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2013-06-21
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I enjoy looking out from the plane, looking upon all the tiny brick-like houses and bright dots (aka cars) glidding around. I like it, because I like to be detached now and then, take a step back and feel/acknowledge how the world and lives around go on regardless. In Hong Kong, very often we are engulfed by things around us; the mass of people, the hustle and bustle, there seems to be no escape."Secrettaste", located right at the heart of causeway bay, was a pleasant little secret place to esca
"Secrettaste", located right at the heart of causeway bay, was a pleasant little secret place to escape for a quiet, pleasant and promising, value-for-money dinner.
Slightly difficult to locate (as per the name), for there is no sign both at the entrace of the building and front door (as of the night when I visited). Look out for "Joy and Peace" (the shoe shop), the staircase is right beside it. We ventured up one of those typical steep, slightly ran-down staircases in an old Chinese building ("唐樓"), but as we entered the silver gate and white door, we entered into a "secret place", a secluded spot; suddenly we were shut out from the hustle and bustle of causeway bay.
Simple decor with royal-purple wall linings and thick curtains, deep burgundy table linens and a candle on each table. Light-hearted music gently played at the background. The private glass room caught my eyes; I believe it could occupy around 10 people.
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"Secrettaste" serves a set menu with 6 courses (!!!) for a very reasonable price of HK$350.
First course: Pan-fried watermelon and seafood mousse roll. An innovative dish. On the right was a thick juicy piece of watermelon topped with aromatic fried garlic and nuts, and bottomed with a thin lightly-roasted piece of pastry. A very interesting idea and thoughts were clearly put into this with the pastry-base balancing the distinctly-flavoured fried garlic and bringing all the elements together. While the fried garlic powder was pronounced, the natural sweet juiciness of the watermelon was not overpowered. For me, it was a refreshing and stimulating few bites. Some fresh greens in between. And to the left, it was the seafood mousse roll. The golden roll was generously stuffed and filled with the seafood-mousse-goodness and formed a cute fat roll. It displayed dense waves of seafood aroma (oh I could taste crab..) backed with buttery cheese flavours and with hints of uni seeping through. Tasty! It would be perfect if it is even crispier.
Second course: Parma Ham & Black Truffle salad. Delivered at a pleasing standard (trust me, I had the same salad elsewhere and it could actually go very wrong... and the set menu was even pricier). The salad was very fresh; a colourful and crunchy mix of greens, diced tomato, red cabbage with balsamic vinegar and black truffle (wouldn't mind a bit more) dizzled on. The parma ham was each elegantly curled, lined up and served with a spot-on perfect temperate (frozen / over-cold parma ham, no.. merci..). The smoky and intense flavour was well reflected by the gorgeous silky pink each slice displayed; I was pleased to find a good fat balance as well.
Third course: Cream of Mushroom soup. Nice warm croissants came together (warm bread, essential!!). The soup was very inviting (beautiful foam in the middle..nice!); coupled with the gentle scent of baked croissants, my senses were completely awaken. Just by giving the soup a quick stir, I knew that I was about to be treated well - dense, creamy, full-body and full of delicious ingredients (overwhelmingly generous amount of diced mushrooms and onions). The soul of the soup was the white creamy foam nesting the black truffle - the cream foam brought an extra dimension of butter and creaminess to the soup and the black truffle gave the soup a memorable and pronounced kick. It was one hearty bowl of soup. LOVE.
Fourth course: There were a nice 3 choices to pick from for the main course:- (a) Roasted Chicken Asparagus Roll with Goose Liver; (b) Grilled Salmon, Mozzarella & tomato; and (c) U.S. Angus Rib Eye Steak. I went for the Roasted Chicken Roll. The sweet aroma of freshly baked chicken and honey came with the dish. Well presented, with goose liver paste and asparagus packed tightly in the middle of the roll; it was served with roasted vegetable and potato coated with herbs. The chicken was nicely roasted retaining its moisture; I adored the honey glazed chicken skin which was grilled to a crispy touch. The contrasting mouthfeel of the creamy goose liver paste and fresh crunchy asparagus went very well together and livened up the tender chicken roll. The thick syrupy and gingery sauce brought intense honey and marmalade flavours to the savory roll. A delectable main.
Fifth course: Creamy Egg and Bacon Fettuccine with Sesame Sauce. When I saw this on the menu, I envisaged Spagehtti carbonara; but I was wrong. The rich sesame scent really spoke through and brought a lovely twist of Japanese fusion to the pasta dish. The balance of creaminess was just right (it was not too heavy even after 4 courses), backed with hints of freshly chopped onion and earthy bacon! Nice touches with the rocket, the bitter-sweetness went well with the flavourful sesame edge of the pasta. Sizeable scallop on the top as well! (...The pasta looked more of spagehtti than fettuccine to me by the way...)
Sixth course: 2 dessert choices to choose from:- (a) Chocolate Mousse and (b) Creme Brulee; my pick was Creme Brulee. Again, thoughts were put into the presentation (this I must applaud) - brought to us was not just a regular boring pot of Creme Brulee; butmore, with berries and vanilla ice-cream. Not the most traditional take of the Creme Brulee, but the custard base was certainly rich, "eggy" and smooth - nicely done. Brittle caramel glaze on top, could be crispier and better so if it covered the entire face of the custard for a more dramatic effect. Fresh and fruity berries with icing powder sugared all over and milk chocolate sauce drizzled over the vanilla ice-cream. Loved the extra sweet touches.
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From time to time, I dream of the grand opening of my very own cafe or restaurant. I guess this is a major reason backing my curiosity and cravings to try out new establishments around Hong Kong. Thanks a lot to the owner of Secrettaste for inviting me to taste at his new restaurant; it was a very pleasant experience, keep it up Secrettaste!
Maybe one day, I will invite you in return. *wink wink*
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