NATNUT's Profile

As a pre birthday dinner celebration I was overwhelmed with dining choices- as a fan of the mandarin chain, we finally went with Amber which always proved to please its diners.The decor remains one of my favourite, elegant and chic. We chose the degustation menu for the night. Being the picky eater I am, I informed the restuarant right on the spot of my dislikes for raw seafood to which they were understanding and swift to offer alternative dishes according to my tastes. I was very pleased indeed.We started off with some very pleasing amouse bouches.The wagyu was the best dish of the night, it literally melted in my mouth and had me craving for more. Amber boasts a fantastic cheese selection and are very generous with the servings, I remarked to my fellow diner that I usually have my cheese with grapes and the man serving us picked up on it and offered me a hude bowl of black seedless grapes! The desserts, yes you heard me right desserts! were all very pleasing. The lemon tart was complimented perfectly with its rasberry condiments. The soufflé was perfect. The chocolate was smooth and rich. definitely not to be missed.Overall, beit a rather costly dining experience in my opinion it was worth every penny. The food and service was top notch and most importantly has never slipped on either account. If you are looking for a cosy, elegant non pretentious dining setting Amber or Mandarin Grill comes highly recommended.…Read More

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 mainsork 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!…Read More

On the first night after 208's reopening after its temporary closing, it was packed to the brim!A few new additions were added to the menu.Starters:The burrata was giant, however, I was not impressed. The best burrata I've ever had was in Florence and the one we sampled in 208 was far less up to standard, and if I dare say it was a tad sourMains:The fettucini was lovely, very well complimented by the lobster bisqueThe BEST dish of the night was the steak. Surprisingly this was the best executed dish. The steak's quality was prime, rubbed down with all that heavenly seasoning topped with the strong sweet hint of charcoal grill. One can only assume that the Florentine Steak (for 2-3 to share) would be if not equally as good, better than its precedent!Dessert:The dessert was rather average I must say.. The hazelnut cake just tasted like the usual chocolate molten cake but minus the melted centre. In conclusion, 208 is lovely for a casual dinner with friends, the setting and ambience is exemplary. And if you go, go for the steak! You won't be disappointed. …Read More

The Pawn is quite the hidden gem- nestled along the busy roads of Wan Chai, one would not expect to find anything of this sort or calibre in its surroundings.For starters the building itself is quite a stunner, The Pawn has been refurbished to boast tasteful and hip interiors while conserving its traditional exteriors. If you have friends visiting town, this would be a perfect spot to take them out to dinner.There's a decent bar on the ground floor and a rooftop bar as well.There is a choice of indoor or outdoor dining, the current cool climate makes the latter an excellent choice! Once we were presented with the menu I was grinning from ear to ear, this was a very well thought out and appealing menu.I literally had to sit there struggling between the Oxtail Cottage Pie, Hanger Steak, Pork Rack and Pork Belly with Granny Smith Apples- I wanted to devour the entire menu. Starters:The sweetcorn soup was very nice, its consistency was perfect and every spoonful was packed with the poignant sweetness of sweetcorn. The risotto was lovely. The jus/broth was lovely and really granted flavour to the risottoThe beef was decent and check out the giant portion of caramelized onion mashThe pork rack was the best. It was thick and juicy and well seasoned. The Yorkshire pudding was crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and went very well with the gravy and granny smith apples. If you're up for a roast this is a dish not to be missed!In conclusion,The Pawn offers one of the best hearty British menus I've encountered in town, I love the strong elements of heritage inserted into the whole dining experience and moreover the very fair price. I always complain about extortionate price tags on very average food, but I most definitely walked away from The Pawn patting my wallet happily thinking that it was good reasonable money spent on a decent meal.…Read More

I've always been fond of The Grill for many reasons. You can come here anytime of the day for a meal and have the benefits of decent food and a decadent setting, diners get to soak in the beautiful skyline and serenity of the pool.We came here for lunch on the 1st of January, a brilliant way to start the year.Service was attentive and friendly. It wasn’t too crowded either.Food is served in the form of a buffet, we were the first to dig in and I made sure I fully abused that privilege!There was a selection of cold seafood platters, hot sides, desserts and a generous selection of grilled meat and seafood- it is called The Grill after all The recent weather has been quite chilly but fear not! Virtually every table is within close vicinity of a heater I'm very picky with my seafood, sad to say that the seafood didn't quite meet my standards. The prawns however, were the best out of the selectionThe grilled meat was pretty good, I wouldn't say top notch as some were a bit too tough or dry, but collectively not bad and much better than other options out on the market. What's worth noting was the roast section right next to the grill. The beef was juicy and tender, if I had known better I'd have started off with the roast and ended on it as well!On the side note, it would be a waste not to head down to the bar for a drink before or after dinner! Diners pass through the bar on their way to The Grill.…Read More

