QMO (Closed)

想起五年前，正是香港開始掀起西班牙菜之時。如今西班牙菜館如星散，玩份子料理的View 62 by Paco Roncero已結業（舖位變成自助山）、星街米芝蓮廚主理的Principle、Vi Cool相繼關閉，唯剩下Catalunya、Boqueria等店大集團支撐的名店。提起Catalunya，不得不提當年同期開業的Quemo，後者最近搬店至船街，就在22Ships旁邊，易為QMO。餐廳換上新主廚，環境及餐牌大革新，似乎信心滿滿，在船街「爆場王」22Ships面前也不怯場。餐廳主攻海鮮，頭盤先試西班牙Galician Oyster（$68），Galicia位於西班牙北面，面向大西洋，經理說這生蠔生長於鹹淡交界水域，長期寒冷，故沒有法國蠔R月份（九月至四月）才肥美之顧忌。這西班牙生蠔入口Creamy度是一百分，似熊本蠔，海水味淡淡的，沒有法國蠔般鹹，亦沒有愛爾蘭蠔的清優，但就有獨特的海草味，$68隻，這個價物有所值，至少可以跟法國的Gillardeau及White Pearl一較高下。其他頭盤如大蜆、扇貝則較貴，不建議。招牌菜是油甘魚薄片配芒果黃椒（$98），油甘魚本身做刺身已爽口，不過當秘魯醃海鮮（Ceviche）做法則較少見。Ceviche是秘魯人的國菜之一，用青檸、辣椒製作的酸汁，又叫tiger's milk，加入魚肉刺身後會產生化學作用，令魚肉口感變得似煮過一樣。同樣道理，這油甘魚加自家酸汁，配芒果黃椒，酸甜鮮味，不錯。最後，西班牙紅蝦配Romesco sauce（$188），食落竟然有花生味！紅蝦最寶就是蝦頭膏，輕輕一煎已經好正，不過阿廚來自加泰隆尼亞區，當地流行用果仁、紅椒、蒜來炒一種帶花生香味的橙色醬汁Romesco sauce，配煎紅蝦原來超好味。食剩的醬用來塗蚪麵包吃一樣正。結論，每人平均晚餐$500至$700，22Ships真的有對手了。 continue reading

For an impulse dinner get together last week, my friend picked QMO on Ship Street.  I've never been to before, and always up for trying new restaurants.  Location not hard to find, not many people inside when I arrived as I was really early before the dinner crowd.  Only a few foreigners drinking at the bar, promising indicator I assumed lol,  So I went in and requested a table near the back. (Friend tends to be loud when tipsy, waitress was accommodating without asking for the reason XD )I found out this was a Spanish tapas style restaurant after looking at the menu. Silly me. Having a drink first while waiting for friend to come. Berry Mojito was on promotion so that was my pick. Plentiful of crushed berries and mint made the drink sweet and fresh, yet not overshadowing the rum. For around $50 this was a great deal. After company arrived, we each ordered from a set menu called "3 x 3 + 3" The name was a little confusing to me at first. Being a math wiz I thought I would get 12 items?  Wait, too good to be true.  It actually meant that included were one starter dish, one first course, and one main, each I get to choose from a list of 3 choices, plus 3 glasses of wines preselected as best to pair with the dishes. Oh Well, sounded good enough for the price they're charging so pick away I went.First to arrive was the starter. I picked Hokkaido Scallop Trio Comb. Presentation was pretty nice, served on a black plate for better contrast coloring.It was scallops served three ways. Tartar, mousse and grilled. I ate from left to right.Tartar was chopped up Hokkaido scallops, juicy and fresh just like when eating japanese sashimi. Mousse actually looked different than I had imagine. I thought I would get some foam-like stuff, but actually long pieces mixed in mini salad greens with lemon juice was served. (I didn't ask why, man ego lol) Texture was a little bouncy like japanese fish cakes. Although out of my expectation it still tasted great and refreshing. Grilled version was the one I liked the most, because the searing brought out extra fragrance while inside still soft, retaining the seafood juicy taste same as the tartar version. Pairing wine was 40ml of Sancerre, Domaine du Pre Semele. A light crisp citric white wine, went well with the scallops. Pretty decent portion as I would supposedly have 3 diffenent glasses total throughout dinner. Why did I say supposedly? Because I was only picking dishes I wanted to try most on the set menu, and overlooked what wines were the preselected perfect pairing ones. Turned out the wine paired with the starter I chose was exactly the same as the wine paired with my first course coming up next! Okay seriously it wasn't that big a deal to me, but for those who want to have 3 different kinds of wine please look carefully. Don't make the same mistake I made.For first course I picked grilled squid with garlic & parsley. The squid was cooked to have a soft texture, not chewy at all. It was seasoned perfectly with possibly sea salt, and the garlic & parsley sauce on top. It almost felt like the squid was freshly caught in the ocean with similar to sea water taste!Squid ink sauce on bottom not too neccessary, because it didn't add to the dish much but only giving it more contrasting color. This was the dish I enjoyed the most. Absolutely delicious!As mentioned earlier, the wine paired was Sancerre, Domaine du Pre Semele as well.Last to come was mussels, shrimps, tomato pot-au-feu with fried whitebait.Plentiful of mussels and shrimps were first sauteed, then herbs and thick tomato sauce were added to make soup.  The whitebait on the side added some crunchiness when ate with soup together.  Good complimentary to have. Soup flavorful, fresh seafood and rich tomato taste went well, not too salty.Pairing wine was Riesling, Henri Weber. Another crisp fruity white wine, sweeter not as acidic as the previous Sancerre.  Everything I ordered were fresh seafood items, so wines with these characteristics were what complementing best.Overall this place had pretty good execution on seafood items, although those were all I've had lol. Food tasted great, platings were nice, wine choices plentiful, service attentive yet not in your face. Can be an excellent choice of restaurant to have a date night out. Will come back. continue reading

