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2020-12-30
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This French restaurant is located in Sheung Wan, part of the Relais & Chateaux network, with members from over 580 hotels and restaurants all over the world by independent owners offering some of the finest hospitality to customers. Opened since 2012 by Chef Vicky Lau, it has been awarded Michelin 1-star status. With no dinner service due to government's restriction, we came for lunch instead. After greeted warmly by the staff we were shown up the stairs to the main dining room, and then further
This French restaurant is located in Sheung Wan, part of the Relais & Chateaux network, with members from over 580 hotels and restaurants all over the world by independent owners offering some of the finest hospitality to customers. Opened since 2012 by Chef Vicky Lau, it has been awarded Michelin 1-star status.
With no dinner service due to government's restriction, we came for lunch instead. After greeted warmly by the staff we were shown up the stairs to the main dining room, and then further led into the private room, where our table was set. The décor has a warm and comfortable pinkish tone, with soft lighting, chic and stylish decorations. Already we felt very cozy and relaxing in the intimate environment.
We had the Festive Lunch Menu ($1,500 each) and I also opting for the wine pairing ($680). We were first served the Petits Sales. One is a chopped Hokkaido dried oyster on puff, and the other is a deep-fried mashed yam. A clear cross-over of French techniques and Chinese ingredients and flavors, not only the taste are great, the presentation and the serve-wares used are also thoughtful. With that I got a good feeling that this meal would be a phenomenal one.
The Amuse-Bouche is a chestnut soup added with some pieces of Chinese duck liver sausage. A creative dish but the flavors are surprisingly complementary, with the sweetness from the chestnut matches with the savory of the sausage. Very tasty also.
The first course is 'Ode to Mushroom'. It is a tart that contains fresh and dried shiitake mushroom, with pea sprout and fresh herbs. The familiar fragrance and taste of the dried shiitake mushroom enhanced the fresh ones which gives a nice texture, on top of some mushroom puree on the bottom and the crunchy tart base. The wine paired is Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV.
The second course is 'Ode to Scallop'. The large Hokkaido Scallop is lightly seared and then smoked to infuse with a nice aroma, and then added with a creamy scallop and caviar sauce, with some deep-fried Jerusalem Artichoke as garnish. The scallop is of good quality, tender and without any fiber, with the original taste already mind-blowingly good but further supplemented with the cream sauce and the savory notes from the caviar. Very delicious.
The third course is 'Ode to Kumquat'. The grouper fish is wrapped in kataifi, a special dough of thin, thread-like strands, before deep-frying. The sauce is made with kumquat, in a grenobloise style, together with browned butter, capers, parsley and lemon. The acidity of the sauce is refreshing and livens the fish to another level. The wine paired is Jade Vineyard 'Jade Vintage' Chardonnay 2017. This wine is from Ningxia China, and is very good indeed. I talked to the sommelier for a while about the wine as apparently this is also one of his favorites.
I added the additional course 'Ode to Lobster' ($280). The lobster is from Brittany, cooked perfectly, with a firm texture and great umami sweetness. On the side the leek puree added some light fragrance but the interesting note is for sure the ginger and scallion Sauce, which on the first taste reminds me of the dip we normally have for Cantonese steamed chicken. An innovative way to merge a local flavor with a French ingredient.
The fourth course is 'Ode to Chicken & Abalone'. The chef uses the chicken stock to cook the rice and mixed with some chopped abalone, with the flavors fully integrating together. The abalone is tender and not rubbery, and there are also some deep-fried chicken skin put on top for garnish, with everything served in a traditional Chinese tea-cup. Very good dish. The wine paired is Alain Chabanon 'Trelans Blanc' Chenin-Blanc-Vermentino 2014.
There are two choices for the fifth course, and both of us chose 'Ode to Venison'. The venison is from NZ, very tender by using spiced oil to cook in confit style. Accompanying are some peppercorn sauce and aubergine, with also some Sichuan peppercorns as garnish but also can be added to spice up the flavors but can create a numbing effect. The wine paired is Aurelien Chatagnier Saint-Joseph 'La Sybarite' 2018 which goes well with the venison.
Before dessert there is the Refreshing Osmanthus and Pear Delight. The thinly sliced pear is infused with osmanthus to give a floral and refreshing sensation. A delicate cleanser on the palate before transitioning to the dessert.
The sixth and final course is 'Ode to Walnut'. The soufflé is made with walnut and sesame, with a sweetness that is in good balance, and as the maître d' shared, it did reminiscent of glutinous rice ball with sesame fillings. There is also some raspberry coulis and blue cheese mousse to accompany, with the former adding sweetness, and the latter enhancing the fluffy mouthfeel. The wine paired is Domaine Plou & Fils Moelleux 2014.
Overall the meal was amazing, and I am really impressed by how the chef has some smartly integrated the Chinese ingredients and flavors into the French cuisine. The services are also very good, with everyone attentive, friendly and nice, also coming to introduce each course in details. I also like the sommelier coming to introduce the wines as well.
The bill on the day was $4,444 which consider the food, wine, dining experience and service, I would say is reasonable. A good place to enjoy how the fusion of the two most established culinary countries in the world can create a wonderful occasion.
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