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2011-08-10
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Went there for dinner a couple of years back. Interesting stuff. But it was not so much cuisine than novelty. How often can you come back for the same list of innovative dishes?We came back here for lunch recently, and the quality of the cooking showed a great deal of improvement. The dishes had lingering after taste. I had expected the same novelty dishes with unimpressive taste, so we were pleasantly surprised. And this when Devil Chef Alvin himself is away in London tending to the opening of
We came back here for lunch recently, and the quality of the cooking showed a great deal of improvement. The dishes had lingering after taste. I had expected the same novelty dishes with unimpressive taste, so we were pleasantly surprised. And this when Devil Chef Alvin himself is away in London tending to the opening of his new restaurant there.
Most of the dishes were not so much molecular than fresh ideas on how to combine taste, textures and ingredients. I had a dish of langoustines with a Chinese salty egg crust and a foam. I never really like the Shanghainese original made with prawns and that became popular some 15 years ago in Hong Kong. The salty egg coating is usually too overpowering to appreciate the taste of the prawns. The langoustine had a more subtle taste and texture (on account of them not being over cooked as well), and the crust was toned down to obtain a much better taste balance.
The troubles with ultra innovative dishes are many. Especially so with Chinese fusion dishes that re-interpret Chinese originals. It transforms the original to something else, but the diner may keep thinking, hum, this does not resemble the original. Well, of course, it is something else. But how do you prevent some diners from thinking like that? May be a maitre d' explaining the concept would help a lot. My friends told me the xiao long bao ravioli (skinless through dipping into alginate bath a la El Bulli), did not feel like the real McCoy.
We actually tried out many dishes, much more than on the lunch menu. I like it. There had been some new additions since my last visit two years ago. But how fast can they innovate? A scan through the dinner menu shows that the various set menus are essentially the same, with the more expensive ones offering an extra dish of expensive ingredients like caviar.
One problem though: very inadequate air conditioning. Apparently they lived with this problem for quite some time now but have not gotten around to have it fixed. Not great for the summer.
One of us had the beef which carried a $450 supplement but apparently enjoyed it. It was paired with the black truffle cheung fun, which is available as a choice for $40 and I would probably go elsewhere for plain beef.
Anyway, the set lunch menu allows you to choose a main course and two more appetizers. Additional appetizers go for $40 each, which is a great bargain. So just keep adding to make up your own tasting menu.
张贴
