View 62 by Paco Roncero  

As for the olive oil butter, I had high hopes for the thick creamy butter that we squeezed out from a cute, miniature toothpaste tube, but was disappointed that the intensity of taste was just as miniature.

Rest of the snacks: Black sesame miso sponge cake and Philopizza ; liquid ham croquette ; truffle dentelle ; foie gras with spiced bread – all were aromatic and composed of diverse flavours and textures as well as delicately presented. However, while they definitely delighted my palate, they did not surprise it in the way that molecular gastronomy usually does. I found myself wondering what other sensations they were intended to conjure or evoke. When the composition of the food plainly just mirrors the food’s name, without further transformation or concept, it’s all but a fine-dining experience, short of a gastronomical journey.

Thus, by the end of the Snacks, I found my mind still in my brain and my socks still firmly on my feet.

Until the tapas: the XXI Century Omelet ; slow-cooked salmon ; and Carbonara Egg Nest. There is a reason why these dishes are the signature ones at this restaurant. I finally felt the extra bit of innovation that reconstructed my food into something more unexpected and out of the ordinary. I particularly enjoyed the Carbonara Egg Nest, which made me feel like I was literally eating a plate of Carbonara which had been reshaped into an egg in a nest. I had no idea how they did it, and loved that. For the record, the slow-cooked salmon was actually just slow-cooked salmon, but it was some seriously good slow-cooked salmon.I can’t really say the same for the main courses: French sea bass and wagyu confit. I’m afraid they weren’t only boring, but weren’t even quite up to fine-dining quality. For instance, the texture of the beef was dry and tough and far from tender.

Lastly, the dessert and petit fours. There was (sadly) just one dessert - chocolate coulant nitro. It was good, and I appreciate that liquid-nitrogen-cooked stuff are innovative and rare in themselves, but when it’s the main (and only) dessert item, I felt like it needed something more than just crumbs on the side. As it was, it was nothing special, especially if you’ve already sampled other creations made with liquid-nitrogen. It was like a big, icy Ferrero Rocher, and not as good even, without the hazelnut in the center. As for the petit fours, let’s just say I admired the minimalist way in which they were presented…but not much else. Moreover, to add to the previous outright dismissal of tap water, there was also a minor lack of professionalism in the server’s lack of knowledge about the flavour of the macaroons, and a major lack of professionalism in his failure to revert. I was actually waiting to find out, because even after eating it, I still had no idea (in my defence, it was green, but tasted neither of pandan, green tea nor lime).

No doubt the Chef is famous for his contribution to nouvelle cuisine and food innovation. It is highly emphasised on the taste, texture and its presentation. I am looking forward to revisit the restaurant, especially for Jake’s and Simon’s wonderful services. But certainly, one of the “manager graded” waiter – fat with glasses - was a total disgrace. Every time I asked him for something, he always looks for his junior, seriously, if you ask, why your boss hired you.

Give me a thumbs up if you like it!

(1) For amuse bouche, we had a Frozen Gin Fizz which consisted of a frozen mixture of gin and lemon juice, topped with warm foam. The lemon juice really stood out and the drink was overall very refreshing. What was particularly commendable was the inspiring contrast between the iciness of the gin and the soothing warmth of the foam.(2) This PhiloPizza was listed on our tasting menu as a “snack”, but it was pitifully tiny, and I thought it really should have been one of the items you find in a bread basket, undeserving of its own place on the menu. It was made with oregano, Parmesan cheese and tomato powder. The flavours of the various ingredients were outstanding, but the crust was paper-thin and the snack lacked substance to it.(3) For our soup, we had a cold Almond Soup with Salmon and Artichoke, which we were told was made from the finest Spanish almonds. The seared scallops were delicate and tender, and the soup was extremely smooth, with a strong almond and meaty taste which lingered in my mouth. It was quite funny how my friends, K, S and A, thought the soup’s umami reminded them of cup noodles! I could see why lots of people would enjoy this soup…(4) For appetiser, we had a Salmon cooked at 40°C. The accompanying Cucumber and Pineapple Salad had a smokey flavour and a crisp texture, and was served nicely chilled. The salmon was smooth and adorably tender. I loved the fact that the salmon was still raw inside - really, I can never seem to get enough of raw meats! My only complaint, however, was the lukewarm temperature of the fish when it was served.(5) All but one of us ordered the Pigeon with Truffle Puree and Apple Jelly for our main course, which was exquisitely tender as well. The pigeon was cooked in a truffle puree, but the taste of the sauce was barely memorable. (6) K, who was the only person who went for the Lamb Shoulder at Low Temperature with Lemon Puree, thought that the texture of the lamb attained perfection, but (now having become a recurring theme of this restaurant) the meat was not hot enough.I was so enthralled by the thought-provoking conversation with my friends (i.e. I was so tipsy) that I forgot to take a photo of the dessert, which was the restaurant’s own version of Strawberry and Cream. However, I could assure you that you are not missing out on anything here. The Strawberry and Cream, matched with a sauce made from sherry reduction, was literally a white porcelain plate with 5 slices of strawberries and blobs of white cream and pink sauce scattered artistically across it - my 5-year-old niece could have made it for me! It was as if the restaurant was putting us on a diet…

The food, wine selection and service at View 62 could not be considered magnificent, but the view of the restaurant was truly spectacular. Even though a revolving floor is not a novel concept, my friends and I were still somewhat intrigued, and could not help childishly discussing which part of Hong Kong we were looking at (“When are we getting back to Central?”,”Oh, is that my office?”) One word of warning though: we all felt dizzy around ten minutes into the meal, and it was not alcohol-induced as we had not started drinking then. Fortunately, none of us vomited, thanks to the small portions of the dishes which left all of us feeling hungry.