooked with butter and sprinkled with bonito flakes and cheese. The corn itself was quite sweet fortunately, since the cheese was a a bit bland. I can't say it was bad, but lacked character, which explains it's role as a side I guess. Ted's Lookout has a much better Southern-style grilled corn if you are looking for comfort food. While I was happy to see mac and cheese on the menu, I didn't have the same joy tasting it. For a name that involves Bacon, Jalapeño as well as Mac and Cheese, this was a pretty subtle dish, and I do not mean subtle in a good way. Disappointing to say the least, I was expecting much more robust flavors. I could be mean and blabber on about these sides, but the next dish swiftly redeemed the restaurant.
Not on the menu at the moment, but recommended to us were the Seriola (commonly known as Amberjack) Sliders ($130) were a set of three mini burgers served with (I believe) home-made fries. I love my fries, and these were no exception. I believe the fries were home-made because they were a bit unorthodox; the fries were narrower than usual string fries but had bite instead of crunch, they were properly seasoned and best of all, to my liking, almost all my fries had potato skin. The fish for each slider were all cooked different: one smoked, one fried and one grilled. The fried was as expected, crispy shell wrapped around tender white flesh. The smoked was a home run (I think everyone can tell that I like smoky flavors by now), intense wooden smoky flavours with a sweet aftertaste and a texture like smoked salmon. The grilled was perfectly cooked, but I still prefer the first two, I guess I just don't prefer my fish grilled. So in conclusion, they were all delicious, one little complaint I would make is that they used the same tartar sauce for all three.And just as I was about to order desert, I noticed the the button on my shirt was near popping out, hence the sign of a hearty meal and over-eating. I guess desert will have to wait for next time, but beer on the other hand... just kidding, I was too full for absolutely anything. Overall, the dishes are quite good, and you can see the thought that the chef has put in. A note to fellow customers, dishes are more bite sized than proper meal sized. If I may suggest, the concept of this restaurant is admirable; and a small improvement in consistency on intensity of flavors will perfect the menu and take it a long way. Lastly, a pat on the back for the courage of investing in the infant stage craft beer scene in Hong Kong!
::|| Good For||::
Drinkers who like a decent meal with their home-made brew, or eaters who like a fresh brew with their food...oh wait, that's the same thing isn't it? It must be the alcohol...
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