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2009-10-23
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Came here to escape the Wanchai lunch crowd. It was almost empty this afternoon, with lots of people taking a peek inside but not actually coming in. I suppose they are curious about this well-appointed little place in the middle of the Wanchai hotchpotch of old and new buildings; the decor is more the kind of thing you'll see in upmarket areas of Central, or Causeway Bay.I needed coffee quite badly, and what better accompaniment to it than a nice bit of sweet treat. I was deciding between the a
I needed coffee quite badly, and what better accompaniment to it than a nice bit of sweet treat. I was deciding between the appetizing-looking apple tart, they have apples aplenty here both in edibles and inedibles: a lamp shaped like an apple, apple-shaped ornaments and other little nik naks. But I did not detect any apple crumble - surely, an obvious enough item to offer?
Obviosuly the sweet was the main event in this pastry shop, and I finally went for the heavier-looking chocolate crumble tart: I was told the 8 or so maple syrup-coloured marble-sized balls atop the tart of chocolate creme is the depiction of crumble, and has an almond taste to bring out the accent of the chocolate underneath. I thought I would try out this concoction as deconstructing it would be half the fun already.
For savoury I asked for the tuna sanwich which was freshly-made on the house. The young female server was very helpful and pleasant, she asked how I wanted my sandwich - baquette or "square" bread; toasted or not; lettuce and cheese? I was pleased with the attention to detail, especially the "it would take a little while" note when we had finished designing my sandwich.
Sitting down to look at the effort that has made to do up the place, I was really impressed with the small details, including the lighting and background french music. The crockery had also been thought out - the cup had a "swervy" handle that made holding up the cup very comfortable, and they serve fresh milk (warm as well) in a tiny little bottle with a resealable top. But for the size of the place, you would have been forgiven if you had thought that you were in a hotel coffee shop.
Back to the food:
(1) Tuna sandwich: I was a tad disappointed that it was white bread that was used (I guess in Cantonese "square bread" means white bread). But this was the only fault I could find with the sandwich, for it was layered with a generous smattering of tuna lettuce, plus a slice of cheese (albeit pre-packed). After one half of the thing I was already a bit concerned that I wouldn't have room left for the tart. I asked the manager/proprietress(?) for a doggy bag, and she replied that she would pack it in plastic wrap as the contents would fall out otherwise. Another sign of service with a big heart.
(2) Chocolate crumble tart: This was surprisingly light to the point of being a bit disappointing. I think the main problem was the chocolate creme in the tart. A firmer ganache type of filling would probably have fleshed this out a bit more, and provided the much-needed contrast between the balls of crumble that were present in each bite. The crumble balls themselves were lacking in taste somewhat, I had to search for the elusive almond taste especially that the balls were wanting in texture as well. The only upside to this dessert was its lightness which would probably appeal to a lot dainty office ladies of which I am definitely not lol. I want my food with lots of soul and character.
(3) Coffee: A safe crowd-pleasing bimbo blend again (oh dear), although the warm milk helped gain some points for a pass. A clean finish, too clean methinks, and too much of a no-brainer on the palate in my opinion.
At the end I thought they are trying hard to emulate a Japanese type of eatery, you know, nice ambience, dinky little tidbits, slightly flat tastes just enough to tickle your tastebuds without waking them up, and great attention to detail with a load of heart. But I think the real scandal here is the dozen or so tarts displayed at the shop window that are "freshly made each morning and binned at the end of day" -this definitely is not a thing that anyone with a conscience would want to hear. It made you feel that part of the price you paid goes towards this unnncessary and wasteful act.
To sum it up, I am not sure which I prefer: great and loud food made by grumpy chefs with loads of character, or subdued and quiet food produced by demure and polite cooks, with tastes that just float by by like one of a thousand fleeces of cloud in the hazy autumn sky. I have decided I'd rather a big thunderstorm that soaks me up head to toes, but at least it's glorious.
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