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2014-08-07
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It seems to be the current trend for talented chefs to establish their own brands and build their own gastronomic kingdom. Chef Olivier Elzer was one of them. Taking over the huge dining space on the 3rd floor on Lee Gardens two, it was transformed and divided into 4 distinct seasons. We were seated in the main dining hall which depicted the harvest scene in Autumn. There was an open kitchen with an embellished bar table resembling that of L’Atelier Joël Robuchon’s.My definition of a fine dining
My definition of a fine dining experience includes 1. TASTE, 2. SERVICE, and 3. CREATIVITY (the pleasant surprises one receives along the meal). Unfortunately, Seasons excelled in none of those and I could not help but call its service a disaster. It was most likely one of the worst fine dining experiences I have ever had.The first impression right after I was seated was that this was a really bustling and noisy dining scene. I could hear clearly from the table next to me exclaiming, ‘ALL OF THE INGREDIENTS CAME FROM FRANCE’… ok, well noted. Well, I was not sure if the low ceiling was the culprit, but I was definitely caught by surprise that I almost thought I was having dim sum at some Chinese restaurants on Sundays. I attempted to distract myself, focused on the menu and skimmed through it. Different choices were offered for dinner – a la carte, 4-course set dinner and la carte blanche (an option of 4, 6 or 8 course). As a fan of Pierre Gagnaire, and the fact that I just had an enjoyable lunch at le salon de the of Joël Robuchon on the same day, we decided to let the chef play with his magical wand on the food and opt for a 6 course dinner. It was very weird that the server told us very briefly the names of each course instead of asking for our dietary requirements. We had also ordered drinks at the same time.
Bread basket was served soon after we placed our order. It consisted of home-made potato chips, tomato bread and bread with herbs (the server said it was garlic bread, but we could not taste anything pertaining to garlic). The tomato bread was the highlight, warm and soft, and I could tear out the surface bit by bit as if I was eating a tomato croissant! (8/10)
We were expecting our drinks to arrive and we were startled to see 2 white bowls were offered instead. There was NO ILLUSTRATION literally, as soon as those were placed on our table, the server turned and left.FLAW no. 1 – drinks were only served after we were done with the first course (we came to realization of what the white bowls were after we examined the ingredients). Isn’t there an unspoken rule on fine dining 101 that drinks would be served before food is offered to the diners? I was fine if they came while I was having bread or after I was done with my bread, but it ONLY came after the first course.
FLAW no. 2 – French Fine Dining Restaurant. Even for lunch, there would be an amuse bouche/ aperitif before the dining journey begins. But there was NONE at Seasons. We debated for a minute when the first course came whether that was just an amuse bouche or an actual course.
FLAW no. 3 – It was not very proper for the server to walk away right after she placed the dishes on our table. She could at least tell us what it was, what was on the dish. I reckoned that was due to a vague job description she received upon accepting the job and there was no clear division of job responsibilities among the staff. It did not seem to me they knew exactly what they needed to do, i.e. Someone to take the dishes out from the kitchen, someone to place the dishes on dining tables, and someone to explain the courses.
Back to the first course; luckily I downloaded the menu from the web and found the proper name of our dish – Sweet Corn veloute, burrata cheese and ibaiona ham. It was a cold appetizer. The Jambon Ibaiona was decent, I liked its aroma and its salinity which was just right. However, compared to the corn veloute, the taste was a bit too light and bland. I also did not understand why burrata was a good choice to be included in this dish. Somehow I felt these ingredients did not blend well together as wished. Honestly I thought Japanese sweet corn soup tasted better…
My boyfriend and I were discussing on whether we should lower our expectation for the night to avoid further disappointment when he straightened his back all of a sudden! And turned around and looked.FLAW no. 4 – A server was trying to open the bottles for our neighboring table and he obviously broke the cork. It was shattered into pieces along with the seal, it flew into the air and hit my bf’s back right on the spot. I understood it was an accident, but why would a fine dining restaurant allow some untrained servers to open bottles? Everyone makes mistakes, but some errors are simply unacceptable.
Moving on, our second course came, it was Seared pepper crusted Ahi tuna steak with Calamansi dressing. It was meaty, but not as succulent and juicy as I had imagined. I would give credits to the dressing, which was similar to a lighter version of orange marmalade, both sweet and sour. This was a better pick as appetizer. But I could barely understand what the server said when she tried to tell us what this was by rote memory (6.5/10)
Our third course was Grilled Langoustine, risotto venere and masala butter. Fresh and sweet, the langoustine was a perfect match with the masala butter which amplified the taste. Risotte Venere was a nice good pick if it was beautifully cooked. It was smooth somehow, but rather watery and did not absorb the butter well as intended. (7/10)
We were already halfway through the carte blanche but I simply could not force a smile on my face. I watched around the dining scene and the open kitchen in front of me. I usually loved to watch how the servers and cooks work. They were like dancers while the head chef was the choreographer, everyone totally conscious of what they were doing and where they were heading to under the lead with a certain rhythm. However, it was simply not the case here. Some servers ran into each other, and I did not want to look around anymore.Pan seared foie gras with watermelon sorbet was our fourth course. Foie gras was nicely prepped – soft and rich and decadent on the inside while the surface was seared just right that it was slightly crispy. However, when it was eaten along with the watermelon sorbet (and raspberries), the acidity of the sorbet overshadowed the foie gras’ fragrance. Innovation should be encouraged, but obviously watermelon was not a good complement for foie gras. I’d prefer William pear or apple. (7/10)
The main (fifth course) for the night was beef – Grilled Holstein beef cooked with beef jus and red wine sauce. The server explained how this beef was more tender and it was around the shoulder/ back area of the beef. There were 2 pieces of the beef on the plate, and my bf was inquisitive to ask how the 2 pieces were different. From the appearance, one looked more tender while the other looked slightly dry. The reply we got from her was ‘Oh they are the same’.
FLAW no. 5 – NEVER brag about things which you are not familiar with. This applies to all aspects I guess. I am no beef expert. But simply just by looking at their appearances and the patterns on the beef, I can tell they are different. You won’t describe a drumstick and chicken breast coming from the part of a chicken. Please understand the ingredients and what would be served before explaining to the diners. Or simply seek help from colleagues rather than giving illogical response.One of the pieces was indeed juicy and tender while the other was quite the opposite. The jus was delicious and brought out the overall beef flavor. There was home-made mashed potato on the side too; too bad I just had mashed potato from Robuchon on the same day, Robuchon’s mashed potato tasted better. I did not understand why there was this mixed vege on the side, they resembled those you usually had for Japanese set lunches… (7/10)
Grateful that we finally made it to the last course – Cherry Sorbet, Chocolate Mousse with Vanilla Panna Cotta beneath. Separately speaking, they were not bad, but I did not understand why they came in one plate, I just did not see the chemistry. (6/10)
I wonder how much involvement from Chef Olivier Elzer there was in preparing the carte blanche. If it were a HKD 400-500 meal, I guess I would be less furious. But given it was a HKD 1200 pax dinner, it was reasonable to look for qualities in all aspects similar to other fine dining restaurants across the world. With all the hit and misses, I was utterly disappointed.
张贴
