The Principal  

一直久聞其名，並慕其名，惜遲遲未有機會一試。今次，終於和弟婦去星街拜會The Principal。店舖位處星街盡頭，近金鐘，位置較隱蔽及寧靜，招牌都不太顯眼。Brunch set$740/位，另加一服務費，包乳酪、麵包、芝士、火腿、海鮮冷盤、炸物小吃、主菜、甜品，以及咖啡西茶，還有果汁、酒(紅酒、白酒、啤酒)、香檳、voss water等任飲。我哋飲左香檳，以及味道較濃的芒果薄荷果汁及清新可口的士多啤梨西瓜果汁。

Time of the year when it was the birthday of "the principal" in my life (my dear mum); it made perfect sense to bring my family to "The Principal" for a star experience on Star Street.

=

Widely recognised to be a promising addition of the Press Room Group when it was first opened; the Principal has proven to be a successful and sophisticated member since then. Hidden discretely down on the far end of Star Street, but it gained the one-star Michelin recognition promptly after opening for a year or so. Power of minimalistic design. Spot-on example of "less is more". The Principal has a clean yet sophisticated interior, the bright airy space is filled with relaxing vibes.

...Alas, I have to start with some negatives (I prefer getting the painful and depressing bits out of the way first ). We were greeted pleasantly, brought to the table and seated. And just as we got comfortable... we were told it was the wrong table...(ok, fine)...well, then we all stood up and followed the usherette to the other side of the restaurant; when another usherette/waitress gave her a stern stare full of disapproval, guess what - we headed to the wrong table again.. Anyway, we were eventually seated and we did manage to eat (LOL). Slight hiccup, but one which I would not expect from a place of this (I presumed high) caliber (or seeking to be seen as this caliber). Let's fast-forward a bit and get through another anticlimax; for two of our courses, the waitress failed/forgot to present/explain to us the composition of the dish (ok.. maybe I am being mean, but again, would have expected more from a place of this caliber). Oh and we were not served bread when some other tables seemed to have got them...

Anyway. Huff.



A simple but inviting a la carte menu, though we had our eyes on the "Degustation Menu" (HK$1080 - quite reasonably priced). Me being me, I signed up for the wine pairing (by adding an extra HK$500, you have a matching wine for each of the 10 course! Fairly good value!).To start us off we were offered "Snack" (photo on top). The tray of goodies, from left to right: marinated olives, crispy bits, caramel popcorns, roasted chestnuts. As "Amuse Bouche" (photo beneath): we had Italian chorizo and cheese puffs (warm and mushy.. adore!); meringue with goat cheese (very nicely done, the sweetness of the meringue integrated really well with the unique aroma (tartiness and earthiness) of goat cheese; similar to the Amuse Bouche I had at Fat Duck in England); Spanish biscuits (not memorable).First course "Oyster" (photo on the left). The oyster shell was placed on some pebbles. Poached oyster sliced into small pieces, presented with a taste of Thai (lime and ginger and coriander used) and topped with coconut foam. Unfortunately, the coconut foam did not really speak; it was too light to the point that it was undetectable. This dish tasted a bit like the Chinese dish "ginger and spring oinion fried oyster"; but I must admit it does have more complexity in flavours.

Second course "Caviar" (photo on the right). The white bed under the caviar is no ordinary custard, but custard blessed with bacon essence. Extremely creamy and backed with aroma of pancetta - it was very palatable and an excellent base for the sensual and distinctive scent of caviar. The presentation of this course (with the box and the name of the restaurant printed on top..) reminded me of Robuchon's Caviar Box (which I absolutely LOVE). I would say Robuchon's take is more exquisite, but I very much enjoyed The Principal's "Caviar" as well. Nice! Third course "Caprese" (photo on top). Caprese, this refers to Insalata Capreses (aka salad in the style of Capri) which is a traditional Italian salad comprising of fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. An innovative interpretation and I have to say a successful one! Fresh mozzarella took the form of mozzarella foam instead (!!); though don't be fooled. Yes it was foam, yes it was light and airy, but (as opposed to the coconut foam for "Oyster") it was absolutely flavourful and luscious. It was "very mozzarella". Tomatoes - in two ways: dried and terrine; vibrant acidity perfectly balanced against the natural fruitiness of tomatoes - made my mouth water. The green icecream brought in the basil element; pleasantly herbaceous, it was one refreshing scope! A few balsamic 'pop's laid on the terrine; vital component of "Caprese" to give it that POP! This was a beautiful bridge between tradition and innovation!! Really enjoyed it!

Fourth course "Mackerel" (photo beneath). Very fresh Mackerel with a hint of smokiness rested on aljoblanco. Aljoblanco is a typical Spanish cold soup from Andalusia; this is a warmer version but equally aromatic of bread, almond, vanilla and olive oil (a bit like good old Chinese almond tea, except it's better, it's with more characters). The gem was the golden apple mash; neither over-powering nor redundant, it amazed me how well it complimented and brought out the freshness of the mackerel immensely. Gorgeous dish. Fifth course "Foie" (photo on top). Foie gras, poached, then marinated in a stimulating mixture of pickles, kumquats and yuzu (escabeche style!) and topped with a colourful garden of veg. Personally I found it too acidic and citrusy; luckily not to the extent that the flavour was harsh, but the foie gras was unnecessarily played down. Could display a better balance.

Sixth course "Ravioli" (photo beneath). First, let's pause, breathe, take a moment and admire the oozing yolk (LOL yes I have a thing for runny yolks). Not an ordinary ravioli. The ravioli skin was crisped to golden, the warm beautiful yolk hidden within was enhanced with pancetta essence. The creamy and buttery iberico parmentier base (iberico flavoured mash) was not heavy at all and brought all components of the dish together effectively. I licked my spoon for the last bit of it. Seventh course "Sea Bream" (photo on top). The sea bream was very fresh and its moisture was nicely retained. It was fantastically flavourful, infused with Korean spices. The green sea roe and mustard seeds, together with celeriac dices worked well with the mustard froth and added further textures and dimensions to the dish. Each nibble sent hot sensations on my palate. Sheer excitement to my senses!

Eighth course "Pigeon" (photo beneath). This dish consisted of the breast and the drumstick, cooked in slightly different way but both super succulent. I enjoyed the breast particularly, it displayed (borrowing a description from the wine world) hints of CIGAR BOX - elegant balance of sweetness and cedarwood with waves of smokiness. Medium rare; very juicy and savoury. Rather perfect fat balance as well. Nice bed of bomba rice, "soil" (made from "cepes" which is an edible fungus) and cute little truffles which were all brought to life by the rich gravy. Yumm.Ninth course "Citrus" (photo on the left). A refreshing palate cleanser as a pre-dessert. Three scoops - a lemon & ginger curd, lemongrass-mint sobert, kaffir lime ice-cream; with green tarragon jelly. Yellow crumbs brought further sweetness into the picture. All in all, a success in bringing about an elusive summery flavour which was fruity, sharp and citrusy.

