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2009-04-14
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There is nothing better than being able to reunite with long lost friends. Therefore when my high school buddy located me on Facebook, we decided that we had to meet up the next day and catch up on old times. She selected Simplylife Bread and Wine at IFC for an afternoon gathering. It was not as packed as the Starbucks nearby on a holiday afternoon. Self-service at the counter was the only option before dinner time, and I was quite impressed with the plethora of choices, including the eye-ca
She selected Simplylife Bread and Wine at IFC for an afternoon gathering. It was not as packed as the Starbucks nearby on a holiday afternoon. Self-service at the counter was the only option before dinner time, and I was quite impressed with the plethora of choices, including the eye-catching line-up of bakeries, from savory sandwiches to sweet pastries, and various soups, salads, loaves, and rolls. For a few minutes, I did feel like being in a bakery or bread bar in the US. But I also recalled that Simplylife was under Maxim's management, and to no surprise most offerings were similar to Starbucks’, only with a better presentation and a higher price.
I opted for a zucchini and mozzarella bread ($36) as zucchini was not as commonly used in Hong Kong as chicken and spinach or ham (and to be honestly the dry-looking ham and chicken sort of turned me off…). On the sweet side, the gorgeously glazed Apple Danish ($14) caught my eye. With those I also had a hot peach tea ($22), which was “simply” a peach-flavored tea bag with hot water.
The smiling staff was warm and nice, just like my zucchini bread after heated up and cut into bite-size pieces. Wasting no time I tried a piece of the zucchini bread. A mixed feeling struck me. Yes, the mozzarella was oozing, and yes, it was quite delicious, but somehow it wasn’t the crusty texture that I was hoping for. It was less crispy and less dense than the usual European/Italian bread that I had overseas. I recognized this textural difference quite often when sampling baguettes, French rolls, focaccia, etc. produced by local or Japanese bakeries. It seemed that most locals preferred softer, fluffier texture for all kinds of bread. I like soft bread when it comes to Hong Kong styled buns (like bolo buns), sweet rolls, or white bread. But for French or Italian bread, I want a crispy crust and denser innards. I am not saying one is better than the other. It’s just a personal preference.
Although I felt somewhat cheated by the texture, the mozzarella was able to give this bread some credit as it was plentiful and melting. The zucchini slices were pleasant to the eyes but did nothing to the palate as they were neither sweet nor crunchy. Nevertheless I did appreciate their attempt in choosing a less conventional ingredient.
The apple danish needed much more improvement than the bread. Contrary to the bread, the puff pastry was too dense and missing the flaky texture. A danish is worth-eating primarily because of the flaky and buttery crust, which this danish clearly lacked. The fresh and properly sweetened apple filling was enjoyable, but I could have ordered an apple pie at McDonald’s which would yield a similar apple flavor. I am not asking for the level of flakiness of Robuchon’s croissants, but for a bakery, you should be able to do better.
The good thing about this place was that the staff wouldn’t rush you to leave, and it’s quiet enough to carry a conversation. We spent the whole afternoon there, chatting while enjoying the views through the wide window without being interrupted.
Overall, I will give an OK 臉to the bread and a 喊臉 to the dessert. But the service and the space saved them. Together with the enjoyable afternoon with my friend, they got it lucky with a 笑臉 overall.
張貼
