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2015-03-05
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Chef Que Vinh Dang used to run the private kitchen TBLS. He recently opened Quest in Wan Chai. The restaurant takes up an entire floor of a new building in Wan Chai. The decor is all black and white, which serves as a beautiful backdrop for his innovative and delicious tasting menu.The menu we tried was Vietnamese inspired but the chef plans to change the menu often and the next menu could be very different like Spanish! What an interesting concept, the restaurant will give diners very different
The menu we tried was Vietnamese inspired but the chef plans to change the menu often and the next menu could be very different like Spanish! What an interesting concept, the restaurant will give diners very different experiences each time.
We started with yellowtail sashmi with Tomato Jelly, Yuzukosho Nuoc Mam. This dish has Vietnamese and Japanese elements. It was a great start to the meal, the rich fish was offset by a tangy and refreshing sauce, while the basil seeds added a nice crunch . The flavors were so interesting and complex.
Next we were served Boston Lobster Nem Coun with Pickled Daikon, Smoked Paprika Sauce which is a deconstructed rice paper roll. This was my favorite dish of the night as I love lobster. The lobster was cooked to perfection, it was so juicy and complemented so well with some guacamole. And the pickled daikon added a nice contrast in texture and acidity.
Beef Pho Tartar with Rice Noodles, Shaved Foie Gras, Fresh Herbs really shows the chef's creativity. He really recreated the famous pho in flavor but with a new way of eating it. The beef was slightly smoked grass-fed beef and the shaved foie gras added some luxury and a nice smoothness to the dish.
I was so impressed already at this point but there was more delicious dishes. The fish course was a buttery Black Cod Fish served with sugar snaps sauteed with swimmer crab, Squid Ink Mochi and a fish caramel sauce. The sauce was so wonderful and I literally licked the plate clean. The fish was flaky and it contrasted nicely with the crunchy sugar snaps.
Next up was a soup dish from Hue province but of course Chef Que added his own touch. Gone is the noodles and served as Oxtail Bun Bo Hue with Daikon and Tripe. It was nice to switch to a warm and soup dish at this point. The oxtail was melt in your mouth tender and the daikon soaked up all the complex flavors of the soup.
The last main was a Grilled Sagabuta Pork served with Purple Sweet Potato Puree and Brussels Sprouts. The pork was marinated in lemongrass and fish sauce and cooked on a charcoal grill. It had a lightly smoked flavor. The pork had a great texture with some marbles though out. It was served with pieces or pork crackling for texture while the sweet potato puree added a hint of sweetness and creaminess.
I ate the palate cleanser too fast and forgot to take pictures. But we had a calamansi, yakilt and chili sorbet as palate cleanser. And the final dessert was Almond Cake with Charred Pineapple, Salted Coconut Caramel Ice Cream. The dessert was just heavenly and a perfect ending to the meal. It was sweet, sour, salty, rich, so many flavors combined well together.
Quest has a small and focused wine list with some very interesting choices from boutique wineries. They also serve some creative cocktails, we tried the Plantation Passion and Old Fashion and both were so good.My dined as a group and all of us loved the meal. I think each dish is so well thought out. The dishes have so many ingredients and flavors but somehow Chef Que made them work wonderfully well together with each other. He is also really into textures, each dish had some kind of contrast with soft and crunch. I think you really get value for money for the quality and the amount of food served. What I can say is each course was a lovely surprise and the meal is really a journey!
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