PLAISANCE BY MAURO COLAGRECO

营业中

休息中

I was attracted by their promotion of picture of the menu and upon reading in detail, I found that this dinner was served as the China-France State Dinner and this definitely drawn my attention.  You can choose their 3-course menu which only includes the dishes of the China-France State Dinner but if you want to try their other signatures, you can order their 6-course menu. However, if you order their 6-course, please prepare an empty stomach as even I found the dinner fulfilling(you know I have a large appetite). You need to prepay for the menu at least 24 hours prior.The restaruant is mainly and ocean theme and really down to the detail to even their olive oil which has a hint of seaweed to it.Even the bread was introduced in detail, which was actually the Chef's Grandma's recipie and there was a poem attached upon serving showing its simple ingrediets yet still being delicious.Their servie continue to shine. When my olive oil was nearly used up, instead of just helping me to add more, they asked whether I would like to try another olive oil, which was seasoned with ginger. I loved this one even more.Stunningly there was 4 amuse bouche, which I loved the abalone taco the most.The Fish Rose came first and it was really stunning. It was made with sea bass and radish with zest on top. Besides looking stunning the flavor and texture combination was outstanding with each bite due to the combination.Next was the 1st dish from the State Dinner. Actually this was the dish Chef Mauro Colagreco made as he was only in charge of making 1 dish for the whole menu. The aesthetics continued to wow me and no wonder it impressed many during the dinner including China's First Lady. The lighter flavors of the crab and stronger flavors of the caviar already made an extremely stunning combo but the citric honey sauce was what elevated the dish even further.Next came the Turbot. What I am impressed is that Turbot is known for its firm consistency yet this turbot was cooked just right and almost tender, which I could guess how precie the cooking had to be.The Bresse chicken was an absolute delicacy. It was slow cooked to keep its tenderness with the sauce and morel on the side. Next came the dessert and thoroughly impressed by the wine pairing for this one. The previous dishes wine pairing was good but not up the the point of elevation as it is difficult to elevate something that is great(food/wine) already. For this dessert, the elderflower was not that prominent while the wine itself, despite being a dessert wine, was a bit too acidic. However, when having it together, the elderflower become more aromatic while the wine's acidicty is much toned down becoming very palatable. If you don't go for the full wine pairing, at least try to ask(not sure if possible) if you can choose this dish alone for the wine pairing.Finally, came the strawbery and verbena and it was a perfect conclusion due with its tarty flavors and citric aroma.The petit four was equally impressive and they even gifted a box of chocolate which I loved the pistachio one the most.Service here was excellent (from reading past reviews, I guess they retrained their staff or the staff is new) and I would love to try their regular menu in the future. It is pricey but given the quality and experience, definitely worth the splurge. 继续阅读