Tenth course "Rapa Nui" (photo on the right). I smiled when I saw this. Rapa Nui, also known as the Easter Island - with their world-famous large stone statues (aka Moai) (dated back to 1100CE!!). 2 Moai for each of us, presented elegantly on a dark plate. Each was a simple shaped-chocolate filled with roasted corn ice-cream. Bits of "rocks" which were sweet milk chocolate mousse were laid on "palm leaves" which were dry cocunut flakes dyed in green (pretty clever!). Gorgeous to look at and tasted well.



Our night ended with petit fours; and my brother performing the catchy line from "the Night at the Museum": "ME no dum-dum, YOU dum-dum! You bring me gum-gum".

I could not help smiling, from my heart.

That meal we had. That vibe around the table. That smile on my principal's face. That - is exactly why I work hard, and very hard, at work.

Many more to come.

...as I walked out of the restaurant, I clicked on my iphone and texted my best girlfriends proposing Sunday brunch together, at the Principal, with free-flow.

又大一歲....歲月不留人...轉字頭前一晚,我選擇咗去剛獲一星既Principal食飯.

位於星街既尾段,放便中又靜,冇蘭桂芳既熱鬧但別樹一格，入口處放既sofa好有歐洲feel,我..鐘..意! 環境好好舒服,waiter有禮貌,so far 感覺良好!

叫咗兩個starters, 63" degree egg 同ham. 蛋加mushromm同truffle, 完美佩搭,切粒既雅芝竹唔係好match, 不過無損味道. Ham as good as usual, 不過分量同價錢有段距離. (4xx for ham)Main 叫咗sucking pig 同lamb. Sucking pig 明顯高一線,皮脆肉滑!有機會我會encore. 羊肉都可以,presentation layout 一流. 不過比起其他餐廳,明顯冇羊味.

Dessert 叫咗cheese platter 同chocolate lime. 兩樣都好好味! 我仲叫咗champagne，red wine 同甜酒. Champagne係我飲咁多中明顯高一線,bubbles very smooth ，夠湅同價錢reasonable (1xx/glass)

兩個人..唔覺就2800,唔算抵,不過quality好加係一星餐廳算可以啦....加上本少姐生日,就豪一次!我見有brunch offer, 可加少少錢包free flow, 有機會會再黎, I definitely will come and try champagne again!!!

I've had lunch at The Principal long back when it first opened its doors and it left a decent impression. So I decided to come back again for dinner following my disappointing experience with Cepage down the road over christmas.
Did my late dining experience exceed its precedent?
Hands down it did!

We were politely greeted at the door and shown to our lovely table. The Principal's decor really struck me as elegant or what I like to classify as 'new school elegant' which usually comprises of clean wooden floorboards and white table cloths. It gives off a very relaxing airy vibe, so for those who want decadently presented food, detailed service and a non pretentious setting, The Principal is the place for you.

The service was excellent, the Maitre D' was very friendly and not a bit overbearing. He eloquently explained dishes to me which I most appreciated, as I find such precise articulacy very rare. He also suggested that we try the Iberico Ham which I had my eyes on anyway, so we went ahead and placed our orders.

Starters:
Starting from the Left you have your classic cheese dough balls and on the right is Parmesan 'Marshmellow' We loved the ham, it was of prime quality and taste. The Maitre D' (bless his socks I didn't manage to catch his name) came up to us and explained in detail the different cuts on our plate. There were three respectively :
(1) The thick dark cuts on the top left hand corner
(2) The normal cuts on the bottom right hand corner
(3) The more fatty cuts in the middle
All sourced from different parts of the ham. We liked the thick dark cuts the best, it was relatively chewier and most robust in flavour. This dish came at a hefty price of $345, but I guess being cured for 42 months and of its taste and quality, if one were a ham lover there should be nothing holding you back!This was the recommended crab starters I had which was much more refined than the Langoustine I was tempted to order.
The crab was fresh and meaty, every bite was heavenly until I landed on my last bite where I was greeted with some crab shell remains. I didn't really mind, but if I were to be very very picky about it pixie points have been discounted from the overall dining experience and food quality. So hopefully that was a one off experience and doesn't befall on another customer.The Crab Tea that came with the starters. Okay Im not going to lie. I wasn't entirely fond of this and still remain slightly skeptical about this Foie Gras. My boyfriend said that it was 'lovely' and it was 'thick'. lol Didn't find his comments very descriptive nor useful but he does have a decent palette so I'm sure its safe to take his word for it.Moving on to the mains:

Pork Belly. It was perfectly tender and juicy, the amounts of fat were perfectly proportioned, I didn't feel like I was ingesting mouth fulls of lard and the skin was crisp to perfection. Only comment I have was the sauce or lackof sauce that came with the dish, it was very decent on its own but I thought that with a correct sauce it would have elevated the dish. Or perhaps if the Pork Belly was more caramelized and fell apart upon each forking that would seem more suited with the reduced amount of sauce. Overall, it was still a decent dish and should not be missed! The beef was lovely. It was tender and juicy. The sauce that went with it was brilliant, we loved it! However the only thing that weighed on the overall ratings of this dish was the quality of the beef, we felt that it was a bit lacking in that 'beefy' flavour. Merit to the beef quality itself and personal flavours though, as this was one of the most popular dishes of the night and as with the aforementioned dish nicely executed.Finally on to Desserts:
I must admit I undermined the dish after eyeing it up as you can tell it looked pretty but not quite what I originally had in mind. But I took one bite and changed my mind. Don't be fooled by the chocolate cake crumbles, they were very moist and chocolatey and even in crumbles went very well with the creme fraiche sorbet! Petite Fours:
We were served with these mango truffle balls on a stick coated in crackling chocolate pops. These were brilliant.
Also on the side was white truffle macaroons. These were even better!

