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2013-12-17
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Having quite enjoyed the dining experience at the sister company, Madam Sixty Ate, I decided to try this restaurant the moment I saw the "Coming Soon" sign a couple of months ago. I booked a table since I knew I would be hungry getting off my Sunday flight and the location was perfect given it was along airport express (ie. Elements). I skipped the in-flight meal on purpose to prepare myself for a great meal ahead. Decor was clean and simple - white walls and wooden tables with a few quirky
Decor was clean and simple - white walls and wooden tables with a few quirky drawings hanging from the wall, creating a very laid-back homely flavor to the place. Service was in the same style, quite casual and friendly, but definitely not as attentive and trained as staff in their sister restaurant. Case in point: I was wet from the rain and was dragging my luggage, but none of the staff offered to hang my coat or put aside my luggage; Which was actually fine with me, as it went hand-in-hand with the atmosphere with the place, plus, I was here for the food.
And let it begin! So we started with their modern French onion soup(HK$90), which was a modified version of the classic. The ingredients were roughly the same as the classic version, with onions, parmesan and bread soaked in the consomme, but in significantly smaller portion and lower temperatures. One notable difference is the addition of anchovy and preserved shallot, giving the soup a sharper and lighter flair. For the health conscious, this is a great dish; but for foodies, I think most would agree with me that this was nowhere as comforting as the original version served with oozing cheese in a piping hot pot. I simply cannot agree with taking the comfort out of comfort food.
Our next appetizer was a French favorite - beef tartare(HK$145)! Raw beef mixed with onions, greens, topped with a raw egg yolk and sprinkled with paprika, sided with thinly sliced chips - I believe this classic dish does not need any further introduction. I like how they stayed true to the original, because it was delicious! The homemade chips were also perfect, thinnly sliced and crisps, flavored with its original starchy fragrance. My only suggestion would be to be more generous with the chips or replace them altogether with crusty bread.
The main was barramundi with ricotta gnocci and young turnips(HK$285) served with Madam S'ate salad(HK$55) and pomme frites(HK$55). The barramundi was brilliantly done, with crispy skin and juicy melt-in-your-mouth flesh. It was served with young turnips and and ricotta gnocchi, offering mellow contrast to the richness of the fish. It was a very balanced dish with great textures, loved it! In the meantime, the sides, were plain disappointing, to say the least. For a salad named after the restaurant, I would expect something special. But it was just plain salad drizzled in red wine vinaigrette. The shoestring fries were nothing special, softer than I expected, but to be fair, I know people who prefer softer fries. To their credit though, is that the fries were fresh and hot out of the fryer.
We ordered Sour Grapes(HK$90,left) and Bloody Mary(HK$100,right) to go with our meal. Sour grapes was quite nice, tangy and sweet, and hints of white grape flavor (although the drink was made with red grapes). The Bloody Mary was refreshing as always, but I personally prefer a thicker stronger blend.
To close the deal, we treated ourselves to the fig galette with honeycomb and mascarpone(HK$80), which was supremely executed. The honeycomb was sweet and crunchy, the mascarpone very creamy and vanilla-esque, figs were ripe; these were docked on top a thin crispy layer of toasted almond and carmel, which was based upon a layer of thick cake. The combination was satisfying without being overpowering.::||Good for||::
Times when you prefer milder (ie. less adventurous) flavors than its sister, Madam Sixty Ate. Also (hopefully) good for a couple months later when they improve/mature a bit more.
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