One of the hot topics lately in HK is the exodus of people to Shenzhen during weekend, with the local restaurants suffering quite badly as a result. Despite that, it is great to see the opening of Plaisance, on Duddell Street in downtown Central, in partnership with the renowned Michelin chef Mauro Colagreco of the famous 3-star restaurant Mirazur in Menton, France.Greeted warmly at the entrance, the staff took us through the casual dining space on the ground floor to the elevator. The restaurant is located on the first floor, with a theme of the ocean showing plenty of turquoise colour, and hanging decorations reminded us of swimming fish. We were seated comfortably at a circular banquette looking at the open kitchen with the team busy in action.There were three menus and we opted for the 8-course Alta Marea ($2,488 each), which means High Tide in Latin, with also wine pairing available ($1,388). The first wine paired was Champagne Pertois-Lebrun L’Extravertie Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs NV. A crisp and expressive champagne made using biodynamics method, it has nice citrus, floral and green apple aromas, refreshing and lively.There were four canapes in the Amuse Bouche. The first one featured Razor Clam, with the thinly-sliced clam arranged to look like flower petals on potato slices, with an almond pesto and a black truffle flower on top. The second was Crispy Squid Ink Cone, stuffed with black garlic and artichoke puree, with a bit of Ossetra caviar. The third one featured a Raw Tuna Cube, which had been dipped in hibiscus and nori tea, then wrapped in shiso leaf, with the shaving of dried tuna heart and burnt lemon gel to season. The fourth piece was Morel Tart, with the mushroom coming from Yunnan, glazed with honey, and together with caramelized shallot on cocoa crispy dough, cooked like tarte tatin. A great array of flavours and texture. Very good.Then the staff brought a large ‘wood stump’, with a hollow holding the Bread, with its recipe from Chef Colagreco’s grandmother, and very much the roots of what got him inspired to be a chef. He wanted us to experience sharing the bread, like what he did with his family in the old days, gathering in his grandmother’s house on each Sunday. There was also a poem on the side, his favourite poet from Chile, which talked about sharing breads. To pair with the bread was an olive oil from Menton, which had been infused with seaweed. Very good.The second wine paired was Sigalas Santorini Assyrtiko 2022. The wine has a refreshing palate, showing some grassy, citrus and stone fruit characters, with nice minerality and crispy acidity, and some floral notes in the background. Its minerality and saline-forward note is a good match with seafood, particularly raw oysters. Perfect pairing.The first course was Oyster. The French raw oyster was cut into small pieces, with some diced kiwi underneath. On top there was a layer of foam, which was made from cucumber, tonka beans, cream and shallots. Rich and flavourful. Making up the topmost is the carpaccio of cucumber, neatly organized to cover the whole surface, with some edible flowers to decorate. Dusted with shavings of tonka beans to give a bit of its unique aromas, it is a wonderful starter. Very good.The third wine paired was Radikon Sivi, from the famous orange wine producer in Italy. Made from Pinot Grigio, the must had been macerated with skin for 10-12 days. There was some red fruit aromas and earthiness in the wine, which matched beautifully with the beetroot in the subsequent course. Another perfect pairing.The second course was Beetroot and Caviar. A signature dish of Chef Colagreco, the beetroot, coming from China, had been baked in salt crust to remove the earthy flavours while keeping its sweetness. Cut into slices with a soft bite, the chef had prepared a cream sauce with caviar, adding a creamy texture and umami taste to the beetroot. In fact, the caviar was from a famous French producer called Huso, each one glistering and very large in size. Excellent.The fourth wine paired was Domaine du Pelican Arbois Poulsard 2018. The Jura red wine was made of the local grape variety Poulsard, with a sweet strawberry, cherries and prune, some hints of smokiness, and nice earthy tones. Yet another good choice of wine for matching with the fungus to come.The third course was Sparassia Crispa, a type of fungus with another common name of cauliflower fungus. Coming from China, the fungus was special in the way that it did not need to be trimmed post-harvest. Cooked by wrapping in foil, or papillote, with herbs and butter inside, it had retained its great natural taste, with a bit of smokiness from the torching at the top. Underneath was some raw hijiki seaweed salad, seasoned with tarragon and dill, with some pomegranate seeds for its acidity. The sauce was made from the jus of the fungus with cream. Fantastic flavours and texture. Excellent.The fifth wine paired was Domaine de Cristia Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 2021. From a blend of 60% Clairette and 40% Rousanne, the wine had decent acidity, demonstrating nice floral characters. with medium body, its creamy and vanilla aromas were highly complementary with the buttery sauce of the next course, with everything in good balance.  The fourth course was Scallop and Black Truffle. The Hokkaido scallop was cooked in truffle butter before cutting into bite sizes, with garlic puree underneath. On top of the scallops was a mousse made from Jerusalem artichoke, offering a bit of bitterness, with a bouquet of black truffle from Périgord in France. Sprinkled with some black lime from Iran, the sauce was a combination of scallops and vanilla. Complex in flavours and delicious. Very good.The sixth wine paired was another Jura, of the same producer Domaine du Pelican, but this one is the white Arbois, Savagnin Ouille 2018. The rich and expressive Savagnin had good minerality, with a bit of peach and nutty characters. Refreshing and not to be confused with the traditional yellow wine vin jaune.The fifth course was Brittany Blue Lobster. On the base was pumpkin sauce and pumpkin puree, which had been cooked with orange reduction, together with some morels. In the middle, apart from the delicate and sweet blue lobster meat, were the diced Japanese citrus to give some refreshing acid. On the top was carpaccio of the pumpkin, beautifully presented. The sweetness of the pumpkin and the acidity of the orange reduction and Japanese citrus created the perfect balance, and the texture of the pumpkin slices with the puree was an interesting contrast. Very good.The seventh wine paired was Arnaud Baillot Meursault 2021. From the rich honey aromas on the first sniff, the constant floral notes of linden and hawthorn were accompanied by nice minerality, but not the usual more buttery characters for a Meursault. The higher acidity gave a more refreshing palate to go with the fish. Another wonderful pairing.There were three options for the sixth course, with both of us choosing Wild Dover Sole from Brittany. The fish had been pan-seared on bone, before finishing in oven. The garnish was the poppy and sweet green peas, which had been added with caviar and fennel. The sauce was made from fennel extraction, infused with chamomile. There was a hint of bitterness from the edible flowers, and it would be good just to remove them. Despite that, it was still very good.The seventh course was Sake Lees. In this creative pre-dessert, the lees of sake were used to make a cream to add to the slow-cooked cactus grown locally in Hong Kong., with also a sorbet made from cactus and Yunnan chili pepper. Topped with a crispy seaweed together with a sauce made from the extraction of green grapes, green apple, and ginger. There was a lot of flavours, with also a well-balanced combination of herbaceous, spiciness, and sweetness. Excellent.The eighth and last wine paired was Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Demi Sec 2016. This Chenin Blanc was only half dry, with good acidity to balance and freshen up the palate, showing nice honey, and tropical fruit characters. But a bit too dry perhaps for the dessert.The eighth course was Dark Chocolate & Thyme. Underneath was the thyme ice-cream with white chocolate garnish, and sitting on top, a caramel and dark chocolate truffle, with the sorbet wrapping it, along with some nice, flower-shaped dark chocolate crisp on the side. With the different components not too sweet, it felt good and healthy, with the delicate note of the herbs permeating on the palate. Very good.Wrapping up was the Petits Fours, which were put neatly inside a wooden box, specifically designed for Chef Colagreco’s restaurants. Opened to reveal five different desserts, including Dolce de Leche Pod with hazelnut cream and Bailey’s ice-cream, Dark Chocolate Cigar with coffee cream and cocoa powder, Macaron made from verbena, Lily Bulb with a mochi-like texture, on shiso leaf with ice plant, and Brown Sugar Madeleine with lemon zest. Finishing with a cup of Double Espresso ($82), it was a perfect finale for a wonderful meal. Very good.The service of this restaurant was excellent, with the staff all very friendly, knowledgeable on the food and wine, and eager to share. The whole dining experience was exceptional, with a pleasant ambience, the food delicious and the wine pairing impeccable. The bill on the night was $7,133. Overall comment: Excellent. 继续阅读