In conclusion I was very pleased with our experience with The Principal. Its decor and ambience is my most ideal dining setting for a refined and relaxing night with friends or family. Service was splendid credits to the Maitre D' of the night (who sweetly managed to rush out the restaurant doors to bid us farewell) and efficient staff that served us. Food was decadent and decent. I was very pleased and most definitely will return again. If you're not looking to pay extortionate prices or simply just crave a break from the usual branded establishments so to speak but still wish to enjoy refined food in an elegant setting, The Principal is really not to be missed. If dinner prices are still too hefty, do drop by for lunch which is much more affordable but just as good!

dec 16, 12............9人來brunch..............叫咗 :

1) brunch (w/free flow wine/fruit juice) x 9 (@hk$690)
i) drinks
a) fresh juices
-mango+mint : 呢款我無試,但食友話呢個喺3杯中最好飲的
-strawberry+watermelon : ok啦
-carrot+orange : 呢個都ok的

b) wine
-caledonian deuchars ipa edinburgh : 啤酒都無飲到
-aubry brut, jouy-les-reims, champagne, france,nv
-hetszolo, tokaji, hungary, furmint 2009 : 我無飲到白酒
-telmo rodriguez 'almuvedre', alicante, spain, monastrelle 2009 : 易入口,酸味不重,其實少淡口 (註 : 品酒我喺外行)

c) coffee/tea
-graffeo coffee
-harney and sons teas
*我只喺飲咗熱檸水啫

d) voss water

ii) yoghurt
-berry compote, yoghurt mousse, granola
-輕輕以granola喺面作點綴
-呢個yoghurt 唔似yoghurt,因好似cream咁滑,輕身,而且yoghurt嘅酸味唔重
-最底嘅berry compote醬都好好味,酸味自然,甜度適中,有粒粒煮腍咗嘅berry肉
-好好味iii) queso-embutidos
-a selection of cold cuts & cheeses
-有3款芝士,4款cold cut,1個喺iberico ham,1個喺chorizo,2個喺salami

這餐廳出品的, 我覺得非常精緻, 但好像不太吸引我去食。 賣點都很足, 但味道真的不是我杯茶。

SUCKLING PIG樣子最不吸引但最好吃, 表面脆哪裡多汁, lemon purée跟pomegranate jus的酸平衡豬肥肉本身的膩, 不錯。

這個羊肉賣相已經讓我不感興趣, 吃下去是嫩滑的但不夠味, 老實說瓜比羊好吃。

這碟蟹肉賣相如棋盤一般, 加上鮮艷的用色我甚喜歡, 但無論味道跟口感都甚是一般。

Cod fish有點過熟, 非常新鮮味道不錯但質感就給破壞了, 豆卻很香。 值得一讚的是presentation, 這是我人生其中最漂亮的cod之一, 其他餐廳有的搞到天花龍鳳, 畫到隻碟花呢look以為狂草大師大發技癢, 我就貪佢簡簡單單無論顏色配搭跟構圖都恰到好處, 美。

Free-range 63-degree egg我喜歡蛋跟artichoke, 青甜中帶甘, 蛋滑得吞下去時不流任何蛋白於喉嚨, 蛋香亦濃郁。 可惜我不愛松露, 非常大片的松露本身是個漂亮的主角但對我來說卻成了破壞好事的炸兩。

WHITE ASPARAGUS WITH WARM MAYO是碟值得推薦的餸菜, 菜那獨特的甜我特別喜愛, 而那creamy的MAYO跟爽口的蘆筍剛配。

有幸收到了公關的邀請，與一大班食友在某周末的中午，來到此店一嚐Brunch，坦然本人不常吃Brunch，皆因本人的周末每每也有正事辦，吃得太慢也不太好，不過吃吃西餐喝喝酒，對於本人來說，倒也是常做的事情，這個下午，是預留了給這餐有酒喝的Brunch好了。是日這個Brunch，喝酒的就要上六百九十元，不喝酒的就只五百多，坦然如果是以一名都有點嗜酒的消費者而言，這一百元是抵加的，皆因店家不是只供應紅及白酒，而且更有香檳及啤酒， 坦然每款喝一杯，其實已經是回了本，不過基本上這餐的食物部份本身也包含咖啡茶，所以如果大家不喝酒，也無不可。食物方面，不加其他費用也包含了各式各樣的頭盤，如麵包、芝士及火腿，也有不少開胃的海鮮冷盤，不少的炸物小吃，最後更包括主菜及甜品，不過如果頭盤是想豐富一點吃生蠔的，那就需要加點費用。都是將篇幅集中在食物好了，甫坐下，先來杯香檳開開胃，這枝大約在餐廳賣到五六百的香檳，是Premier Cru的級數，加上最有趣的是其葡萄品種的拼配，用上六十個巴仙的Pinot Meunier、二十個巴仙的Pinot Noir及Chardonnay，酒身金黃透徹，氣泡充盈持久，嗅起來有陣非常香的桃味及蘋果香，喝起來還隱隱的帶點甘味但又夠酸度，那種酸味不過來得自然，真的醒胃。

另外也試過此店所供應的紅酒，特別的用上了希臘紅，產區是Kir Yianni的Naoussa村，根據本人搜集到的資料，當地的酒主要都是用上Xinomavro這一種葡萄釀造出來，不過話說回來，它嗅起來有如Cabernet Sauvignon一樣，帶有是有陣青椒的香味，喝起來挺為full body，糖度夠又重身，同時遮掩了達十四度的酒精的感覺，喜歡重烈一點單寧的酒友，原來這款希臘酒也會合大家口味。

是日本人已經算健康，因為除了喝餐酒之外，也喝了提神的果汁，在是日這個Brunch有三個選擇，分別有薄荷拼芒果、士多啤梨拼西瓜及甘筍拼橙，本人未有試過甘筍拼橙，不過在頭兩者比較起來，本人比較喜歡薄荷拼芒果。

這一杯外表看來有點像奇異果汁的東西，其實只要留心一看，不難發現果汁其實是黃色的，只不過當中由於有為數不少打碎了的薄荷葉，所以看起來才會有如此的顏色，喝入口就除了有芒果的香甜之外，就是清新的薄荷味，可知道芒果的味道本身很濃，來不及如西瓜汁般清新，不過加了薄荷之後，喝過之後就非常開胃了。

另一杯的士多啤梨拼西瓜，其實也真的沒什麼好談的，因為這杯果汁無論是其賣相，與及味道，基本上都只是如一杯西瓜汁罷了，只不過是多了一分酸味罷了，不留心喝，也許真的留意不到。第一個Course是一杯小小的乳酪，其小小的樽裝，看來真的跟Milk Top有點相像，吃入口很鬆，質感跟一般乳酪很不一樣，Creamy得來很鬆身，入口好像含很多氣而不太綿密，但少少酸又夠奶香，總的而言也不差，加上面層那些脆口而富麥香的Granola，與及藍莓醬果香，一點藥水味也沒有，實在又是夠開胃的小吃。吃畢了少少的小吃之後，就是要吃外邊的任食頭盤了，不過店家為防大家倒擠在外邊，所以體貼的為我們用碟子盛好如一味頭盤之後，就端上桌讓大家享用，先來介紹不同芝士及Cold cuts。

