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。Yoghurt – Berry Compote,Yoghurt Mousse,Granola
自家製乳酪慕絲口感輕盈幼滑creamy，酸味不太突出，奶味濃郁，混合杯底帶酸甜味的莓子果醬粒及面層脆脆香口的Granola粒，口感層次一流﹗

Queso -Embutidos – A selection of Cold Cuts & Cheeses
Queso & Embutidos是西班牙文，前者指芝士，後者指風乾火腿。這道以木盆盛載、色彩奪目的風乾火腿芝士拼盤，一看見就不免叫人垂涎三尺﹗再加上一小串清甜提子及兩片新鮮無花果(太少了﹗貶咀)就更令人興奮！
店員先為我們介紹三款的芝士，應由左下向左上順序來吃，由軟身酥香的法國羊奶芝士，吃到較硬身的荷蘭硬芝士，味道越濃烈﹗
西班牙風乾火腿多取材豬肉，較昂貴係野外生長的黑毛豬。風乾時間愈長，肉質愈甘香，價錢亦愈高。店員先為我們介紹四款的西班牙火腿，分別係肉多無筋肉質嫩的Lomo火腿，具煙燻味的Salami 火腿、 辣椒醃製而食味複雜的Chorizo 火腿，以及油潤甘腴Iberico ham黑毛豬火腿。根據店員的講解，火腿應由Lomo先吃，順序吃到Iberico，味道由淡口到鹹香豐腴，餘𩐳亦較濃。咬一口芝士、咬一口火腿、咬一口麵包，再咬一口提子，真係好滿足﹗不過，小妹個人還是偏愛淡口的芝士及火腿。Homemade ‘TINS’ (自家製罐頭)
Paprika – Escabeche Mussels
地中海式紅椒酸醋浸青口 – 紅椒、醋等醃製過的鮮味青口，味道淡淡，吃起來惹味開胃。青口細隻但夠嫩滑，湯汁微酸中帶微辣。
*Escabeche 是地中海料理方法， 先將魚類或肉類水煮或油炸後，再在醋或柑橘類果汁裡醃製

Confit Shiitake Mushrooms
油封香菇 – 以油醃製，香菇味香濃，口感嫩滑。
*Confit是法國最古老的食物保存法之一，而它不只限制於油封，而是任何食物浸在某種物質內，來加味和延長食用期間。

Anchovies in Vinegar, Garlic and Oliver Oil
橄欖油香蒜醋浸鯷魚- 味道相對較濃烈，用了醋、蒜及橄欖油來浸製鯷魚，香味無窮，被油封的魚肉實淨，鹹香係味蕾中久久不散。 Ceviche (開胃前菜)
*Ceviche 源於南美洲的開胃菜，烹調方法是用酸的檸汁或鮮果浸泡海鮮，將之提鮮。

Lemon – Tuna,Mango, Young Coconut & Avocado
檸檬汁香芒椰子牛油果吞拿魚 – 味道最淡及天然，配料眾多，切成粒粒狀，易食。以清新的檸檬汁、香甜有嚼口的芒果粒、青爽椰青片，以及豐潤的牛油果來襯托嫩滑及魚油豐厚的吞拿魚粒，對比鮮明，味道清新，簡直係一絕﹗

Orange & Grapefruit – Prawn & Tomato
香橙西柚汁蕃茄浸鮮蝦 – 在酸甜香橙西柚汁中，浸著洋蔥條、蕃茄片及適量鮮甜爽的蝦，吃起來爽口彈牙，酸咪咪。三者之中，此款罐頭湯汁最多。

Lime – Scallop, Cauliflower & Ginger
青檸汁椰菜花薑片燻帶子 – 呢款開胃前菜最新奇、有趣﹗靚仔外國waiter(似manager多d笑)親自介紹及打開瓶蓋，蓋一打開，嘩﹗一縷輕煙湧出，帶有陣陣的果木香味。味蕾尚未開動，視覺及嗅覺已先飽嘗了呢款美食。
帶子切成粗粒，肉厚鮮甜，肉質似熟還生、軟嫩腍滑，酸中帶甜帶鮮，超正﹗煮法頗有泰菜feel。惜廚師落薑汁頗為重手，對小妹而言，頗為辛辣﹗Frituras (炸物)
Brunch吃到這裏，小妹及弟婦已開始有點兒飽了﹗一見到份量多又油膩的西班牙式炸物小吃，更覺有點兒吃不消……既然嚟到，一定要試，就各試左一塊，咬左一兩口即停，留肚吃主菜及甜品。坦白講，炸物，還是中國人最擅長的﹗對一間知名食店而言，呢三款炸物實在太過普通、平凡了﹗

