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2020-11-20
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This French restaurant is located in PMQ Central, and has been awarded Michelin 1-star status this year. On the ground floor of the historic building is the reception and lounge, also having a bar. Arriving early in the evening, we were seated at the lounge while waiting for the restaurant to open, enjoying a sip of cocktail at the comfortable banquette seating. Soon the staff came to show us to the dining area on the first floor. What greeted us was a nice ambience, with warm lighting and cozy
This French restaurant is located in PMQ Central, and has been awarded Michelin 1-star status this year. On the ground floor of the historic building is the reception and lounge, also having a bar. Arriving early in the evening, we were seated at the lounge while waiting for the restaurant to open, enjoying a sip of cocktail at the comfortable banquette seating.
Soon the staff came to show us to the dining area on the first floor. What greeted us was a nice ambience, with warm lighting and cozy environment. The design and decor created a homey relaxation while at the same time showing elegance and neatness. Our table was on the window side, with its traditional frames commonly seen in the 60s, bringing back a lot of memories.
We were served the Amuse Bouche which contained a langoustine mousse on the bottom, with a layer of gelatin with tomato extracts, then having some basil puree, small pieces of cucumber and croutons on top. I like how the acidity of the tomato in the gelatin giving a refreshing taste, integrated well with the soft creamy langoustine mousse with the sweetness. The basil puree provided not only a contrast in color but also flavor, with the cucumber and croutons further enriching with a crunchy texture. A very nice starter.
We ordered two appetizers to share. The first was Hamachi Tartar, Cucumber, Citrus Dressing and Smoked Cream ($278). The presentation was very attractive, plus the dressing was only added at the table. The raw fish pieces were fresh and great, full of flavors which was further highlighted by the citrus dressing. I also liked the smoked cream which provided an integrating effect to the overall dish, combining and enriching the whole experience.
The second appetizer was Sauteed Hong Kong Frog Legs, Parsley, Garlic Crisps ($268). A pleasant surprise seeing this on the menu, the frog legs were trimmed to look like a drumstick, allowing us to eat them by holding the bone. The restaurant had smartly provided us with a tray of lemon water and towel to clean our hands afterwards. The frog legs were very tasty, seasoned well, and with some nice aioli and crispy garlic slices to further add to the feast of flavors. Another good one.
Coming to the main course, we had the Roasted Hong Kong Yellow Chicken, Niigata Rice 'en cocotte', Salad ($958). Certainly the highlight of the evening, this chicken is definitely a must-try in my opinion. After roasting it was first served to us to take a look, and then the chef would carefully carve and cut the chicken into pieces, before serving together with the rice and salad. The chicken was so juicy and moist, and even the breast was not rubbery at all. Another great thing was that there was no fat underneath the skin. Even the rice was fantastic, with the Japanese rice fragrant with the chicken jus, parsley and the roasted chicken skin added. The portion was also big and could easily serve 3-4 people. One of the best roasted chicken I had tasted.
For dessert, I opted for Selection of Artisan French Cheese ($358) while my wife had the 'Grand Cru' Chocolate ($148). The cheese unfortunately was only mediocre in my opinion, and typically I would crave for Comte and blue cheese but both were not in particular appealing to me. The only one I found appealing was the goat cheese which together with the sultana was fairly good. Probably better to skip the cheese and order other desserts next time.
The service is good, with the staff coming to check with us on things and also helpfully explained each dish so we could better understand and appreciate the ingredients and the specialty of the cooking and such. The bill was $2,424 which was reasonable and considering the total experience I would say they well deserve their Michelin star.
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