店員先為我們介紹不同的西班牙火腿，是日供應的四款，可能是本人聽得不太清楚吧，不過根據店員對它們的描述，大致上由最近螢光幕底的來數，分吃就是有Lomo、Black Pepper、Chorizos及Iberico，當中的Lomo，其肉的成份多一點點，脂肪比例低一點，入口實在得來還軟嫩，吃起來仍有相當的肉香。

按常理推斷，Black Pepper理應是會有黑椒香味，不過是日的體驗看來就不同了，黑椒味太明顯，反之本人認為它好像Salchichónes，吃起來很是肥美，滿咀也是豬油；Chorizos其實就是西班牙人吃的辣肉腸，本人可能不太怕辣吧，所以吃不出有什麼辣味可言，反之有點點酸酸的味道，加上濃烈的鹹肉味，吃起來又挺開胃惹味的。

Iberico是當中最為著目的一款，不過個人認為它是可以再肥美一點，但其實真的夠嫩口，肉的纖維之中沒什麼肉根，入口後已經是足夠香了；也千萬不要錯過新鮮的無花果及提子，提子甜度夠高，跟火腿及芝士來拼配也是有趣，而無花果也甜美，濃而不俗套，不過如果可以再新鮮多水份一點，應該會更好。

另外也有芝士，用來下麵包也就最好了，橙色的是荷蘭的Gouda，其實是一種半硬的芝士，吃起來的質地當然是會比水牛芝士及Brie等的也要硬，不過吃起來仍帶點點黏性，入口尚感Creamy，味道濃郁豐富，不過個人可認為是日的Gouda Cheese有點點過鹹，而且更要吃得出有點點如結了晶的鹽，不過也好吃，尤其是加麵包一起吃，那就非常棒了。

略帶黃色的是來自瑞士的Appenzeller，味道沒有Gouda的濃，也比它更腍，但吃起來不太鹹之外，也散發出芝士所蒐藏的牛奶味，感覺味道平衡；最為白淨的是來自法國的羊奶芝士，它很潤很腍，但那陣奶香更是來得更為豐富，是有着一份貼近新鮮牛奶的感覺，也很不錯。接下來的小食是以三個玻璃小瓶盛着，相片由上至下分別是葡萄蕃茄浸鮮蝦、香芒椰子吞拿魚及香木煙燻帶子，怪不得大家甫打開瓶蓋，奪蓋而出的是一陣木味攻出來，店家大廚用上了果木所製造出來的煙，鎖進瓶子之中，讓它跟帶子來一個全接觸。

所以不難發現帶子入口除了酸酸甜甜之外，就是有陣陣果木香味，帶子肉質似熟還生，吃入口仍是非常軟嫩腍滑，相信店家是用上了果酸如檸檬汁等來醃漬帶子，令其蛋白輕度的Denature，這一個技巧，其實在不少意大利的海鮮頭盤已經是司空見慣，但酸甜如此平衡的，加上香草的氣色，與及就連配角的車厘茄及椰菜花也漬得好吃，真的是沒辦法停得下口。

置中的是香芒椰子吞拿魚，全部材料都被剁成粒粒狀，就由吞拿魚、香芒、椰青肉、牛油果及一點點西柚撈成，不要以為這就是很懶的表現，當中真的是平凡中見不平凡，吞拿魚肉的嫩滑及魚油的豐厚感，加上也甚豐潤的牛油果，配上清新的香芒、椰青肉及西柚，形成了鮮明的對比，再加上點點芝麻來提香，真的是好吃得不得了。

最後要介紹這一客葡萄蕃茄浸鮮蝦，三者之中，以它是最為多湯汁，不過這個湯汁來得酸酸甜甜，喝起來有橙香，根本就是以果汁伴上點刁草作提香，加入已經軟腍的紫洋蔥、蕃茄及大量只剛剛熟的蝦，吃起來爽口彈牙，在果酸的支持之下，蝦肉的鮮味也還突出，坦然也是誠意之作，教人三款也想吃光。大家看到相片，三個罐頭的，究竟是攪什麼科呢？放心！接下來我們不是去野餐，而是當中的另外海鮮類的頭盤，是由店家自己醃製的海鮮，分別有Paprika Escabeche Mussels、Natural Cockles with lemon Zest及Anchovies in Vinegar, Garlic and Olive Oil。

Paprika Escabeche Mussels，故名思義就是用上了Paprika，然後以Escabeche這帶地中海式的煮法來弄青口，被Paprika燻陶過的青口，吃起來有點辛，辛得來不辣而非常惹味開胃，用上如水煮的方式般加入醋等醃製青口，青口的蛋白纖維蛋白被分解後，青口的肉質真的十分之嫩口，加上一點點酸辣，真的是吃多數粒也願意。

Natural Cockles with lemon Zest的主角當然是Cockles，它其實是一種夠為鳥蛤的貝殼類生物，店家就只簡單的用上輕輕的鹽巴及醋來浸煮鳥蛤，然後加入檸檬皮，吃起來帶檸檬香氣，感覺很是清新，而蛤肉又真的非常細嫩，實在也是清新好吃，不過個人忽發奇想，如果店家加點白酒來代替醋，那麼其香味及層次感可能會更豐富。

Anchovies即是鯷魚，用上油醋醃製過才吃是一個在地中海很普遍的吃法，甚或是醃鹹了加去做Pizza餡也說不定，不過是日就用上了醋、蒜及橄欖油來浸製，被油封的魚肉除了入口還不散腍之外，那陣鹹香也還是能被舌頭感受得到，加上開胃的醋，再有蒜香及橄欖油的香，愛吃地中海東西的本人而言，真的吃得高興。接下來是一系列的Fritura，是西班牙式的炸物類小吃，先聲奪人的是炸露筍，脆漿沾得薄薄的，炸得脆口而不膩，內部的露筍爽口又嫩口，最棒的也還莫過於，在咀嚼露筍之時，是還能吃得出其蔬菜的清甜味，這才是令人最感開心的地方，所以蘸不蘸那Creamy的蛋黃醬吃也不太有關係了。

Croqueta是一款很有名的西班牙小吃，就是用上了薯仔跟不同的肉類混合再炸而成，是日的Chicken Croquetas，就當然用上了雞肉，這Croqueta炸得外層香脆，入口 熱辣辣的，在很Creamy如馬介休球的東西之內，裡頭有着一粒粒的雞肉，口感不模糊而夠突出，夠香口而又有薯香，這樣的Croqueta，比起光吃薯條好吃萬倍。

