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2013-09-12
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This is my first review on openrice but I have been so pissed off by this restaurant I decided to register and share my anger.I went to this restaurant with friends (mostly French) for the "unofficial opening" a few weeks ago. They were proposing a 6 courses menu for HKD 450. We thought it was a good deal and went in. We were sooooo wrong...We are used to good western food since we are young and we were so disappointed first by the food, then by the service and finally by the price.Food was eith
I went to this restaurant with friends (mostly French) for the "unofficial opening" a few weeks ago. They were proposing a 6 courses menu for HKD 450. We thought it was a good deal and went in. We were sooooo wrong...
We are used to good western food since we are young and we were so disappointed first by the food, then by the service and finally by the price.
Food was either not well cooked or a real joke! First course, a piece of ciabatta as big as a thumb with olive oil... How dare you calling it a course? Then fried fishes... Taste was so so but the worst is that they gave us a plate to share for three people. The table next to us had the same quantity but they were two only. Frankly I was glad not to sit at this big table with five people... they got only one plate to share as well.
The risotto was not properly cooked (still crunchy, even hard to eat). The tiny piece of beef with literally 20 grains of corn and squid ink was a joke and I will not even describe the dessert which was a nightmare. Only one dish on the 6 proposed was good (the squid). The wine list was almost zero at that time and we were proposed to go for an organic wine which was almost as sparkling as Champagne. In front of such a limited choice we wanted to bring our own bottle and pay a corkage fee but we were told it was not accepted in this place…
Despite this first bad impression, I decided to give it another try recently. The final menu including three courses is now available and quite expensive (HKD 490) and if you want meat (lamb or beef) as a main course then you may add another HKD 80-100. The service was as poor as at the first try (the waiter does not even know all ingredients of a dish when he describes it to you. He has to run to the kitchen and ask the chef).
The food tasted ok if we do not take into consideration the avocado which was hard as a rock in the starter. However the quantity they offer is just a joke. Frankly, the squid cooked with "saucisson du Tarn" would just be acceptable as a starter and some of us are still looking for the piece of "saucisson" in their plate. The lamb chop was so small they probably took it on a two weeks old lamb. I had a glance on the table next to us. One of the customers took the scallops as a main, my god this one must still be starving now as she got only two scallops with a bit of green and half a potato on the side…. Portions were so small we asked how much it would cost to add an additional main course (the beef) complaining it would never be enough and we were told HKD 360 (my god!!! HKD 360 for literally a maximum of 150g of beef, 2 mushrooms and half a potato!!). Forget about it!
The cheese platter (for an additional 80HKD) at the end will definitely not fill you in and only the "Baba au Rhum" looks like a proper dessert. In the end almost HKD 600 per head with no wine and my only thought was: "where can I find a quick bite in the surroundings at 9.30pm?".
The wine list is quite poor with unknown references (except one Burgundy at HKD 1800). We decided to go for a beer until we realize they only have corona or a French white beer available (who the hell will drink a Corona with French food?). One of us took a red wine by the glass and it seems they do not have any proper wine tasting glasses. The recipient reminded me of these low quality glasses they serve in lower class regional cafe's. Finally water for everyone was fine.
Another interesting detail about this restaurant which pretends to serve "haute cuisine" and propose high quality service: if you ask for the restrooms you will be invited to use the dirty restrooms of a car park nearby. This is just a lack of respect for the clients.
In a nutshell, if you feel like paying a lot for very small portions, if you like being ripped off and if you love the feeling that people serving you food just care about your money…this place is for you.
The concept of opening such a restaurant in this area of Wan Chai is original, the food does not taste bad but frankly that will never be able to balance all the negative aspects this place has to offer…
There are better places and French food and service deserve much better ambassadors!
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btw, if you like sitting comfortably, then avoid the chair and thake the bench seat...
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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