SAAM (Closed) View

Offers a variety of tasting menu to make it easier indecisive people like me. First time (back in March), we had 5 or 6 course tasting menu and it was a little too much for us (Asian, girls, no stereotyping...)This time, we had 3-course menu ($488) with Entertainer app discount (one main for free so $140 for 3-course) - worth it! They only have three choices for appetizer, main dish and dessert so for the three of us it was perfect. The portion was just right, and all of us left with a full stomach. ********Quick notes: Not overly crowded - for the three of us, we had a big table for all our food.Friendly staff - who patiently explained to us every element of the dishDelicate plating with interesting way of fusing elements from different cuisine. ********Impression on food: Appetizer - we had clam ceviche and squid, and they are both amazing. Main - I had oxtail wagyu while my friends had scallop and fish. I liked the wagyu better. It was tender and well-flavored. Beetroot on the side supplements with a little freshness after the savory. If you are a seafood person, fish+scallop is certainly not a bad choice. Dessert - We tried all three. They are all very different and we are so glad to have tried them all. However, we unanimously voted for the strawberry pina cotta.  continue reading

SAAM位於Soho荷里活道與史丹頓街之間的嘉咸街上，門面低調不太顯眼。餐廳轉眼之間差不多開業近一年，直到了這晚才第一次到訪。其實之前都有興趣想過去試，但每次到了約食飯時大家卻又沒有想起他 餐廳裝修簡約輕鬆，最搶眼就是牆上那些色彩鮮豔的掛畫。地方比我想像中細，原來約只有二十個位。日後如果要找個地方包場開party，看來可以考慮這裡呢 ;)SAAM基本上主要做晚市，逢星期一休息；而唯一的一天午市在星期五供應。晚市的menu很簡單，我們只需選擇想吃prix fixe dinner還是tasting menu。Prix fixe dinner，3道菜$488，每道菜都各有3款選擇（此外，亦只可從這menu上單點菜式）。而tasting menu，就分別有5道菜＄638 和7道菜 ＄788 2種選擇。Tasting menu上的菜式會每2個月轉一次。剛好9月份至10月份的A School Day tasting menu ，靈感來自大廚以自己在澳洲童年時在校園經常吃到的食物重新演繹。轉眼自己都離開校園多時，這晚可以在香港SOHO遇上SAAM大廚重新演繹的那些年澳洲校園味道的學生餐，聽起來頗有趣，真期待呢！SAAM2款tasting menu的分別是5道菜的menu會較7道菜的menu少了第3道菜和第5菜。既然第一次到訪，就一於點來7道菜的menu，齊齊來個全體驗。另外，還有配紅、白餐酒的wine pairing選擇，5款酒＄248 或7款酒＄348，定價平易近人。不過自己這晚不想多飲酒，下次再試試這裡的酒吧。先送上的餐前小食是每位一客的愛爾蘭鮮蠔。清新柚子醬汁和三文魚籽的配搭讓本身已經很鮮味的蠔味道層次更豐富，而且蠔的賣相也很美。未吃第一道菜前先留下個美好印象 第一道菜： NUTELLA & TOAST帶子他他味道清新。但我更喜歡松露夾心脆餅！脆脆夾餅中間看來像’Nutella’的’朱古力色’醬其實是松露醬，松露香突出，好吃～第二道菜：CEREAL & YOGURT口感有點像乳酪，滑溜creamy，不過多份甘香。。。 原來其實是邪惡的鵝肝醬！ 再配上燕麥和胡椒調過味的菠蘿，撈在一齊吃，酸香的菠蘿可以幫助中和一下鵝肝的膩，texture食感亦不錯。第三道菜：SAUSAGE & EGG這隻看起來像真度好高的流心太陽蛋其實並不是蛋，蛋黃是南瓜蓉而蛋白部分是椰奶；而'sausage'，就是龍蝦'漢堡'扒。吃的時候把蛋黃、蛋白和旁邊的脆脆咖喱粉撈在一起，很有在吃咖喱龍蝦的感覺。美味又有趣，是我這晚最喜歡的一道菜！第四道菜：FISH & CHIP眼前這fish & chips的型態、賣相跟我們平日吃到的炸魚薯條是完完全全2個模樣 XD 多寶魚柳烚煮，配著脆炸薯片、炸他他醬汁和青豆蓉，美味之餘玩味與創意都十足呢。第五道菜：GLUTEN FREE NOODLE SOUP鮮菇餃子與乾麵條先上枱，接著加上鮑魚清上湯，大家便可起筷～第一眼看到這'無麩質麵'時，覺得麵條有點像手切烏冬。不過咬下去發覺原來是雞肉！鮮美清淡的一道菜，吃得舒服。第六道菜：SCHOOL ROAST DINNER相對剛才那幾道菜，這個的玩味'收斂'了。眼前的牛柳真是和牛牛柳，而炸薯亦真是炸薯。其實吃到這時已經頗飽，本來打算只淺嚐一下。不過牛柳肉香豐富，肉質軟嫩多汁，實在吸引。最後，一口接一口，不小心把全碟吃光光呢 ～第七道菜：PB&J甜品，亦是這夜的tasting menu上最後一道菜。由花生醬凍糕，烤香蕉布甸和提子雪葩組成，擺碟賣相精緻。那提子雪葩彷如在吃/飲冰涼濃郁的提子汁，別錯過！這次初訪SAAM，留下相當不錯的印象。Hum，怎麼我當年學校的menu沒有這麼精彩呢 continue reading