Bunuelo也是一款在西班牙，以至不少地中海國家及南美地方愛吃的小食，不過它不是用薯仔，而是用了如麵包的方法，放有酵母的麵團，混入了鱈魚而成的Cod Bunuelos，吃起來口味比Chicken Croquetas重，那魚的鹹香味道夠濃，不過裡面沒Croqueta的那麼Creamy，帶點點鬆身的感覺，總的而言也是香口好吃。吃過了小食，就進入主菜的部份，先來的主菜，是一道在不少店子會作為頭盤的食物，此乃牛肉他他，不過是日的Beef Tartare with Quail Egg Yolk and Sweet Potato Chips，可就是一個變奏的牛肉他他，皆因牛肉不單切得較為粗身，而且當中已經混入了不少香草及洋蔥粒，加上面層那兩隻鵪鶉蛋，起了畫龍點睛的作用，他他的牛肉粒較有咬口，不過它好吃的最大原因，最重要是牛肉本身真的夠新鮮，加上鵪鶉蛋的香味，教人不斷就是想吃多口。

接下來都是數味有關於雞蛋的菜式，先來的是加了Spinach, Goat Cheese & Pine Nut Quiche，以一個窩焗製成的乳蛋餅，感覺是有點跟廣東人的雞蛋焗魚腸有點異曲同工之妙，不過如今用上的，不是外國人見到會被嚇怕的魚腸，而是Sainte Maure的Goat Cheese，這可是一種比較罕見Aged了的羊奶芝士，味道濃而水份低，所以就只加一點點，不但不影響口感，而且也令蛋的味道變得濃郁了，加上香脆的松子及嫩口的菠菜，是個很是不錯的創意組合。

另一款焗製成的乳蛋餅，是Broccoli, Bacon & Onion Quiche，吃起來的第一個感覺，就是沒前者味道那麼濃，而且質地也好像是水了一點，可能是加了洋蔥及西蘭花吧，幸好有點點煙肉來點綴，但整個蛋餅的感覺，就是來得清新一點，在蛋香之中滲出菜蔬的天然香味，不同人可能會有不同的感覺，相信它也有它的擁護者。之後介紹的也是蛋，不過是不同系列的低溫煮蛋，店家以六十三度煮出來的蛋，碟碟也是如斯模樣，不同的就只有伴隨的配料，先有的是用上了薯仔麵糊、雅枝竹脆片、松露、Fava Bean及焦糖洋蔥來配這低溫煮蛋，洋蔥經過焦糖處理過後，甜甜的很好吃，不過味道最為濃郁，最能帶動雞蛋的，也還是與蛋天生一對的松露，加上新穎的雅枝竹脆片，香味、玩味及好味集於一身。

接下來的那低溫煮蛋就用了Chorizo作配角，可能大家發現這一點的雞蛋，伴上的就只有那數粒丁方小的Chorizo，會否予人乏味的感覺？但原來它們的鹹香就是那麼的濃郁，只消一粒丁方的Chorizo，這西班牙鮮為人知如中國人臘腸般的肉腸，一丁粒就可以伴上至少六份一碟份量的雞蛋，吃入口滑溜的蛋白，配合蛋黃的香味，加上薯仔麵糊那Creamy的感覺，再加Chorizo的鹹香，就是集多項於一口的美味。

最後一款那低溫煮蛋就用了Iberico Ham作配角，是回火腿是下多了，這個安排大家也喜歡，不過本人就知道店家廚子對食材的認知與及運用，真的是有着精確的見解，Iberico Ham來得比Chorizo低鹹度，不過吃入口那陣豬肉的香味就更為人所動，不知是個人的謬誤還是怎的，Iberico Ham鹹得來有點點甜，這個肉香味，就伴隨如上所述的薯仔麵糊及雞蛋，感覺又是不同，但也美味。

其實本人也真的有點攪不清接下來這一味，究竟其實是甜點還是主菜呢？根據店家的餐牌，這個名為Pain Perdu with Bacon, Caramelized Banana, Maple Syrup and Bacon Ice Cream，其實是一味主菜來的，因為其實主角都是煙肉，也難怪，西班牙人的煙燻肉如此有名，店家西班牙藉的大廚就發揮其所長，用上了烘至乾水薄脆的煙肉，再配合用上煙肉製的雪糕，跟多士吃真的合拍。

多士脆得來還保留了一點鬆軟的感覺，吃起來有點點牛油香的同時，最棒的就是那香脆的煙肉乾，加上煙肉雪糕帶來一點滋潤，而又涼快的感覺，同時又不會拖低了煙肉的香味，吃起來真的很特別，嫌單吃煙肉多士太鹹嗎？那些帶楓糖的香蕉，實在是化鹹的良品，香甜蜜美，跟煙肉味形成強烈的對比，感覺不錯。吃畢鹹食，店家就為我們送來點甜食，先來的是三人行的甜品拼盤，粉紅色的是Raspberry Pop Rocks，就如Kent兄所說，真的有點點山楂餅的感覺，不過其實它的味道也真的很不錯，吃得出莓的天然清新果酸味的同時，而且酸甜並致，加上入口後就是被爆炸糖弄得如轟炸的感覺，是既好味又富玩味的一味甜點。

黃色的那一件不是普通的菠蘿味棉花糖，而是Pina Colada Marshmallow，不過個人認為既然它是Pina Colada口味而不是菠蘿味，那麼它的椰子味一定要夠突出才行，可惜的是這件綿花糖的味道，完全也還是如吃菠蘿綿花糖一樣，不過坦然這件外層沾滿了椰絲的菠蘿綿花糖，其菠蘿味又真的很香，配上丁點的椰絲香，味道還是很好，加上其質地是夠鬆軟得來又帶點彈性，又有一點點水份，不會太乾身，感覺也是順口好吃。

小小的啡色卷子，原來是邪惡無比的Snicker，這用上了奶油杏仁漿、花生、焦糖、巧克力及綿花糖所結合而成的Snicker，吃入口的第一個感覺，就是焦糖中的一點鹹味超突出，甜鹹相撞，加上奶油及花生的香及滑，以半融的綿花糖再作為黏合劑，連結兩層，實在是非常聰明，予人感覺還帶濕潤而不黏牙，比起小時候在超市買得到的Snicker，實在是差太遠了，如果真的硬要雞蛋裡挑骨頭的，就是反之巧克力味不太強。小時候看到波板糖，其賣相真的吸引，不過說到要吃上一大枝的糖，於本人而言真的是有點吃不消，不過是日這支的Lime Meringue Lollipop，用上的Meringue不會太甜，因為那Meringue原來就只有薄薄的一層，面層烤焦了一點，送入口中是先迎來一陣如焦糖的香味。

焦糖香味之後，舌頭感受到的，就是包覆了在內的，用上了Lime所製成的軟霜，它不是蛋糕，但估量來來去去也是用上牛油、糖及Lime Juice的混成物，但粵妙就是在於味道夠平衡之外，既酸且甜，而且質感是難得的細膩，跟面層那Meringue達至酸甜平衡，感覺很不錯。