在灣仔遊走至船街，是時候泊岸休息一下。 時間尚早，餐廳裏只有零星酒客，晚飯的人潮未到。單是這兩幅圖畫已可為餐廳帶來點綴。 Padrón peppers 青色的西班牙辣椒，煮法簡單只需要把青辣椒放進欖油裏炸香，上碟後再撒上海鹽來吃，青辣椒並不辣而且帶清甜的蔬菜味，油膩感是沒有，清新口感讓人一隻又一隻的吃不停。Mussels，Shrimps，Tomato Pot - au - Feu with Fried Whitebait 以蕃茄來燴煮青口及蝦仁，濃稠的蕃茄醬帶自然酸甜，青口肉吃落無渣，蝦仁彈牙，吃的時候要把碟旁上剛炸好的酥炸銀魚撈入，味道更具層次。 Fresh Fruit Yogurt 甜品點了這道，新鮮水果加純乳酪，味道天然純正，絕對美味 !味道 4環境 3.5服務 3衛生 4抵食 4 continue reading

3x3+3 Pairing set dinner $468三道菜分別會配番三杯酒🍽🍷🍽🍷🍽🍷啱哂邊嘆美食邊嘆靚酒嘅朋友😍頭盤 Hokkaido Scallop Trio Comb好食指數: 9/10抵食指數: 9/10分grill, mousse同tartar三種料理方式 口感各有不同 Grill嘅外香內嫩 Mousse嘅香滑Tartar 保持到鮮嫩口感同原有鮮味👍🏻Pairing wine 係法國既Sancerre, Domaine du Pré Semelé味道略酸 帶岀鮮味😋第一道菜式 Grilled Squid with Garlic & Parsley好食指數: 9/10抵食指數: 9/10魷魚口感新鮮彈牙 😋配上墨汁作為醬好特別😲無論賣相同味道上都非常配合由於同係海鮮菜式Pairing wine同上一道菜一樣主菜 Braised Lamb Shank with Saffron Risotto好食指數: 9/10抵食指數: 9/10羊膝質素好高 肉質鮮嫩無比而且炆到好腍 羊羶味好香意大利飯粒粒分明 煮得恰到好處吸晒醬汁既香味同精華今次既Pairing wine係Côtes du Rhône, Domaine Alary紅酒飲落balanced 酒味香醇 帶岀羊肉味 continue reading

Minestrone Tomato and Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese Salad 羅勒醬番茄 番茄新鮮爽脆 加上Mozzarella Cheese 是經典的配對 這個沙律清新健康Stew Shrimps, Cuttlefish, Clams and Vegetables 內裡有蝦、魷魚、蜆、薯仔和蕃茄，酸酸的很開胃，適合夏天進食。蜆是新鮮的，但吐沙時間不足，以致我們吃下去有沙，蝦有少許雪味但爽口。Spaghetti with Fresh and Sun-dried Shrimps in Spicy Tomato Sauce 軟靱度中上，汁略淡很多笑臉食評都是晩餐為主，或許我會在晚餐回來試試。 continue reading