St.Betty's decor is warm and elegant with a fantastic view of Hong Kong's harbour but be sure to book for window side tables in advance, if not there are still a lovely section of sofas that you and your lovely friends or beau could snuggle in.The menu is very simple and well thought out, with a healthy selection of meat and seafood. I must warn you though, prices here are not cheap at all. You will not get very elaborate or over the top dishes, on the contrary you will get decadent heartfelt dishes that are beautifully presented.Starters:There was a little bit of a mix up in our order, I'm half to be blamed because I might have said something about 'pasta' so we were served with this-The manager and waiters were quick to rectify the misunderstanding and even offered us this extra dish as they wouldn't be able to serve it to another customer. We gladly took them up on their offer.There were no regrets there. The Spaghetti was perfect and very homey, the red onion complimented the roasted tomatoes very well. This dish much exceeded its simple looks, we relished every single spoon full.We absolutely loved this dish! For those of you wondering what in the hell Saptzle is, its kind of like a doughy egg noodle found in the Swiss/German cuisine. I always just refer to it as pasta lolchef Osborn's version was brilliant. I dare say the Spatzle was even slightly crunchy on the sides and was brilliantly paired with the mushroom, truffle and cheese. This dish was mouth watering good, we were completely beguiled and blown away.Mains: The only points I took off the rating of this dish was the pairing with yabbies, I was not particularly fond of Yabbies in general nor the pairing of it with pork belly.The pork belly however, was cooked to perfection. The skin was crisp and the meat was easily forked apart and the thin layer of fat quite literally disolved in our mouths.This was an exemplary dish. I was wondering if it was me or was there really a slight hint of marmite? (I know this might raise brows, but trust me, if done correctly marmite and pork is a very good combination)We were very pleased with this dish. Oyster blade cut is also known as the flat iron steak, meat was again succulent and fell apart easily all the while being full flavoured. This was a decent dish but nothing really stood out. I wasn't too impressed with the chocolate mousse either. Perhaps during my next visit I'd order the Passion Fruit Souffle.St.Betty is a really cosy establishment serving up brilliant dishes and a view to match it. Prices aren't cheap but it most certainly won't deter me from coming back again-and again!…Read More

All my previous dining experiences in Cepage were highly rated and enjoyable, so it always remained among one of my highest acclaimed restaurants in Hong Kong. Until my recent Christmas dinner Service is always spot on with no doubt. From how they dealt with our reservations(I was sent pictures of the exact seating area and menu) to actually serving us on the night.Cepage has the whole package: with one michelin star under its belt, the Les Amis group restaurant located in Wanchai nestled between all the other bustling restaurants firmly holds its place as the most refined among them all. It boasts beautiful decor, tasteful artwork and one of the hugest wine collections in town, with over 2000 wine labels if memory serves me well.We were set to sample either the Christmas Set Menu (Menu Noel) at approximately 1,580 HKD per person or a regular 5-course Epicurien menu at 1,070 HKD.In light of the festivities we opted for the Christmas Set Menu - looking at it retrospectively that was a poor choice on my part.I'm not a particular fan of fried food so when we were presented with this to start with, it etched a slight frown on my face, nevertheless I was looking forward to sample the rest of the menu This was an alternate dish offered to me as I don't eat raw food. It was very nice, well paired with an asian inspired sauce This was not as simple as it looked! The scallop was wrapped in truffle This was by far the best dish among the entire menu! The onion tart was very refined and went perfectly with the trufflesThis dish was rather average. Despite the use of delicate ingredientsI was not impressed by this dish. It didn't feel very Christmasy for starters, nor did it stand out to me at all. I had much higher expectations for Cepage. If I dare be rude, it instantly reminded me of beef brisket noodles and for the price charged per head for the dinner, much need not be said of that..So for dessert they served us with this Christmas Log. I took one look at it and instantly lost interest. It did not look creative, appeasing nor appetizing and I can assure you that its taste reflected that too. Again, I had much much higher expectations for Cepage. I sincerely had hoped that they made more of an effort with their christmas menu. This so called dessert was something I could've bought from any supermarket and I'm leaving it at that.In conclusion, we were not happy with our Christmas dinner at Cepage. We've always had nothing but praise for the restaurant and its food. It was always a treat to dine here, but this time, we were thoroughly let down by the food. The menu didn't seem to be very well thought out nor executed up to its normal standards. We would have been much happier ordering off the a la carte menu. It came to around 4000HKD and neither of us walked away patting our wallets happily thinking it was good money spent on a decent meal. Still skeptical of returning again to allow it to redeem itself, but our recent dining experience really struck itself off my favourites list.. …Read More