樓下的爆米花也真的沒什麼秘技可言，就是夠香脆，也很夠甜，焦糖下得夠多，也同時沒有影響爆谷的口感，反之結晶了的焦糖予人也帶脆口的感覺，吃起來就脆上加脆，甜度十足了，真的是吃多少也不厭。

最後的Churros其實即是油炸鬼，這一款甜點是西班牙人很地道的小吃，當地的人用上有幼有粗的炸油條，用來蘸巧克力漿吃，味道美又廉宜，而此店西班牙裔的主廚也將它稍作改良而以登大雅之堂，細緻鬆脆的Churros，面層沾上砂糖粒及玉桂粉，不蘸巧克力已經是夠好吃的了，再用它蘸一點巧克力來吃，味道來得更加豐富，而且喜歡這個巧克力漿不會太甜，吃起來還帶點深沉的巧克力餘韻，吃一條真的是不夠喉。

最後當然要喝杯咖啡，也是例牌的點了Espresso來嚐真，店家用上了美國品牌Graffeo的咖啡豆，還記得同一集團的The Classified也是用上同品牌的豆，那回喝到的，是近乎有點水果味的明亮酸性，也感受到一分甜香。

這個哥倫比亞、哥斯達黎加及新畿內亞的拼配，其實本來真不錯，不過店家是日的這一杯咖啡，真的要對不起的說一聲很麻麻，咖啡的質地太薄，油性不夠高，味道自然不夠香濃，而且入口沒多甜之餘，還在口中留下的，就只有苦澀，觀其較為淡色及疏鬆的Crema，看來都是咖啡豆不夠鮮之故。

全餐Brunch的食物及酒水也維持高水平，除了是杯咖啡不太行而帶來一點瑕疵之外，本人也實在找不到理由說它不好吃，而且很明顯店家的主廚也實在很用心，這是吃得出的誠意，雖然以近七百元吃一餐Brunch也是挺高消費，不過以店家食物的質素，加上任飲的香檳及紅白酒，其實價位也不是來得太過份，想輕鬆的在市區吃個帶西班牙風味的Brunch，此店真的是一個不錯的選擇。

平時食星期日Brunch多數會食自助餐，不過去過 The Principal 之後，先發覺坐係度幾個鐘頭吾洗郁，又有人係感Top up 質素幾好的Aubry 香檳，紅酒白酒，果汁，Brooklyn 啤酒，原來禁嘆架！

不過要在此聲明，食物雖然不錯（賣相好有創意，款式又多），但又不是好到值得付690 加一 的價錢。不過我地兩個酒鬼就Happy 啦！食物主要是Tapas 形式，、主菜我選了 63°C FREE-RANGE EGG WITH PARMENTIER, CARAMELIZED ONION,
FAVA BEANS,ARTICHOKE CHIPS AND TRUFFLE 。 好好食，不過份量細到離譜！D 炸野有D油臭味，吾知係未用舊油呢？甜品聼落好吸引， 但是食落又不是那麽特別。

但係依度服務太好，所以我地再想要一個好He 的星期日Brunch時一定會再去！

座落金鐘星街的「The Principal」，原址本是一間學校，「Principal」的意思就是「校長」，店名與地址是一脈相承。餐廳主廚是來自西班牙的 Jonay Armas，曾在歐洲著名餐廳工作，他主理的這頓 brunch 就令人很有驚艷的感覺。

灣仔日月星三街一帶，車不多，人流亦少，到這裡永遠有一種清新休閒感覺。而在星街盡頭的角落，正是前身為學校的The Principal。月前跟一班食友到這裡來享用Sunday Brunch，正好為近期的生活壓力來個調劑。

As a self-confessed foodie, I got to give it to the Press Room Group for always bringinging in new concepts and dining experiences to Hong Kong food enthusiasts*!

Apart from the Press Room, the Classified chain, The Pawn , SML and The News Room, the Press Room Group has now added a new member to their restaurant family - The Principal.

Tucked away in a spacious corner of Star street and right below Star Crest, The Principal welcomes you with a very comfy looking sofa and a doorman at the entrance. ** Do be careful when you sit on the sofa as it is actually a sculpture and NOT a real sofa! The same goes for the "arm chair" in the washroom* I have been to The Principal several times now and have gotten used to this type of Modern European cuisine. Not only is the Principal's Spanish chef a real sight for sore eyes, his dishes are meticulously arranged and his play on flavour combinations is fantastic! Apart from the a la carte menu, diners can also choose from a 5 or 8 course tasting meal which is excellently balanced.

Instead of the usual bread basket, The Principal welcomes its guests with a tray of goodies: Caramel pepper popcorn, almonds and little Rosemary puffs which I especially enjoy eating (had to request for more!). These puffs go very nicely with a glass of champagne. If they had some finely diced creamy mushrooms inside, I could imagine it being the perfect canapé for a cocktail*!

Bread lovers don't despair! Throughout the meal, servers would offer you a wonderful selection of bread. I like their potato olive bread and brioche buns.If you like eel, I would highly recommend the dish EEL which is actually Smoked Dutch Eel * (something I get EVERYTIME I visit the Principal) This dish really reflects the chefs creativity and style. Don't feel put off by the pineapple icecream, tomato textures and herring roe. The trick is to combine all the components of the dish and eat everything TOGETHER. IT WORKS.I also really enjoy having OCEAN TROUT, which consists of tartare, trout caviar, pickled cucumbers and a tomato consumme. It is a very light and flavourful dish. Visually stunning as well! Egg lovers would enjoy the 63°C EGG which is basically a free-range 63°C egg with ceps, artichoke and Summer truffles.
Taking a new spin on crab cakes, the CRAB would not disappoint as an appetizer!Moving on to main courses, I would recommend one of the Principal's signature dishes - SUCKLING PIG. This dish comes with a generous chunk of suckling pig, accompanied by some lemon purée and sautéed red endives, finished with a dash of pomegranate jus. I think the dish is great although I do miss the gravy (which is available upon request). The pork itself is extremely succulent and the lemon purée complements it well.My favourite main course at the Principal would be KOBE - Grilled kobe sirloin with foie royal, black garlic, sautéed baby carrots and turnips. This dish is beautifully plated and the kobe sirloin is absolutely DELICIOUS.Vegetarians and light eaters would enjoy the healthy yet flavourful and substantial ARROZ CALDOSO, which is a basically like a risotto made out of bomba rice, artichokes and super fresh baby vegetables - basically a DREAM vegetarian dish.For dessert, I really enjoy the dish YUZU. I love the Dark and Milk chocolate aeros which I find similar to chocolate truffles, as well as the matcha chocolate twigs with hints of Yuzu. Very yummy and fun to eat! I would have liked to see more chocolate areros on the plate as I did not care for the bits of coffee cakes too much.All in all, my appreciation for good quality, healthy, light food and great service is what keeps me coming back to the Principal.