Chicken Croquettes
薯蓉雞肉炸物 – 以薯仔混合雞肉，下油炸得外層香脆，入口熱辣辣的，薯蓉香滑creamy，夾雜著一粒粒的雞肉，夠香口。可是，小妹絲毫沒有半點心動。
*Croquettes 在西班牙，用薯仔跟不同的肉類混合再炸而成。

Cod Bunuelos
薯仔鱈魚炸球 – 以麵團，混入鱈魚而炸成，吃起來口味比Chicken Croquettes重。
*Bunuelos在西班牙，以至不少地中海國家及南美地方的小食，用了如麵包的方法，放有酵母的麵團去炸。

Green Asparagus Tempura
蘆筍天婦羅 - 脆漿沾得薄薄的，炸得脆口而不油膩，蘆筍清甜爽口又幼嫩，忍不住吃了兩條。MAINS
主菜有五款，我哋揀左其中兩款啱口味的主菜。

Paon Perdu with Bacon, Caramelized Banana, Bacon Ice Cream
煙肉焦糖香蕉法蘭西多士配煙肉雪糕 - 醮過蛋汁的鬆軟多士略略煎過，上面放了香脆鹹香的超薄煙肉片和煙肉味雪糕，配以焦糖香蕉，再點上數滴楓葉糖漿，一鹹一甜，配搭非常特別，味道也夾。惜香蕉過生﹗(cry) 唯一不解的是，看似甜品，但卻歸入主菜。(???)
*Pain Perdu 是法文，中文解「不要的麵包」，即法蘭西多士。從字面上可想而知是一種為了不浪費食物而做的麵包產品。63℃ Free Range Egg with Parmentier with the choice of Fava Beans,Artichoke Chips & Truffle
63℃水煮蛋配蠶豆朝鮮薊脆片松露 - 以低溫63℃煮蛋，蛋黃又香又大、蛋白嫩滑，配上鮮味蠶豆、香脆可口的朝鮮薊脆片，混合松露來吃，配creamy上細滑的汁，香味、口感一流，青甜中帶香，滋味難以形容。Desserts (甜品)
Raspberry Pop Rocks
紅桑子朱古力爆爆炸糖 – 紅桑子果味濃郁、朱古力滑溜，酸酸甜甜，好食。吃時，爆炸糖在嘴裏「吱吱吱」地爆開跳著，十分有趣，創意非凡。

Lime Meringue Lollipop
青檸蛋白棒棒糖 -薄薄一層以牛油及糖打成的蛋白甜度適中，面層烤焦了一點，有一陣如焦糖的香味，入口即融。蛋白內包著軟腍檸檬餡蛋糕，既酸且甜，質感細膩。蛋霜插在長竹籤上，賣相如幾支可愛漂亮的小花。

Lychee Yoghurt Profiterole
荔枝乳酪泡芙 - 菠蘿包面的香脆小泡芙，包著清新輕盈的荔枝乳，一試難忘﹗

Mini ‘Snickers’
迷你巧克力棒 - 小小的啡色卷子外表薄脆，中間夾有花生碎及caramel糖漿，味道豐富兼有層次。

Churros
西班牙油條 – 炸得似薯條，但又較硬，面層灑上砂糖粒及玉桂粉。因小妹一向唔好玉桂粉，故唔好like呢款甜點。蘸上朱古力醬，才勉強吃了一條﹗
*Churros 傳統的西班牙甜食，炸成脆脆的長麵糰加上糖霜，配上朱古力醬。