I've long been a fan of Gold by Harlan so when he opened up his very own steakhouse Strip House by Harlan, I was more than happy to pay his newest establishment a visit!Over the summer there were quite a few steakhouses new on the block, ones that have been coming up on top have been Striphouse and Blue Butcher.I must say, Striphouse is very american-y. The decor is pre dominantly red with lots of 1940's inspired pop art and paintings. They do have an extensive menu to choose from, like I said very american-y. Thumbs up to whoever came up with the menu, if you browse through it, you'd notice all their dishes and drinks have wicked names like 'dirty mofo'! The cruder the better, I like places or people who aren't afraid to break away from stereotypes. Although personally I'm not particularly in favour of their starters or desserts..But we went for the steak, so let's talk steak!I should really blame myself for ordering this, as soon as they served me with this I wish I had ordered the 'sickest crab cake on the planet' instead. This was just a piece of fat pan fried till crispy on a bed of apple salad! I did not like this at all, but if you so happen to like pieces of lard crispy and oily in its wholesomeness, Im sure you'd find love for this dish.I ordered the sirloin steak in medium. It was a perfect medium and had strong hints of charcoal and the grill. I'm one for full flavoured steaks, this didn't blow me away but didn't disappoint either, I thought that it deserved a solid 8/10Fried doughs of ice cream with more ice cream in a bed of vanilla sauce; It wasn't bad but it was too fried and too sweet and too sugary, I'd much prefer a slightly more refined dessert. However, for what it is I believe it was made to perfection, pixie points for using vanilla pods, Im extremely anal about vanilla desserts, restaurants that don't use actual vanilla pods to cook are to be shunned! Its almost like they cheated on the real deal with vanilla essence.In conclusion, would I come back here? Yes. Prices are reasonable compared to Steakhouses like Grand Hyatt Steakhouse. The decor was nice, atmosphere was lively and trendy. Perfect for a night out with your friends, people here talk loud, so it's fun to shout over the other people to talk to your friends! …Read More

After an art jamming session, my boyfriend and I sauntered over to Hugo's for a Sunday Roast.I was completely beguiled! Hugo's hands down serve the best roast in Hong Kong (Second best is that served at the Mandarin Grill) Service was friendly,competent and detailed. The manager saw us with our giant paintings and offered to store them for us then kindly led us to our table.The waiters came out with a revolving trolley of salads, there was a huge selection to choose from. So even for the pickiest of you out there you'll be sure to find something you'd fancy.Just look at that giant piece of perfection I have nothing but praise for their roast! The beef.. cooked to perfection, flavours.. PACKED, gravy.. spot on, Yorkshire Pudding.. perfectly done! Only thing missing I suppose was more roasted carrots and beans! I cannot even begin to stress how good this roast was. If you're looking for a decent Roast, do yourself a huge favour and come down here!The desserts however were rather average in my opinion…Read More

My best friend and I decided to check this place out since everyone's been raving about it.When we got there it was packed, bustling, with music and a hip young crowd. ( I felt like I was back in the Soho in London) The waitors that worked there were surprisingly all foreign which is an extremely rare sight in Hong Kong I must add.What struck me most about YardBird was the service. It was friendly, down to earth and helpful, not the slightest bit overbearing which we very much appreciated. We really liked the ambience and setting, it was the perfect spot for a pre-night out dining with friends.The food however was less impressive.We ordered a selection of chicken skewers and meatballs. For starters, the meat quality wasn't that great, I'd prefer chicken thigh meat as the meat's much more succulent and juicy than breast meat and the skewers were tiny! The sauce that went with it wasn't that amazing either.The Meatballs however, were much better 7/10.The chicken wings were pretty well seasoned and heavily so might I add. (by the way, at the end of the meal you are presented with a complimentary sachet of their seasoning) The biggest disappointment with this dish was mainly the size of the wings, they were minature!The best dish of the night was the rice cakes. It was AMAZING. I loved the seaweed seasoning, its honey glaze formed a crispy coat over the soft chewy rice cakes. I alone finished the entire bowl of it. This dish on its own warrants another visit.Would I come back? Yes probably, for the atmosphere and my rice cakes, but if I were to judge it on the merits of a yakitori restaurant? I'm not so sure.. The concept is excellent, but my favourite joint is right down the road, for the price we paid $6xx we could've had premium beef skewers and such. Many dub this place 'hip' well I guess I've seen hipper places here in London, so this element played no part in my books. However, as a collective dining experience, Yard Bird wasn't all too bad. Hopefully during my next visit, they'd serve us with hulk sizes of what they serve- that would really up the ratings significantly.…Read More