** NOTE TO BRUNCH LOVERS ** The Principal's brunch is something you should definitely check out if you would like to try something other than the usual eggs benedicts and waffles. It is the perfect place to laze and drink free-flowing champagne on Sunday afternoons with many delightful surprises!

六月三日 (星期日)

香港人對飲食要求越來越高，週末週日一家相聚的日子更為重視
主打一家歡聚的Brunch需求也急增
坊間有提供的實在不少，但質素就很差參
今日，就有幸獲邀來到Principal，與食友享受一個全新設計的西班牙式Brunch，順道過一個悠閒週日

餐廳位於較僻靜的日月星街，毗鄰太古廣場第三期，是靜中帶旺的格局
入店，燈光通明，給人精神飽滿的感覺，侍者則身穿格仔衫，也給人醒目的感覺，完全配合星期日的輕鬆心情餐廳的中間是一張放滿風乾火腿,芝士,麵包的木枱，還有新鮮的蘇格蘭石蠔和香檳
一問公關，這些就是我們是日的食材

與吃慣的Brunch比較，這裡的食物選擇較多
不過這裡不是行任食的制度，而是定價$690一個早午套餐
這張木枱只是製作枱，有點像開放式廚房的功用

大家都來齊，Brunch要開始!真有點意想不到，先來的是味較清淡的自家製乳酪
這裡的乳酪與別不同，面層加有脆粒
乳酪打成像慕絲，入口較有質感，味道不太酸，個人較喜歡

隨餐還附送任飲的果汁
三款果汁都是走mix n match的，分別是橙併胡蘿蔔,草莓併西瓜和薄荷配芒果
試齊了三款，最欣賞薄荷芒果，入口質感純厚，香甜的芒果汁又散發出陣陣薄荷清新接着是以木盤上的併盤，包括四款風乾火腿,鮮無花果和三種芝士
風乾火腿中較喜歡 Chorizo 和黑毛豬
前者入口帶咸香之餘又微微帶辣，味道層次感豐富
後者不用多說，油份充足，味道反而沒其他的那麼咸，更能嚐到肉香
芝士一面倒鐘情羊奶芝士，羶香滿溢，再羶一點更好!西班牙最出名的海鮮炒飯，今日當然不會吃到
想帶出的，是西班牙不能沒有的海鮮!
接下來的是六款海鮮醃品
頭三款是以罐頭上的鯷魚,蜆肉和青口
三者最令人着迷的是醋浸鯷魚，入口甘香
雖經過醋製，仍能吃到啖啖魚肉
其餘的青口和蜆肉亦十分新鮮，肉質鮮嫩，味道各有特色
罐頭帶來的反是最新鮮的，十分有趣!接下來的三款海鮮，個人覺得更精彩，同是放入果醬玻璃瓶內醃製
先吃吞拿魚，用上芒果和牛油果同醃，十分清香，魚鮮味滿溢，魚肉口感也很幼滑
帶子則用上青檸，帶子的微甜正好配合青檸的酸味，十分醒胃
精彩中的精彩，要數這個加入泰式風味的鮮蝦肉
蝦身型少，肉質卻來得爽口彈牙，而且味道周旋於甜酸帶辣之間，十分滿意!
單從以上六款醃製的海鮮，已可看出店方的細心~吃完多款冷盤，第一個熱葷進場，是三款炸物
由左至右分別是雞肉可樂餅,綠蘆筍天婦羅及鱈魚甜圈
雞肉外脆內嫩，餅內醬汁豐富，吃落也少了一點熱氣的感覺
不過最欣賞的還是綠蘆筍天婦羅，外層香脆，內裡的蘆筍則爽口帶嫩
鱈魚圈魚鮮味略次，不過仍炸得十分乾身，也可一試主菜未到，已呈半飽的狀態，漸漸明白為何這裡不走任食的路線，生怕食客因而錯過了主菜
是日的主菜共有七款任選其一
這裡的招牌之作必數其三款水煮蛋
以六十五度烹調四十五分鐘,以保留蛋黃的軟腍口感

所提供的三款選擇其實都是異曲同功，分別只在於鋪面的食材，由食客按喜好選擇
個人較喜歡配風乾火腿，蛋香配上風乾火腿的咸香，味道配搭得宜
而且質感也有不同，層次感豐富接下來是兩款Quiche，蛋香比水煮蛋來得濃烈粗獷
第一款加入洋蒽和煙肉，既帶咸香亦有口感
不過還是較欣賞另一款，混入羊奶芝士，味道羶香
加上蛋仍能保持相當程度的幼滑，吃Quiche有如此質素，已不可多得
五款蛋吃過，來到造型絕更酷的法式多士
法式多士上的煙肉雪糕極有玩味,味道也不錯，其煙肉味可以再添些
麵包質感鬆軟，少了一份甜，卻多了一份雪糕的冰涼感覺最後的一款主菜是牛肉他他
牛肉本身十分新鮮，肉質是看得出的嫩滑
不止，面再加上兩個金黃蛋黃，攪拌後其滑度更提升到另一層次
牛肉的鮮香，加上蛋汁，味道層次豐富，好吃得不可開交!

來到甜品環節，以為是簡簡單單
豈料是一部大製作，分三部曲上演首部曲是有趣的Lime Meringue Lollipops，也是最好吃的
外層是燒焦蛋白而成，原來內有乾坤，是極富檸檬味的海綿蛋糕
蛋白入口幼滑，內裡的蛋糕則是想挑戰我的耐酸力!十分滿意
杯中盛的爆谷既脆且甜，也值得一試
另一款則是西班牙傳統小吃，是為西班牙式炸薯條
記得旺角也曾有這麼一家專門店，但最終敵不過肥姐的大生腸
這裡特別之處是再蘸香濃的朱古力醬吃，味道不寡也不會太乾最後的最後是三款精緻甜點
三款中應吃味最清的菠蘿味棉花糖
棉花糖極之軟綿，菠蘿伴着椰絲，酸中帶甜
菠蘿味可以再突出一點會更好!

粉紅色的紅莓爆炸糖十分搶眼
爆炸糖配以紅桑莓，入口是預期的酸
同一時間，糖在口中啪啪作響，頗有玩味兒

迷你Snicker，外層是香濃的朱古力醬，餡料則繼續是朱古力，還有忌廉,脆米鍋巴及花生鳥結糖
入口可可味香濃，質感香脆，又同時吃到朱古力醬的幼滑已很飽，最後以一杯香滑咖啡作結
你是大胃王? 再追加新鮮的蘇格蘭石蠔又如何!