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salamiiv) homemade 'tins'
-第1次食自製罐頭,好得意
a) confit shiitake mushrooms
-菇味不濃,比較清淡,所以建議先食呢個
b) paprika-escabcche mussels
-青口細細粒,有鮮味
c) anchovies in vinegar, garlic and olive oil
-呢個嘅味道相對哋會豐富d,有醋酸,亦有anchovy嘅鹹,2者味道平衡,並唔喺好強,接受到v) ceviche
-用3個玻璃瓶裝住........好family cooked
-全部chilled的
a) orange & grapefruit - prawn & tomato
-果汁底,但有種辣味,不知是否生洋蔥絲所致
-蝦肉粒粗大,爽口結實,有質素
-仲有cherry tomatoes
b) lemon - tuna, mango, young coconut & avocado
-吞拿魚因為有檸檬汁+芒果粒,所以味道變得清新
-仲有點椰青肉添,很有特色嘅吞拿魚粒
c) lime - scallop, cauliflower & ginger
-呢個有青檸汁,所以份外覺得清新醒神
-帶子肉厚身,切成粗粒,微鮮甜
-配以簡單嘅cherry tomatoes同椰菜花,椰菜花還很爽口
-因為有薑汁嘅關係,所以都幾辣吓(對我而言)
-幾有泰菜feelvi) frituras
a) chicken croquettes
-這個croquettes好脆薄,1d都唔油膩
-裡面有雞肉mix埋d嘢,creamy
-調味不重手b) cod bunuelos
-呢個樣似薯仔波咁,顏色好靚
-內面好fluffy,鬆軟,魚肉絲唔多,反而食到蔥香味
-喜歡佢好lightc) green asparagus tempura
-脆漿很薄
-露筍好粗大,好貨色
-無渣,很嫩
-做得出色,有quality,有techniquevii) main
a) beef tartare with quail egg yolk & sweet potato chips
-呢個食友比咗少少我試
-牛tartare無嘜調味,味道無嘜,而牛肉自己本身亦無嘜肉味喎
-有2隻鵪鶉蛋,令牛肉粒更滑身
-全道菜最出就喺嫩滑1樣嘢b) pain perdu with bacon, caramelized banana, bacon ice cream
-本來我都想叫呢個,但知道此店signature喺63度蛋,第1次嚟無理由唔食,所以只好放棄呢個
-借了食友那碟來影個相而已

c) 63 degree c free range egg with parmentier with chorizo/ fava beans/ iberico ham
-63度蛋喺用上慢煮法,估唔可選3款唔同嘅配搭,因為人多,所以3款都有人叫,可以影齊
-我就揀咗chorizo,因腸嘅味道會濃d同鹹d,啱晒帶起清淡嘅蛋
-而隻蛋當然有質素啦,又大又橙黃,蛋白又滑
-圍住隻蛋嘅奶白色液體微"杰"身,綿密,味道帶有甜意,唔知喺咩嚟,但同隻蛋夾埋1齊食,好唔錯
-麵包粒很鬆脆viii) desserts
a) lime meringue lollipop
-裡面嘅青檸餡幾酸,所以全粒放入口食先會將外面嘅甜balance中間嘅酸

b) raspberry pop rocks
-矮身粉紅色喺raspberry朱古力爆炸糖
-1路咬,1路喺口內爆,有趣c) lychee yoghurt profiterole
-點解將我最鍾意嘅profiterole攪個菠蘿包面比佢呀?_?
-還是喜歡原來本色,裡面嘅荔枝乳酪餡亦不錯

d) mini 'snickers'
-我對呢個mini snickers最無期望,反而最有驚喜
-外表薄脆,裡面味道豐富兼有層次
-白色cream裡喺有花生碎,很香花生味
-下面就喺caramel漿,甜度適中e) churros
-還有churros添
-小麵條幼過同短過上次喺olx食到的
-明顯沾上玉桂糖,鬆脆
-朱古力漿嘅味道又比olx的複雜

* 先多謝食友coordinate呢餐.............因為要夾9個人嘅期並唔容易..............所以佢攞星前,我哋已book咗..........就嗰日所見...........full house

* 店內環境cozy..........樓底又高............無諗過全程喺由waiter/ waitress來serve,不用去出面攞嚟攞去............每道菜見到用上不少心思..........有部份亦見有technique........service喺好好..........不過對上枱後嘅菜式解釋/介紹太brief..........eg有時3樣嘢1齊上枱,要我問佢應該食咩先............呢點比較弱