For starters I LOVE this place. I LOVE IT. It's set in an open kitchen with glass windows peering out to the Hong Kong skyline. (okay it may not be the usual harbour view, but it was still charming in its own way)I have so much praise for this place, I dont even know where to begin!Initially, I did see LPW as one of those du jour establishments that eventually fade out or take a slip on quality or service but I'm pleased to say I was wrong.We were sat at the edge of the bar table which was extremely close to the stoves, and it was very hot, I'm talking serious heat waves here. So I kindly asked one of the waiters who served us for the night if he could possibly grant us a change of seats. Unfortunately, the tables were all packed, so there wasn't anywhere we could really move to- which was understandable. What impressed me the most was halfway through the night the very same waiter came back to me promising that he hadn't forgotten my earlier request and that there was a group of people leaving soon and that he'd move us to their side of the bar table asap. This scored envious glares from diners sitting next to us who were undoubtedly plagued by the heat wave as well.Another tiny thing I was a bit more appreciative of was that most of the staff here really had heart, they (the staff that stood within the open kitchen) took the time to really explain what every dish was and I actually understood! Its very common in Hong Kong even with the extortionate priced restaurants you get waiters who just mumble out a bunch of obviously pre-learned menus (a) I never hear them properly (b) they never look at me politely, it's like they all wanna get it over and done with (c) I barely understand them...So it's always a bonus to have staff that speak good english or at least properly make an effort to introduce every dish.On to the food:I'm not gonna lie, I can't recall every single detail of the dish and at LPW none of their dishes are simple! On the right of the dish was an alcohol drenched long-an or something along those lines (sloppy I know! maybe I'll take notes next time lol.)I loved the fish! I'm not usually a fan of fried food but I relished every bite. The fish was well seasoned with its juices and tenderness retained perfectly. I remember I had something similar at BCN and I was not as impressed...As one of the signature dishes of LPW, one will be graced by the awesomeness of this giant ravioli! It was in a pool of rich parmesan sauce and as soon as I broke into the ravioli, the egg yolk came oozing out with the tantalising aroma of truffle. This was among my favourites throughout the night, the pigeon was prepared in a couple of ways all very delectable The veal was rather bland, merit to its quality, but the sauce balanced it out rather well. On the left was deep fried sweetbreads if memory serves me well ( the mentioning of 'sweetbreads' brought me straight to Hannibal Lector in the opening scene of the Red Dragon, if you haven't seen it check it out!) I must admit it didn't really taste of anything to me? Didn't know what Hannibal Lecter was raving on about. Desserts! My favourite part of the meal! I was a happy bunny as we got served two desserts! Something all restaurants should do more often.it was a joy watching the chef prepare our desserts. On the far left those crumbles were pina colada tasting crumbs, the chef skillfully made use of liquid nitrogen and from whatever he yielded from his little potion trick, broke them into crumbs. Viola!The thin round disc was actually a deep fried slice of pineapple. My deepest apologies, I cannot recall what the rest was, but I can say, everything on the dish collectively seemed to produce a huge pina coladathis was a delectable combination of coca crumbs, some sort of biscuit crumbs with a rich chocolate dome and honeycomb.I must say dining at LPW was an extremely enjoyable culinary experience. I appreciated the detailed service, the lovely food and most importantly, the heart and sincerity the chef and his team put into serving all diners. We were among the last diners of the night and I managed to catch a glimpse of the chef and his team high fiving and cheering and hugging each other at the end of the night. My thoughts flashed back to earlier on when they were preparing our food, they did work extremely well as a team, audible 'Yes Chefs' were heard and even in the face of goldfish eyed diners like myself gaping at the chef as he prepared everything, not for a split second did he get distracted. I was impressed. (compared to restaurants where I caught a peek of the chef's team who lacked energy and spirit.. bumming around the kitchen floor- tsk tsk). It should be noted that to prepare food for a party of around 30 people all night with them watching your every move, is not easy task to accomplish.So I have the highest regards for LPW.On top of all of that, the price was ever so reasonable, it was around $9xx per person, for that amount of food and quality, I was more than happy to pay the bill. I think a lot of times I dine at restaurant with average food and outrageous price tags attached which weighs on the dining experience. There's nothing that pleases me more to find a place, serving good food, at a good price. I highly recommend this place. And as you've noticed, I don't generously dish compliments out to everybody. It honestly deserves much more credit than it has received!…Read More

