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2015-08-31
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Issaya Siamese Club was one that got slipped away during our Bangkok trip in January. I was really looking forward to having a great meal there. But despite securing a booking way before our trip, we ended up failing to locate the famed restaurant even with the help of a GPS. So when I heard about this 39th rank restaurant in Asia (according to the 2015 Asia Best 50 Restaurants award by San Pellegrino) opening in Hong Kong this month, I decided to jump all over it.Perched on the 25th floor of th
Perched on the 25th floor of the Soundwill Plaza II (Midtown), it was natural to expect some sort of harbour view from this new establishment but what I didn't realize was that the new building directly opposite to Soundwill Plaza II (I think it's called V-Point) has already finished its development and it's completely blocking the view!
OK, so no view from the window but I must say, I have been very impressed with the décor of this 150-seater the moment I stepped through the doors.
This place also features 2 private rooms and an outdoor terrace. There was no view from the private room neither but love the fact that it's so bright and airy.
Ian Kittichai, chef and co-founder of Issaya, was also on hand (in white shirt, sitting at the sofa) during the opening week to train up the local team ahead of the grand opening.
I started things off with a glass of Thai iced milk tea but surprisingly it was not nearly sweet enough (one at Greyhound tasted slightly better).
Thai iced milk tea
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pomelo salad with the seared tiger prawns and hard boiled egg
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Another starter from the set menu was the slow cooked duck leg, with tropical fruit and roasted cashew nuts in long red chili pepper dressing. The duck meat was pretty succulent having been slow-cooked for hours but the seasoning was a little too mild comparing to the previous dish. Still not bad.
slow cooked duck leg, with tropical fruit and roasted cashew nuts in long red chili pepper dressing
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''Issaya-spiced'' Australian chicken
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tiger prawns sautéed in a house blended pepper-holy basil sauce
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wok sautéed short grain rice
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But this was a tale of the two cities. After a strong showing from the set menu, things dropped off considerably with the a la carte menu (especially dessert) starting with the coconut creme brulee with wok-sauteed chopped chicken, galangal and kaffir lime leaves.
coconut creme brulee with wok-sauteed chopped chicken, galangal and kaffir lime leaves
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We waited a long time for this and at one point, thought they have forgotten about it - Australian veal cheek simmered in house blended spices, hand pressed coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves. I was pretty sure there was some red curry in there too.The portion was a little small for a main course but I like the mix of rich and complex flavors. The cheek was very soft and silky too.
Australian veal cheek simmered in house blended spices, hand pressed coconut milk and kaffir lime le
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fried Chinese young broccoli with bird's eye chili, garlic and soy sauce
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Issaya assorted petite-fours ($85) - in a typical French meal, this is supposed to be free so charging us $85 for a pair of marshmallow, toffee candy, macarons, jelly candy and cookies was just outright ridiculous.
Issaya assorted petite-fours
$85
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Smoked coconut cheesecake with citrus compote and tropical fruit foam ($85) - They put something like a cigar in there to create this smoky effect but it felt more like a show. I wish they could have just forget about those flashy stuff and simply focus on how to make these cakes more tasty!
Smoked coconut cheesecake with citrus compote and tropical fruit foam
$85
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