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。先來喝的，果汁選擇有「Watermelon & Strawberry」、「Mango & Mint」及「Carrot & Orange」，100% 鮮製。本人選的是「甘加橙」，很 refreshing 啊。當然，若你喜歡由酒精氣泡去開始這美味旅程，你可以選擇用香檳來掲開序幕。

「Yogurt，Berry Compote，Yogurt Mousse and Granola」可愛的小瓶子載著乳酪慕絲，口感很細滑，本身的味道其實不太酸，混上瓶底酸甜的莓子果醬及面頭的燕麥粒同吃，口感層次即時變得立體化。「Queso-Embutido，A Selection of Cold Cuts and Cheese」

這道風乾火腿芝士拼盤，一看見有新鮮無花果就立即令人興奮！用它來配 Iberico Ham 來吃再加香檳，實在是個夢幻組合！相比起一般的意大利 Parma Ham，我個人更愛西班牙的 Iberico Ham，愛後者的味道豐腴，油脂更甘香，餘𩐳亦較濃。而且新鮮的無花果因為成本高，所以不是很多餐廳都會供應。

「Ceviche」

「Ceviche」這源於南美洲的開胃菜，烹調方法是用酸的檸汁或鮮果浸泡海鮮，將之提鮮。這三瓶分別是「Orange & Grapefruit-Prawn & Tomato」(西柚、橙浸蝦)、，「Lemon-Tuna，Mango，Young Coconut & Avocado」(檸檬、芒果、椰子浸吞拿魚牛油果) 及「Lime-Scallop，Cauliflower & Ginger」，(青檸、薑浸帶子椰菜花)，每項配搭均很有心思。三款的味道都是酸咪咪，本人頗喜愛青檸帶子，清酸的味道最為突出。

「Homemade “Tins”」自家製的罐頭海鮮，你又吃過未？左起：「Anchovies in Vinegar，Garlic and Olive Oil」(油醋浸鯷魚)、「Natural Cockles with Lemon Zest (檸汁扇貝)、「Paprika-Escabeche Mussel」 (紅椒粉醃青口)」，由侍應即場開蓋。鯷魚這「鬼佬鹹魚」一向是朕所愛，加了醋及蒜減輕了鹹度，甘香不減，伴麵包吃很不錯。

「Frituras」一朝早喝 champagne，來點炸物才對辦。三款小吃分別是「Chicken Croqueats」(炸雞肉)、「Cod Bunelos」(炸鱈魚) 及「Green Asparagus Tempura」(炸青露筍)。前兩款炸物感覺較普通，炸青露筍則令人印象深刻，是香脆得來仍能保持露筍的青澀爽口，很高章。

吃到這裡，肚皮已飽了一半啦，各位一定要留肚吃以下的主菜。套餐包括一款自選主菜，多款都是以蛋入饌。

「Beef Tartare with Quail Egg Yolk and Sweet Potato Chips」(生牛肉他他配鵪鶉蛋炸蕃薯片)生牛肉一直深得朕寵幸。這道他他鮮牛肉用料新鮮，肉質被挅得纖維細緻，牛味重，完全不腥；混入味濃的鵪鶉蛋黃及少許黑椒同吃，口感軟綿嫩滑，真的做得很不錯。

再來的是兩款焗蛋。「Spinach，Goat Cheese & Pine Nut Quiche」(菠菜、羊奶芝士松子仁焗蛋) ，「Brocoli，Bacon & Onion Quiche」(西蘭花、煙肉洋蔥焗蛋)。兩款用迷你小鍋來做的焗蛋各有特色，似法式的蛋批，一素一肉，都是吃它熱辣辣的濃烈蛋香。在我來說，兩款的味道分別不太大，只差在騷香輕重的分別，該會很討好愛濃味的朋友啊。

愈吃愈精彩，再來的是大家都瘋愛的水、煮、蛋！

「63°C Free-Range Egg with Parmentier with Chorizo、Iberico Ham、Caramelized Onion，Fava Beans，Artichoke Chips and Truffle」(水煮蛋配西班牙辣肉腸、西班牙風腿、松露蠶豆甜洋蔥)說真，除非你不吃蛋，否則是相信誰也不能抗拒如此滑溜欲滴的溫泉蛋！走地雞蛋用 65 度 x 45 分鐘的方程式煮成，配上精緻的外形，令全場人仕不停瘋影，簡直可頒發一個「亞太區」大獎給這三隻蛋。把蛋黃恨心弄破，混和各項鹹、甜配料及薯蓉來吃，迅速被大家秒殺。個人最喜歡的是西班牙風腿那款，簡簡單單鹹香滑溜，令人心癢癢想在家 DIY 自製。

