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4.5

4.5

66 Reviews

Taste

Decor

Service

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21834

Sheung Wan

Above $801

French Fine Dining

53

6

1

JayLowe

Level3

46

3

It was our anniversary and my wife and I dined here. I have to say I'm stunned by the attention to details -- down to every piece of tableware and the washroom as a surprise. Service is attentive but never intruding. The food is delicious and well thought-out, but at times being too creative to my liking.The dining room is elegantly furnished, with a colour scheme of white, cream, dusty pink and brushed brass. A taupe/tan-coloured sheet of lamb skin is used instead of tablecloth, lavish but tast

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It was our anniversary and my wife and I dined here. I have to say I'm stunned by the attention to details -- down to every piece of tableware and the washroom as a surprise. Service is attentive but never intruding. The food is delicious and well thought-out, but at times being too creative to my liking.

The dining room is elegantly furnished, with a colour scheme of white, cream, dusty pink and brushed brass. A taupe/tan-coloured sheet of lamb skin is used instead of tablecloth, lavish but tasteful.

My only critique would be the flowers being fake... The wines for pairing are on display.

The owner-chef being a graphic design, even the menu is creatively and playfully presented, like a hardcover book. In line with the floral theme, there are dried flowers and moss under plexiglass.

We ordered the standard menu. When you book a table online, you may specify what items you don't eat and they could serve a different course instead. My wife doesn't like eel, but the server told us there are only two dabs of smoked eel mousse to go with the Chinese yam dish. My wife gladly accepted the dish as is.

I also ordered the wine pairing with three glasses of wine for course #1, #4 and #6.

You can choose your knife from many options. I picked one with Japanese Seigaiha motif. Note the gilded bamboo leaf cutlery stand.

homemade sourdough with seaweed butter

The first bread: homemade sourdough with seaweed butter. The bread was really crusty and I loved it. Though a bit too strong on its own, seaweed butter works really well with the sourness of the bread. Note the hand-painted plate, which is part of the fun dining here.

The first course: Ode to Tomato. The picture doesn't do justice to the bowl -- it looks like poppy flower with subtle veins and lines plus an organic rim. A very graceful piece. Onto the food, it's tasty, but a bit too flavourful as the first course... The Kombucha jelly, prawns and tomato have a nice contrast of texture and taste. But I found the seasoning a bit overpowering -- I'm not sure if it's a dressing or just the juices from the ingredients, but there is a strong meaty undertone to it. As I've said, it's delicious and impeccably done. I was just expecting something lighter. Paired with Charles Ellner Grande Reserve champagne which has strong acidity and green apple nose, is refreshing and crisp with lasting finish. I think they worked wonderfully together.

Ode to Chinese yam

The second course is Chinese yam with caviar on a cauliflower cream with two dabs of smoked eel mousse. It is delicious and exquisitely presented. The crispy flowers are dried beet. The nutty and salty taste of the caviar balances nicely with the Chinese yam. The cauliflower cream is also a bit sweet to cut through the richness of the caviar.

brioche with fermented tofu butter

The second bread -- brioche cube with fermented tofu腐乳 butter. The bread is flawless -- buttery and crispy on the outside with fluffy crumbs. I personally like the fermented tofu butter, but my wife doesn't dig it.

The third course is a scallop on a aged kumquat sauce, garnished with Japanese daikon and chrysanthemum petals. The presentation is just so-so -- this one needs to be jazzed up. (Esp if your expectations are high after seeing their PR photos of dishes no longer made...) Onto the taste, the scallop is lightly seared with very juicy centre. The sauce is citrusy and creamy, working nicely with the delicate seafood taste of the scallop (kind of a variation of tartar sauce with dill pickle). The daikon adds a crunch and the chrysanthemum does nothing. It tastes good, but it needs to be plated more artfully.

The fourth course is a seared kinmedai金目鯛 fish on dracontomelon 仁稔 jam and olive sauce, garnished with jalapeno and a pickle. My wife doesn't like this dish because she's not a fan of olive. I personally don't mind it, but it's one of less memorable course -- the fish is juicy and soft on the inside, but the dracontomelon jam is a bit overpowering so that you don't taste the fish. The jalapeno, on the other hand, is a nice touch to give it a bit of a kick, cutting through the one-toned-ness of the whole dish. Paired with Clos Teddi Grande Cuvee blanc, Patrimonio 2014. The wine has fruity aroma, full palate and a complex mineral-like aftertaste. The server says it has olive aroma, but I don't get it.

Ode to scallion

This is my wife's favourite dish -- steamed blue lobster on ginger scallion sauce, with vin jaune and Shaoxing wine foam, garnished with lily bulb and pineapple compote. This is essentially a ginger scallion lobster dish deconstructed. Basically, it's good, but I really don't find the pineapple doing anything to the dish. The tangy fruity flavour just doesn't work with scallion IMHO.

ode to mayura beef

Wagyu raised in Australia fed with gummy bear and candies is tender with robust meaty flavour. But this is actually the least creative dish. Shiitake mushrooms taste like what my mom would make for Chinese New Year. The asparagus is grilled nicely, but tasted like anywhere else. The two freeze-dried beet flowers are the most surprising element, but it's really an anti-climax for a main course. A cup of broth made with 10 different veggie is served together with the beef. It is very sweet in taste and cleanse the palate well. Paired with Les Hauts du Tertre Margaux 2009, with roasted oakiness, rich dark berry taste and a hint of spiciness. An excellent wine with the beef.

pre-dessert: mangosteen sorbet in pear juice with sago pearls

The pre-dessert blows our mind: the ceramic box itself is gorgeous, echoing with the floral theme of the whole meal. The sorbet is tangy and fruity. The pear juice is refreshing while the sago pearls add a contrast in texture.

Ode to tofu is also great -- tofu espuma, lemon mint compote, longqing tea ice cream in a wafer-thin sugar globe, over longan puree. Each component tasted exceptional on its own, except the longqing tea ice cream really isn't that flavourful. Of course, the stunning presentation is part of the thrill.

ode to urban honey

Ode to urban honey

The last course is a mignardise selection -- honey jelly, sour berry puree coated in white chocolate, honey sponge cake with fruity jam, crispy langue de chat coated in honey white chocolate, and runny ganache in a crispy choco shell. All tasted great with the langue de chat standing out for its sheerness and crispiness. But the bee buzzing sound is quite annoying after a while and you'll have to find a way to turn it off.

Besides coffee, there are 6 different teas to choose from. And once again, the tableware is exquisite and elegant. My verbena tea is not particularly tasty. But my wife said her Iron Buddha tea was fragrant, but a bit too weak to her liking.

All in all, a great meal. But just like the headline of this review -- there are misses, which shouldn't happen for a meal of this calibre and with this price tag. Some garnishes/taste combinations don't work IMHO. The beef course is too expected in palate and texture. The plating in general doesn't live up to their PR photos. It's okay to splurge once on a special occasion, but it's hard to justify another visit.

Other Info. : Make sure you visit the washroom, with a splash of gold on lime green. Quite surprising and a huge contrast against the muted understated dining room.

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)

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DETAILED RATING

Taste

Decor

Service

Hygiene

Value

Date of Visit

2018-09-11

Dining Method

Dine In

Spending Per Head

$2250 (Dinner)

Celebration

Anniversary

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