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2022-05-24
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Recently awarded No. 9 of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2022, this restaurant is helmed by chef-owner David Lai, offering French cuisine with a menu that is constantly changing to feature the seasonal and local ingredients. From a side alley off Peel Street, it took us a while to figure out its location. Going inside we saw David busy in action at the bar area. We were seated at the section further back. The industrial ambience, with dim lighting and rough concrete walls, created a contemporary
Recently awarded No. 9 of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2022, this restaurant is helmed by chef-owner David Lai, offering French cuisine with a menu that is constantly changing to feature the seasonal and local ingredients.
From a side alley off Peel Street, it took us a while to figure out its location. Going inside we saw David busy in action at the bar area. We were seated at the section further back. The industrial ambience, with dim lighting and rough concrete walls, created a contemporary dining experience.
The staff soon came to introduce some of the daily specials, and we had followed her recommendations. The first thing we ordered was Smoked Seasonal Fish from Market ($280). The seasonal baby mackerel had been smoked to infuse the flesh with nice woody aromas, with the fish appropriately seasoned to highlight the original flavours, without being masked by the smokiness. Paired with a nice mayonnaise made by cream cheese, the fish was very good, but because the fish got some small bones, for someone who were not good at eating fish it may pose some problems.
Next, we had Charcoal Grilled Baby Squids ($250). Right in season, the baby squids were very tender and good in taste, served on a sizzling cast iron pan, with some nice olive oil drizzled as well as shredded Hokkaido wild spring garlic as condiments. Again, the chef aimed to emphasize the flavours of the squids, only using a bit of shrimp paste to enhance the savoury and umami notes. Very good as well.
The third dish was White Asparagus with Leek Fondant and Raclette Cheese ($275). The seasonal asparagus was young, without fibrous tissue, having a delicate taste. The chef had put some leek on the side, not only adding the green colour to complement in appearance, but the stronger flavours also provided a good contrast which helped to bring forth the sweetness of the asparagus. The melted cheese had a rich creamy texture, which was fulfilling and pleasant.
Another of the staff’s recommendation was Escargot with Spring Garlic Leaf and Caviar ($360). The escargot had been wrapped in spring garlic leaf before deep-fried, and then served with a short skewer with plenty of caviar on top. The texture was interesting because of the contrast between the soft escargot and the crispy leaf wrapping it, and the caviar helped to give the umami and a bit of salty notes to the flavours.
Then it was the highlight of the evening, the signature Salt Baked Chicken ($550 for half). The chicken came from a local farm in Yuen Long Ping Shan, and the chef first baked it with salt, to keep the chicken moist and juicy while infusing with a bit of salty taste, greatly enhancing the delicious flavours. He then cut the chicken into big pieces and then baked with the giblets and morels on rice, together with an amazing sauce, finishing with plenty of coriander and spring onion on top. Everything was so tasty, with the great taste of each individual component amplified, from the fragrance of the morel mushrooms, the beautiful chicken liver and giblets, to the rice absorbing the jus from the chicken and the sauce, as well as the crunchy scorched rice on the bottom. Definitely a must try and do remember to pre-order this one in advance.
However, one thing we were not happy was that somehow, it took a long while for this to get served, more than 45 minutes after the staff had shown us the baked chicken. Originally, I thought it required that amount of time to bake of the rice and morels, but I later found that it took much shorter time for the adjacent table on the same dish. While I did not make a complaint, I guess the staff should at least check in with us, clearly noticing our agitation for waiting so long after finishing our previous course.
Coming to dessert, we had first the Truffle French Toast ($120). The thick toast cube was moist and soft on the inside, and there was a scoop of ice-cream on top, poured with some rich caramel sauce and sprinkled with hazelnuts pieces and shaved truffle. Fairly nice.
An off-menu item, we also ordered the Apple Tartin ($120). The crust of the tart was buttery, with the braised apple pieces good in sweetness, balanced well with its acidity so not making it too luscious on palate. Together with the scoop of vanilla ice-cream, we both liked this one more than the French toast.
Service was decent, but I would suggest the staff could introduce each dish to us, as that would make the whole dining experience even better. The bill was $2,020 which was a bit on the high side. The food was good overall, but honestly I could not associate it with the No. 9 ranking personally.
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