「Dessert」

「The Principal」的甜品同樣令人很有亮眼感覺，像這款「Lime Meringue Lollipop」的造型就真的令人驚嘆！長竹籤上插著的是做成花蕾的烤蛋白，口感細滑，內裡包著檸檬餡及少許芝士蛋糕 ?! (的確是嚐到 New York cheesecake 的味道啊)，杯底的是焦糖爆谷，香脆不太甜。這樣的組合，誰會不動心？

另外還有「Mini ’Snickers’」、「Raspberry Pop Rock」、「Pina Colada Marshmallow 」及「Churros」。我個人最欣賞的是紅莓爆炸糖，敢用爆炸糖放上枱做飯後甜品，果然很「爆」！酸酸甜甜好吃又好玩，又不會令人有肚脹的感覺，很配服大廚 Jonay 的創意。

在如此寧靜休閒的環境裡享受一頓精彩的西班牙 Brunch，你會心癢癢想試試嗎？

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。The Principal的環境裝修很簡約，陽光透射到木色歐陸風的雅緻設計，感覺很不錯，所以到這裡來吃個Brunch是錯不了的選擇。這裡的西班牙式Sunday Brunch跟一般的有點不同，不是全自助形式，也不是單點菜式，而是$690六道菜，再連酒水任飲。最先送來的乳酪，以小玻璃瓶滿載著，慕絲口感輕盈幼滑，乳酪那份酸味不太突出，反而底層的野莓果蓉很搶鏡，是非常醒胃的小吃。這裡的Cold Cuts及芝士一早放在餐廳中間的木桌子上，再由侍應為我們分成風乾火腿及芝士拼盤。油脂香最豐富的正是Jamon Iberico伊比利火腿，入口甘香，吃一件後再來一口無花果，特別滋味。芝士方面羊奶芝士及荷蘭硬芝士等作選擇，個人對羊奶芝士的那份奶羶香甚喜愛，以麵包伴吃，是難以形容的痛快。隨後送來的自家醃製油浸海鮮，以罐頭盛器載放著，賣相印象深刻。青口味道不特出亦欠肥美，然而蜆肉來得鮮味十足，最好的就是醋浸鯷魚。鯷魚咸鮮味豐郁，浸在蒜味橄欖油，味道層次更佳，放在麵包上，感覺仿似以吞拿魚夾麵包一樣，令人吃得津津樂道。除這幾款醃製油浸海鮮外，亮點還有廚師花盡心思創作，以果醬瓶盛放的醃製冷盤。其中一款以牛油果，芒果及吞拿魚粒混合而成，清香之餘，口感亦佳。另一款是青檸香木煙燻帶子，酸酸甜甜，打開瓶蓋更有縷縷白煙，視覺效覺不錯之餘，也是醒胃的一道菜。最後一個是葡萄橙汁蕃茄浸蝦，蝦肉鮮爽，充滿果香及蕃茄味的醬汁，味道跟泰式醃料相似，只是沒有辣勁，但效果卻是最得我歡心，真的覺得很好吃。其實單是吃過Cold Cuts及自家創作的冷盤，加上麵包及芝士相伴，胃納早已響起警號，主菜部份還是只作淺嚐。最愛的主菜，無可置疑就是牛肉他他，沒有泡菜，感覺卻帶點韓風。牛肉鮮嫩故之然重要，生鵪鶉蛋黃更是不可或缺，以方塊磚頭外型上碟，薯片點綴，好吃得即時愛上這個「他」...值得一提的是這裡的甜品，尤其是Lime Meringue lollipops，賣相有如幾支小花般可愛漂亮，長竹籤上插著烤焦蛋白球，內裡是暗藏檸檬餡心的檸檬海綿蛋糕，微酸帶甜，好吃非常。杯底「花泥」部份是焦糖爆谷，香脆可口，甜中帶辛，這支棒味道真的很「棒」！

說真的，跟校長來個Brunch並不便宜，但偶爾到星街舒一下身心，滿足胃納及味蕾，感覺倒是不錯的。