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2012-04-21
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Naturally attracted to this place because of its convenient location and decor. And of course for the novelty. Lunch reservations (weekend) NOT necessary atm though - more than half-empty. Environment:To me, a nice and relaxing dining environment is important during weekends especially if you're making a special effort to dine somewhere special. Decor is one of the unique selling points of Zummer. The upstairs dining area is quite spacious, despite the ceiling being very low. Nice attempt at cre
Lunch reservations (weekend) NOT necessary atm though - more than half-empty.
Environment:
To me, a nice and relaxing dining environment is important during weekends especially if you're making a special effort to dine somewhere special. Decor is one of the unique selling points of Zummer. The upstairs dining area is quite spacious, despite the ceiling being very low. Nice attempt at creating French colonial atmosphere but sadly the quality of furniture was not up to scratch and ceiling wiring was exposed..but on the whole pleasant and relaxing! Food:
Prices are quite affordable. The menu looked very similar to Kitchen M in K11 TST. Even the prices are almost the same. I went for the fish, J had the penne, H, who was still missing Italy dreadfully after having lived there for a month last year, order gnocchi. Comes with bread, salad/soup, and a drink - dessert NOT included. Cucumber-infused water
First time having this at a restaurant. Added an interesting freshness to the water. At first we couldn't make out what it was, thinking along the lines of fruit. But there was an 'aha!' moment when the waiter told us what the extra element was. I liked it.
Bread basket
Something as simple as garlic baguette can be delightful. Reminds me of the old days when tea would consist of a piece of garlic toast. The convenient garlic butter you know. Used to love it. Haven't had it in a decade. Olive oil and vinegar is not of top quality but offered a bit of moisture and kick to the old roll. Classic Caesar salad
Mediocre caesar salad. The plate used was long and rectangular...not particularly convenient I'd say but novel. Portion kind of small for me, would've preferred more greens! Black pepper overload. Croutons were under-baked (not enough coloring). Cherry tomatoes were juicy, but not very sweet. Anchovies were incorporated into the dressing. Norwegian pan-fried salmon
My pick. The salmon was yummy and fatty with a nice creamy mushroom sauce and CHEESE on the side. (see below for the origins of the cheese). I used to cook salmon for myself in CA but salmon steaks are really too pricey in HK. Would rather go out for a nicely prepared steak than have to cook at home - sloth. I liked my steak medium well-done. The skin was crisp, not slimy . And the fish itself was quite oily - not dry at all. Well-seasoned. The watercress&fennel added a nice crunch to the fresh leafy salad tossed in OO, lemon juice and sprinkled with black pepper. Could've given me more than 2 sticks of tender, buttery baby asparagus though, I am rather fond of them. Penne bolognaise
Penne more slender than usual, cooked al dente beef ragout was yummy and soft but not sticky enough because I guess it was not cooked long enough for the collagen to come out. There wasn't enough sauce to coat the pasta, which was a pity. I'd have imagined a really sticky, intense beefy sauce, clinging onto every piece of penne. Potatoes gnocchi with mixed mushroom and pesto cream
Not authentic, according to H (whose taste I do trust). I had a few bites. Personally I think it's too much carb, but for those who like the chewy, semi-glutinous texture of the classic gnocchi, this dish will satisfy. The mushroom sauce had the right consistency - not too thick, not too creamy, but the shrooms lacked flavour. Perhaps using fragrant species (portobello, crimini, chanterelles) would do the trick. Or, simply, seasoning the mushrooms adequately. We skipped dessert.
H and I went cookie-tasting instead along QRE - so many botique cookie stores along the way to PP3.
Conclusion:
Given the reasonable price and pleasant decor, it is likely that I will revisit on a casual occasion. This is not a fancy restaurant. Food quality could be upped though! looking forward to further improvements and variations in the menu.
Other Info. :
I requested 'dressing and cheese on the side' for my salad. I think the waiter misunderstood me to refer to my main dish. I was puzzled when my salad came without alterations, but understood why my salmon came, dutifully, with 'mushroom sauce' and 'kraft cheese sprinkling' on the side. ^^'' Pretty amusing. Perhaps I should try my luck with 'caviar' or 'truffles' on the side, please.
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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