結束了暑假 最期待的新學期開始了穿上校服 背著書包 粗框眼鏡 冬菇頭我們懷念的除了抽屜縫和書包里變著花樣的零食還有每次下課鈴音未了就迫不及待奔去飯堂的那一片熱氣騰騰亦或是放學路邊攤 此起彼伏的叫賣聲而懷舊的味道 用上新派的做法一起來看看歐式餐廳SAAM 的秋季餐單: 上學去 (九、十月限定)第一道：NUTELLA & TOAST 榛子醬多士誰的青春 沒有早晨的一杯牛奶 配巧克力榛子醬抹多士？用上濃而回味的巧克力甜 與松露豐腴的香搭配帶子肉嫩而入味 配起硬脆的麵包片 開胃又清爽第二道： CEREAL & YOGURT 穀物和乳酪面層有咬口的燕麥脆脆乳酪下面鋪的可是鵝肝凍還藏有水噹噹的胡椒菠蘿肉 咬一口 果汁也沖淡了鴨肝的滑膩感再來第三道：SAUSAGE & EGG 香腸和雞蛋蛋非蛋 腸非腸黃橙橙的“蛋黃”是南瓜蓉“香腸”也不是豬或雞肉而製 而是龍蝦哦有趣的高潮 則是清甜的椰漿首衝 讓香濃的咖喱留下回味無窮第四道：FISH & CHIP 炸魚薯條該是最精緻的炸魚薯條了吧？不同於常見魚肉選了多寶魚 水煮的質感 嫩滑而不失鮮而酥炸他他汁配上青豆泥 更是加分不少的口感第五道：GLUTINE FREE NOODLE SOUP 無麩質麵湯用雞肉壓制成的麵條！咬落口 是扎扎實實的雞肉香而可貴的是 肉身麺條吃起來不散又不柴 還搭配了鮑魚上湯海味也能把接地氣的鮮 很妙的吊出來~~第六道菜： “SCHOOL ROAST DINNER”... 校園燒味晚餐以和牛牛肋肉主打的燒味主題而不吃牛的我 則換上了另一招牌烤乳鴿選用了法國普羅旺斯的鴿子在皮層加入了鵝肝醬 慢煮后的肉質由內呈現嫩紅 肉汁也豐富的很再點些甜香的梨肉泥 清碟也一點兒不費勁甜品: PB & J花生醬與啫喱尾聲再回到親切的花. 生. 醬.積木狀的花生醬凍糕 細膩的果仁香再挖一勺涼絲絲的雪芭 還有夾著香草籽的香蕉布甸滿口的淡雅讀萬卷書 行萬里路當總廚Patrick 在遊歷完世界以後是怎麼把書本里讀不出的味道 放進他的盤子里？跟著他 一起上學去！ continue reading