We came here for my boyfriend's birthday dinner. We read all the raving reviews and made reservations in advance, it seemed very busy and sought after, that led us to have sky high expectations for the restaurant. But I'm sorry to say that we were extremely disappointed with our dining experience.It seemed like everything but the steak was up to standard. Quite frankly it was appalling and the service did little in rectifying it. The scallops were decent, it went really well with the tomato and bacon salsa. I liked this dishThe Cod however wasn't so impressive. It was really watery for some reason, I shall not make inferences; the cod itself tasted rather bland, it seemed that the only thing that redeemed the entire dish was the miso coating itself which was brilliant.This didn't particularly stand out to us in terms of flavour or quality I thought that the beef's flavour was much better than its precedent, however, the substantial amounts of tendons in the steak was a serious dismay! It really made it difficult to ingest. When we made a complaint to the waiter about it, he kept saying that it was natural and that all steaks have tendons in them (like we were not aware of it), I agree that it's a natural phenomenen, but I've had much more pleasant experiences, and this was to a point that it was excessive. On top of that, he could have at least been a little bit more sympathetic or apologetic or even nice about it! Regardless, one must concede that it does weigh on the dining experience.The Mac and Cheese was exceptional though, I loved it!Hands down the single best thing about the entire meal was the dessert. The chocolate was rich and went very well with the raspberry condiment.…Read More

One Thirty One is snugly tucked away in the suburbs of Sai Kung, so if you ever find yourself lazing around the area over the weekends, do drop by one-thirty-one for lunch or dinner.Reservations are essential. There is a choice of indoors or outdoor dining (I would not opt for the latter in summer months unless you want to be the collateral dinner of all insects and mozzies of the vicinity)There are not a huge number of dining tables so be prepared to be pampered with attention by the waiters and Chef Caith himself who comes up to introduce each and every dish on the tasting menu.I knew that Chef Caith used to work in the Krug Room (I'm a huge fan of the Mandarin Oriental chain) so I was very excited to try out his restaurant.The lobster was fresh and meaty, the pipette does serve a purpose, before you chew into your lobster in your mouth you are supposed to squeeze the pipette which releases a fresh broth that condiments the fresh lobster. This was very refreshing and effective in cleansing our palettes. I'm not gonna lie, I've sampled a highly similar dish at the Mandarin. While Chef Caith told me that this was his creation inspired by the olympics, I took his word for it. As long as it was good I didn't really have much to complain about. I most enjoyed the seaweed sauce with complimented the sole perfectly.This was mind-blowingly good. For the sheer prime quality of the mussels alone was enough to impress the most picky like me. (big fan of seafood) The Chardonnay sauce with dill was not too heavy- we were very pleased.The bisque was fresh and not to overpowering.The duck paired with balsamic vinegar and fig.The balsamic vinegar was a nice condiment to the duck. (Balsamic vinegars-traditionally produced in Modena, they are classified by the brands and number of years they are reduced for. The minimum is 12 years. The least number of years yields a more sour and less thick consistency, those are ideal for salad dressings, the more number of years the vinger has been reduced results in a more thick, darker coloured, and sweet product which is good for roasted meat etc. The highest number of years yields a syrupy product, you usually pair that with cheese or strawberries.) Chef Caith really upped the dish with the vinegar!The wagyu was melt in my mouth good! The ratatouille was in the form of mash/sauce as you can see on the dish. The truffle mash was excellent. This dessert really reminded me of what I would have had in the Mandarin Grill. But of course we shall judge Chef Caith's dishes on its own merits. The 'yolk' was actually mango, the 'sausage' was chestnut puree and the 'toast' was a lavender brioche which I loved! the 'butter' was a Sauternes flavoured ice cream. (Sauternes is a sweet white wine from the Bordeaux region of France).…Read More

