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2013-09-21
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I was joined by BK, BL, J, L, and O to celebrate BL's birthday through a special dinner. Memories flooded as I entered the cramped lift in Causeway Bay ascending to the 20th Floor. It seemed not that long ago that I entered this lift to go play Warcraft Frozen Throne at the various Internet cafes scattered throughout this building. However, upon arriving at our destination, I was instantly transported to a new place. There was a simple elegant door with a small buzzer attached to its side. BL pr
A charge of $15 per person is required for the bread and butter - this is prominently displayed at the top of the August menu for all to see. There was a great variety of within the basket - breadsticks, baguettes, seasame bread. The bread was good but not brilliant, but what was most amazing was that 10 minutes after it had been served, the inside was still piping hot and toasty. BL noted that the butter was excessively milky. O really enjoyed the softness and texture of the seasame bread.
The words deluxe screams quality, and there was no shortage of high quality seafood on this mammoth platter. As promised there was fresh French crab which was really sweet and juicy. The lobster was very tender and full of meat. The clams were fresh and large. The conches were large and also very fresh. The shrimp was...you guessed it fresh and sweet. It seems the only words I can find to describe the seafood is fresh and delicious! Definitely worth the price - it was just a shame that there were no fresh oysters to elevate this to a 6/5 (apparently they were sold out).
A classic part of a French dining experience - the French onion soup. The portion is very generous (if not overwhelming) and was served piping hot. BA, BL, J, and O dared not try any for fear of the overwhelming cheese. However, I was excited because of the amount of cheese (I love cheese) that graced and secured the soup within its white frame. Underneath the rich gooey cheese was a soaked baguette. Further below I discovered the rich broth laced with perfectly cooked sweet caramelized onions. Given the amount of cheese, it was great that the soup was not too oily - great care had been given in its preparation. A beautifully presented soup that I would not mind having more of next time.
The pidgeon was served just warm. It was well glazed with honey which gave it an extra sweetness that was unique to my tongue. Upon cutting into the pidgeon, it should be noted that it was cooked perfectly. The inside was nice and soft, slight pinkish hue, moist, tender, and very juicy. This bird is also accompanied by a mixed leaf sald that is dressed with a very light olive oil vinagrette. The salad was delicious. I was most intrigued by the concept of a tomato souffle, not knowing what to expect. However, disappointment soon followed as I found it just to be a saggy lumpy tomato with nothing special other than its presentation (until it deflated). The portion leaned toward the small side, however the presentation was interesting.
Prior to the main being served, we were each given a small scoop of lemon sorbet to cleans and freshen up our palette. This was no ordinary lemon sorbert, it was absolutely fantastic. Cold, light, and with just the right hint of lemonl; it was perfect. B even ordered a larger portion for her dessert later on, and even though it was off menu the restaurant was happy to accomodate.
Nothing beats seeing a giant piece of juicy tender steak on a large plate. The presentation was simple and refined. The steak was sizzling hot, so you know it just came off the stove. I cut into this fine piece of meat and discovered a perfectly cooked medium rare pink juicy tender minimum fat steak. Seasoned well with peppercorn, salt and a red wine reduction sauce, the steak was full of flavour. It was served with a light buttery mash with some fresh and juicy roasted tomatoes. There were also string beans which were good, and some baby corn, which B and I did particularly enjoy, but all in all a very good and well portioned main.
This looked beautiful. It came with a garlic roasted flower pot that was so creatively crafted - the garlic was so soft and delicious. The lamb wellington itself was also wonderful. The outer layer is a light buttery pastry follow by a layer of proscuitto that is wrapped around a prize piece of lamb. This is cooked in the oven, and was very juicy and delicious. There are just so many textures, and flavours that blend very well together. From the crunchy dry aspect of the exterior to the moistness of the meat. However, we all agreed that the bitter prune thick sauce was horrible and kept this dish from fully realising its potential. O really liked this dish a lot.
We ordered four desserts to share. The crème brûlée, macarons were good, nothing special and nothing out of the ordinary. The apple crumble was really quite bad. It was excessively buttery which made it very lumpy and flaky. The whole point of a crumble is the crunchy top that goes with the warm apple interior, which this was completely lacking. The filling also had some raisins, which J and L found to be weird. Rhubarb and apple is a much better combination. The texture of this dish reminded me of cookie dough - no exaggeration. There was one dessert that stood miles in front of the rest and that was the mango soufflé. Light, fluffy and perfectly cooked it looked like heaven. It has the faintest yet distinctive taste of mango, and just the right amount of sugar dusting its luxurious frame. The inside is super moist and the portion is very large. J and I love soufflés and this one was right on the money.
All in all an excellent evening of food, conversation and celebration. We all had a great meal (despite the disappointment desserts), and would come back to try the other French dishes this restaurant has to offer.
Other Info. :
There is a minimum spend of $360/ person, but as long as the overall total exceed the minimum then you are fine. Also the pillows on the chair make the seat very slippery, it may be advisable to ask them to remove the pillows to make your dining experience more comfortable.
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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