I'm writing this because there were no english reviews by far. please forgive my awkward english.
i've only visited oak tree twice but i think i've already fallen in love with it. my first visit was last thursday night, when me and 6 more friends were looking for a place to eat because a chef that we've booked was sick and couldn't entertain us. we made a reservation at 6pm and surprisingly there were still
seats available (the day was the beginning of a 5-day easter vacation in hong kong, and jordan is a
convenient location).
the restaurant is situated on 1/F of the Rainbow Hotel (so there's a lift) and provides everything from local breakfast to italian food. i'm not in the position to tell whether the italian food is authentic or not, but there're a few
foreign chefs there, plus a filipino
guitar singer who serenades diners with oldies like "killing me softly" and "can't help falling in love". if you wish to chat without interference this may not be the place for you, but if you enjoy oldies or want your favorite melody or a birthday song to be sung, you're in the right place!
guests there, as i observed, were mostly middle-aged and they seemed to have already befriended the manager despite that the restaurant has only be there for 1.5 years. the manager is a very
friendly middle-aged guy who answered whatever silly questions we raised out. i find it hard to believe when i saw a few chinese reviews saying that people there were rude - i went twice and so far the experiences have been wonderful.
the place was dimly lit, with wooden chairs and emerald green table cloths that pleased the eyes and fake vines that daggled from the ceiling. there was a row of windows facing Novotel and a wine cabinet at the entrance. there's also a bar table next to the kitchen. it wasn't first class, but it's
cozy.
we brought our own
wine but since we ordered a dozen
oysters, there was also a free bottle of red wine. corkage was $180 if i remembered correctly. we also ordered
a salad, a pizza, a steak, the signature cook-at-your table carbonara and Suzette (orange wine) crepe alongside a chocolate lava cake and a creme brulee. there's some complimentary
bread.
i'm not a frequent visitor of hotel restaurants so i cannot compare, and since rainbow hotel is not 5-star i find it ridiculous for reviewers to compare oak tree with what they called "other hotel restaurants". i bet for "other hotel restaurants" you've to book much earlier and pay much more. so all i can say is "you get what you pay for". all dishes came out fresh and tasty: the pizza was crispy and aromatic; the steak was served at your table by the manager, it's gigantic, tender, juicy and not overcooked.
the
carbonara was cooked in a huge imported cheese "bowl". the roman chef who served us said it's the authentic way - pouring burning liquer into the cheese bowl and stir-frying the carbonara in it so that the melted cheese would blend into the pasta. i was glad that the pasta's not too soft and was extremely aromatic, thanks to the cheese and liquer.
the
suzette crepe was cooked by the manager and it's too beautiful to be missed. first he melted the sugar on a pan, then added in orange juice and zest, followed by the crepe and finally the burning liquer that flowed down the spiral orange peel into the crepe. the smell will enchant you. it was topped with orange flesh and a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.
all was good except for the creme brulee, which was overcooked. this minor flaw has not spoiled my dinner. we're chatting rather loudly but the manager was tolerant. the waiters and waitresses attended to every guest's needs and i could see no frustrastion from the guests that night.
and of course, there was
live music. those who enjoy visiting bars in south asian countries will love the restraurant for offering them those everlasting tunes that strikes a chord (or several). the singer is stationed there tues to sun, 6:30pm-10pm. i know this because i went there for a 2nd time and my friend chatted with the singer (and the manager and the chef). songs are sung at intervals, each ending and starting with a non-vocal guitar solo, so you'll still have time to chat in between performances.
this is getting too lengthy so i'll keep my 2nd dining experience short. i went with a female friend 6 days later and we ordered just
escargot, carbonara and suzette crepe for dinner. we clapped for the singer so he asked to give a few song names, which he gladly sang at our table. my friend said she'd probably visit again with her family (coz of the oldies i guess) and i probably would too.
題外話/補充資料
i was not paid to write this. i just find this place cozy and satisfying. i haven't been giving so much praises for a very long time and i was surprised by myself!
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