非常中伏的一餐！食物味道一般，沒驚喜、差不多$2000 一位，但service極差，waiter態度輕佻，羊架完全是凍的，跟經理說他只是說「是嗎，不好意思！食物用料很普通。以後也不會回來！ 继续阅读

Renowned chef Mauro Colagreco, with 3 Michelin Stars to his name, has opened a new spot called Plaisance by Mauro Colagreco at No. 1 Duddell Street. The restaurant has a relaxing ocean-inspired decor, with interiors awash in soothing hues reminiscent of the ocean's serene surface. Moreover, it boasts a meticulously curated menu that places the freshest seasonal seafood under the spotlight.We recently tried their weekend 3-course lunch meal for $788, where seafood takes the spotlight.We started with starters, then had hirame and sparassia crispa, serving the bread afterwards,then had monkfish and sawara for the main course, and concluded with benni hope strawberries and chestnut dessert.Yet, Plaisance offers more than just a feast for the palate. As we dined amidst the restaurant's oceanic vibes, we couldn't help but feel as though we were dining at the heart of the ocean itself, and we are looking forward to visiting the ground floor lounge, where live band performances await us in the evenings.Plaisance by Mauro Colagreco promises to be a destination that immerses its patrons in a transcendent oceanic experience, both in flavor and atmosphere.✍🏼Rating: 8/10💸Price: $2000  for two (lunch) 📍Location: Plaisance by Mauro Colagreco1/F, No.1 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong 继续阅读

Dinner. Invited to sit at the lounge on entrance level for a welcome drink (mulled wine), and listen to the live band. Eventually led upstairs in the elevator to our table. Some familiar faces from the Ecriture team. 2 menus to choose from; either 6 courses of 8 Courses. Went for the latter, ($2,488 pp).Here’s what we had. Shrimp crackerRazor clam with kiwiCaviar with Seaweed Sea urchin with truffle Morel tart with honey Homemade bread with Sea lettuce olive oil. Very dense texture. Kinmedai, dry aged for 3-4 days charcoal grilled with crispy skin. On the side: papaya panacotta, tomato sauce and chili jam.Beetroot fresh from New Territories with Caviar and cream. Heavy blend of flavors.Sparassia Crispa (aka cauliflower mushroom, known for its healing properties) made 2 ways: slow cooked and carpaccio on a bed of seaweed salad. On the side: mushroom butter sauce with pomegranate. My favorite dish of the night- loved the crunchy texture coupled with the smooth buttery sauce. Unfortunately the plate it came in was highly reflective. Blinded a few times by the reflection of the overhead lights.Abalone on Risotto topped with shaved White Truffle. Sauce made with liver and herbs. Abalone was overpoweringly sweet so the truffle seemed a bit redundant.Smoked Eggplant in a creamy emulsion with xo sauce. The eggplant by itself was excellent but taste of the accompanying mixture was too strong.Monkfish, chargrilled then cooked in the oven. Sauce made with various shellfish.Pyrenees Lamb (40 days old) with lamb jus. Didn’t like the flavour combination with the bottarga with its excessive umami.Palate cleanser- cactus with chili pepper and seaweed in a green apple and green grape soup. Interesting and refreshing.IceCream with Rosemary, chocolate etc To finish off: Baileys with coconut IceCream, Yuzu macaroons, Black sugar Madeline (YUMS YUMS), Pandan mochi and Chocolate cigar.In summary: disappointed with some of the flavor combinations. Esp from a “world-renowned 3 MICHELIN Stars Chef”. Or maybe my palate has been completely destroyed by all the holiday drinking. Impeccable service by MOST servers. The one with the condescending attitude needs to be retrained. 继续阅读