I'm a huge fan of the Mandarin chain, from their accommodation to their dining- consistent standards and exemplary quality topped with detailed professional service that never fails to disappoint.Mandarin Grill is one of my favourite restaurants for many reasons:I find simple, unpretentious and elegant decor the most enjoyable (did I mention the amazing view as well). The food is always good and service is top notch. Prices are steep but not amongst the most extortionate, for the aforementioned reasons the price in my opinion is very well justified.To start with we were served cheese dough balls and a pipping hot bread basket, as expected with Mandarin's pastry- up to standardStarters:Smoky Bay Oysters Note the little pearl on the oyster! It's actually edible, filled with oyster juice, I thought that it was a very cute and thoughtful detail.French Diver Caught Scallops With Lemon Sea Grass and Dashi 10/10I'm a big fan of seafood and very picky with it. The scallops were cooked perfectly, it was evidently fresh and well paired with the seagrass and interestingly served on the hot stones. Highly RecommndedMains: US Grass Fed Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding 9/10This was a brilliant dish, beef quality was excellent. The waiters initially came out with a trolley and carved our cut in front of us. The beef was full flavoured and juicy. The Gravy was done PERFECTLY and so was the yorkshire pudding. This is certainly something not to be missed!Chateaux Briand a.k.a 'The Mandarin Cookbook'the chateauxbriand is a distinctive thick cut from the tenderloin and when prepared properly it can be amongst the most tender and flavourful cuts. Although the sauce took the form of a savoury gravy instead of the traditional form of reduced sauce, it was still delectable. The meat quality was supreme and easily amongst the best chateauxbriands I have ever sampled in Hong Kong. I was very pleased with this indeed.Desserts:LIght Bulb Dessert 9.5/10This was an enticing dish, I mean look at it lol It shockingly resembled a genuine lightbulb, even to the down right detail. It also cracked like one. If you're one to choke on food, I advise you to steer clear from this dish ;)Chocolate Souffle 10/10This was a perfect souffle. period. In terms of asthetics, it may not exceed the precedent dessert but it outshone the lightbulb dessert in many ways.Petite Fours:Mandarin Grill and the Krug Room is known for its creativity, so do not expect any less from them!If you wish to check out all the pictures in detail feel free to visit my blog But for now here's the chocolate cigar petite four reserved for men. They take it seriously, they came out with a giant cigar box filled with cigars (that are completely edible) on a bed of 'tobacco' which was in effect chocolate pieces and came with an ashtray completely made out of chocolate too! I made the effort to sample every single thing and every single component of the chocolate cigar and it tasted pretty good, the chocolate cigar is actually tobacco flavoured.For you ladies, you'll be served with an elegant powder box (no, the powder box itself is not edible) but the powder that resembled somewhat of a highlighter and blush was strawberry and lychee-i think? flavoured powder. You are then served with a make up puff made of cotton candy to dip into your 'make up'. I thought it really lightened up all the diners mood and added entertainment value to the meal.…Read More

If you're in for some luck and so happen to run into a bit of good weather in Hong Kong, I highly recommend coming down here to Repulse Bay for lunch or dinner.Its encompasses the perfect setting for relaxation and decadent dining. The restuarant grounds offers indoor or outdoor dining with a lot of open space for the latter and a fantastic view of the beach.Service is competent and friendly, the ambience is casual making it an excellent spot for family dine outs too!On to the food, its menu is a mixture of Thai, Indonesian and Malay:I wouldn't say it is of the most authentic of asian cuisine but it is nevertheless very well presented and scrumptious.Coupled with the view and setting, I have nothing much to complain about.Starters: Spicy Crab Meat Salad 7/10The crab meat was fresh and the pomello was refreshing, the only thing was that it was a bit too salty. The chef was a bit heavy handed on the fish sauce. From my experience this was more of a one off, the other times I've sampled this dish didn't result in any complaints of saltiness on the side I ordered the coconut drink, not much comment to be said about this really lol (they serve some pretty good cocktails and serve 'em up in LARGE sizes)Garlic Naan 8/10 Not bad at all, it was served piping hot and crisp on the outside and fluffy inside, complimented the curry very wellBeef Rendang 10/10This was really good. I'm not a fan of spicy food and I could take this (in fact I didn't even find it spicy). I really appreciated the use of beef brisket which was fall apart-good. Then again I must stress this might not be the conventional Beef Rendang you sample in IndonesiaMalaysian Fried Chicken 9/10I'm usually not a big fan of fried food, but I relished every bit of this! They didn't just use random chunks of chicken, they actually used an entire half chicken that was sliced into thin pieces (think Hainan chicken) and fried till it was perfectly crispy and topped with plenty of fried garlic. Not bad…Read More