聽聞SAAM Food & Drinks以多國菜作主打，主廚將周遊列國帶回來的烹飪知識匯聚到菜式中。這次機緣巧合之下來食午餐，午市套餐共5道菜式，小巧精緻。據說每天的菜式也有所不同，今次食到的是雜菜沙律、蘋果杏仁咖哩湯、牛肉春卷、蘑菇露筍意大利飯和燒豬肉配乳酪汁。主菜可從豬肉及魚中選擇，而且燒豬是餐廳的名物，當然要一試。特別喜歡其燒豬肉配乳酪汁，和蘑菇露筍意大利飯，兩者火候剛好，味道適中。燒豬肉香嫩，配菜青豆和瓜吸收了醬汁，十分美味。如果加一點澱粉質入去，便更好了。意大利飯來得正好，微微的煙韌口感，再加上露筍的清爽口感，美味。其實將乳酪汁加進飯裡食，也很不錯啊。如果喜歡小妹寫的/拍的，請到小妹的facebook page 支持一下啊~! continue reading

Guys night out tonight. I must admit I have always enjoyed dining out with my buddy V who knows more than a thing or two about the local dining scene. With him picking our dining destination, I know for sure I am in very capable hands.His pick for tonight is SAAM. Located on the hilly Graham Street in Central / Soho, SAAM is a little difficult to describe but I would call it a melting pot of different cuisine.Owner-chef Patrick Dang's name looked awfully familiar. As it turns out, he has recently helmed Cocotte and worked at Mo Bar (2005-06). Apart from Hong Kong, the well-traveled chef has also been around Shanghai and different parts of Australia.I did my homework on the name of the restaurant before coming here. It means “together” in Afrikaans. Let's hope everything would be "coming together" nicely this evening.There are two prix-fixe menus available on this night, $488 for 3 courses and $688 for 6 courses. We decided to explore Chef Dang's cuisine in greater lengths so the 6-course menu was what we ended up having.Before dinner officially started, we were offered a basket of Turkish bread together with a nice dipping sauce made of white beans, yogurt and wine.Our first nibble was a black olive gazpacho. I was a little misled by its clear color which got me thinking it would be very light but it ended up being the exact opposite. Pretty intense and carrying a good depth of flavor.A further amuse bouche followed - a pan seared scallop with salmon roes, lime juice and a touch of wasabi. A very simple nibble that was well thought and designed. Not bad at all.Now that our palates were warmed up, it's time to get serious. First up was one of the chef's latest hits - cuttlefish noodle with Canadian sea urchin, mentaiko, salmon roes and seaweed in a warm yuzu foam. The sea urchin was probably not among the best we've ever tasted but it was working magic with the cuttlefish noodle, salmon roes, seaweed and yuzu. A very impressive dish (4/5).Our second starter was veal tataki served with cauliflower, osetra caviar and radish. I thought I heard our server mentioning cauliflower consommé but we couldn't find it anywhere on the plate. This was decent and I especially enjoyed the crispy potato on top giving the dish a lot of bite (3/5).I loooovvveeee white asparagus so I was really looking forward to this dish. White asparagus was wrapped nicely with savory country ham and the mélange with morel mushrooms, tarragon, green peas and potato foam added an interesting spin to the mix (3.5/5).Neither V nor I is a fan of fish but we both agreed that this line caught bass grouper from New Zealand tasted better than it looked (or smelled). Of course, it didn't hurt to have a strong supporting cast too, with crabbrandade, piquillo, artichoke and sherry doing the honor (3.5/5).Our last savory dish was the Australian Ranger Valley Wagyu beef that was served medium. The meat was very tender and juicy although slightly lacking flavors if we wanted to be picky. The only knock was perhaps the zucchini and cottage pie as they looked a little out of place sitting next to the Wagyu (3.5/5).We can each pick one dessert from the list of three and I went with the 70% Guanaja chocolate pudding with salted caramel, hazelnut and black berry. This looked like something we had at Liberty Private Works not too long ago. Very nice contrasting flavors (3.5/5).Coconut pavlova with textured coconut, mango, lime and yogurt was the one to pick if you're into more refreshing flavors (3.5/5).This was a very interesting dinner indeed. There were certainly some bright spots here and there. Although I couldn't single out a dish that managed to wow us (apart from the cuttlefish noodle perhaps), I thought everything was technically sound. Service was also very good from start to finish, which I found slightly surprising from a small place hidden in the quiet Graham Street. To sum it up, this is a real sleeper and a pretty good place for a reasonably priced prix-fixe menu ($688). continue reading