再次多謝邀請，真的上了一堂寶貴西班牙課~

個人挺喜歡在日，月，星一帶流連，由其是那間法式小店，餐廳也到訪過好幾間，位於星街盡頭的The Principal，新開不久時，已經放入我的Wish list內。

走到星街角落的The Principal，是PressRoom Group其下餐廳之一，餐廳原址一間男女校，現以「校長」英文一字為名，是集團其中一位創辦人為了紀念他的曾任校長的母親。餐廳設計簡約，以淺啡色的木為主題，加上磚牆設計，配上格仔圖案的沙發，感覺充滿活力，有如回到學生時代。在最近的西班牙美酒節也遇見餐廳主廚Jonay Armas，也挺俊俏。他曾在西班牙馬德里及巴塞隆納等著名餐廳工作，最近The Principal推出的Sunday Brunch，六道菜式都由他精心設計，每位價錢$590，如選配Free-flow Champagne或果汁等，價錢則是$690。

還未吃前，先到外邊的食物檯看看，有風乾火腿、芝士、麵包等，這裡並非以自助形式任意拿來吃，而是侍應會把食物準備好，送上給客人享用。果汁有三款選擇Carrot & Orange、Mango & Mint及Watermelon & Strawberry，我選了紅色的西瓜口味，西瓜味道為主導，十分香甜，帶微微酸香。

先下不久，先送來杯乳酪，Yogurt，Berry Compote，Yogurt Mousse and Granola。乳酪慕絲口感很幼滑，感覺輕柔，味道帶酸，加上底部的野莓果蓉令酸度提升，十分開胃。慕斯面層有少許Granola帶點香脆，口感更豐富。Queso-Embutido，A Selection of Cold Cuts and Cheese，其後是風乾火腿及芝士拼盤，個人最愛吃伊比利亞豬那款，脂香味濃，鹹香適中。芝士分別有三款，都是由同集團的Classified提供，而且也會定期轉款。軟身的法國羊奶芝士Chenette，奶味濃郁，另外兩款硬芝士分別是瑞士appenzeller及橙色那款是荷蘭的Gouda，個人較愛appenzeller，伴上麵包、新鮮無花果及提子來吃，太滋味。芝士過後，侍應突然放下三罐罐頭，內裡原來是自家醃製的海鮮冷盤。Homemade “Tins”，Paprika-Escabeche Mussel，紅椒粉醃青口，青口味道鮮甜。 Natural Cockles with Lemon Zest，原汁扇貝及最後的是醋浸鯷魚Anchovies in Vinegar，Garlic and Olive Oil，兩者味道同樣不錯。三瓶玻璃膠器皿載著的是西班牙的傳統菜式Ceviche，以檸檬汁來浸海鮮，味道酸酸的，合我口味。Orange & Grapefruit-Prawn & Tomato，葡萄蕃薯浸鮮蝦，蝦肉鮮甜彈牙。中間的是Lemon-Tuna，Mango，Young Coconut & Avocado，香芒椰子吞拿魚，軟腍的牛油果夾著吞拿魚來吃，口感更滑。最後的是Lime-Scallop，Cauliflower & Ginger，帶子青檸味道突出，十分清新。其後是三款炸物Frituras，Chicken Croqueats雞肉可樂餅、Cod Bunelos鱈魚甜圈及Green Asparagus Tempura，青露筍天婦羅。雞肉可樂餅外貌像炸馬介休薯球，香脆的外層包著雞肉沙醬，微酸的，帶著不少肉粒，口感不錯。鱈魚甜圈質感較為軟腍，也有魚鮮味，吃著又不覺油膩。青露筍天婦羅炸得香脆可口，薄薄一層炸漿包著，口感有點油膩。但青露筍還是爽嫩，味道依然鮮甜，討人歡喜。主菜方面，共有七款可選，先是兩款Quiche，Brocoli，Bacon & Onion Quiche，西蘭花、煙肉及洋蔥焗蛋，及Spinach，Goat Cheese & Pine Nut Quiche，菠菜、羊奶芝士及松子焗蛋。以小鐵鍋來焗蛋，蛋不算十分嫩滑，但味道濃郁。煙肉那款帶點鹹香，羊奶芝士味的味道更濃，而且芝士帶點半融狀態，口感更佳。再來三款水煮蛋，63°C Free-Range Egg with Parmentier，分別配上Chorizo西班牙辣香腸、Iberico Ham伊比利亞黑毛豬火腿、Caramelized Onion，Fava Beans，Artichoke Chips and Truffle松露及焦糖洋蔥。攝氏63度下烹調45分鐘的水煮蛋，蛋白剛熟，蛋黃還帶溏心狀態，把打弄穿，與薯蓉混勻來吃，口感就更加滑溜。西班牙辣香腸及黑毛豬火腿的充滿鹹香，松露那款則帶濃郁菌香，各有特色。Beef Tartare with Quail Egg Yolk and Sweet Potato Chips，生牛肉他他，鮮紅色的肉粒不會切得不小，帶點咬口。肉味來得很鮮，加上鵪鶉蛋黃汁，混勻來吃口感更滑。旁邊以蕃薯脆片伴碟，香脆可口。這個外表像法式多士的是Pain Perdu with Bacon，Caramelized Banana，Maple Syrup with Bacon Ice Cream，多士伴上香脆的薄煙肉片，面層再放上煙肉味雪糕，非常特別。旁邊是焦糖香蕉，一鹹一甜，配搭非常特別，味道也夾，個人尤其愛這煙肉味雪糕。最後甜品環節，我最期待的部份。先來已被Lime Meringue Lollipop所深深吸引。長竹籤上插著一小球烤焦蛋白，口感幼滑，內裡是軟腍的檸檬蛋糕包著檸檬餡，酸酸的，十分好吃，很想多吃幾枝！而杯底的焦糖爆谷同樣不能錯過，香甜中帶點辣，加上香脆可口，很快也被清掉。另外以特別的小抽屜來盛載著的是’Snicker’，Milk Chocolate，Bavarian Cream，Rice Crispy & Peanut Nougat。沾滿脆米的朱古力Bar口感軟腍而黏口，薄薄的朱古力醬包著軟心朱古力及忌廉，底部是花生鳥結糖，味道很甜，吃得滿足。中間黃色的是菠蘿及椰子味的綿花糖，最後還有紅莓爆炸糖。最後一款傳統的西班牙甜品Churros，一小條表面沾著肉桂糖，酥酥香香，再點上厚厚的朱古力醬來吃，甜入心頭。

個人其實挺喜歡星街，好像是自成一角般，但位置上又不太偏離市區，環境寧靜，又藏了不少美食。星期天，放下工作、書本，最好來這裡吃個西班牙式的早午餐，享受美好的時光。