The Ocean by Olivier Bellin (已結業)

This Michelin 1-star French restaurant is located in Repulse Bay, on the third floor of The Pulse, with an incredible view of the beach. Leveraging that advantage, this restaurant from the Le Comptoir group has full-length windows so customers can enjoy an amazing feast of one of the most beautiful scene of HK while dining. The decor is of interest too, modeling after a seafaring setting, with plenty of blue, coral reefs and other things to remind you of the sea, at the same time comfortable and cozy. So by now you can guess the restaurant is specializing in seafood, in particular Breton cuisine. Supervised by Chef Olivier Bellin, it is a sister venture of L'Auberge des Glazicks, his other Michelin 2-star in France. I decided to go for the 8-course degustation menu while my wife opted for the 5-course version. To our surprise there are a total of three Mise en Bouche to begin. The first one is a puff with oyster juice. Something I have not seen before, the oyster juice is sweet and flavorful, and this is certainly an innovative dish signifying the style of the chef and his menu. The second mise en bouche is a tart with beetroot mousse and a puff with lemon fillings and some horseradish shavings on top. While the last snack is focusing on the taste of the sea, this set is more looking at the acidity and refreshing sense, with both pieces explicitly showcasing that from the ingredients themselves. Also, I really like the serve-ware used which is elegant and fit to the dining experience. The third mise en bouche is a cucumber with shaved ice plus a layer of cream cheese foam on top. Before transitioning to the appetizers, this one serves to cleanse our palate, from the delicate taste of the cucumber. But instead of just providing that one-dimensional taste the chef had added the foam which added the light in texture, yet rich in flavor cream cheese note to the snack. Then came the Chaud-Froid of Cauliflower and Parmesan Ice-Cream, with Squid Ink Jus. The chaud-froid is a French cooking technique, applied here to cook the cauliflower and then cooling it down, served with a thick sauce forming a jelly. With the black squid ink jus added the chaud-froid cauliflower also became black in colour. The ice-cream enhanced the flavors with a savory cheesy note while the dried cauliflower piece further provided a contrasting crispy texture. A Thienot Brut Champagne is paired. Next is the Fresh White Asparagus, with Burrata, Smoked Haddock Milk Foam. The asparagus is tender, in-season and directly flown from France. I particularly like how the savory and smoky haddock foam has an anchovy aroma while minus the saltiness, maintaining the finesse but adding that extra flavors to make the dish goes into a different level. The cheese also helps to give the body to the dish while not overpowering the palate. A great combination and a Telmo Rodriguez Gaba do Xil Godello is paired. Moving to the hot dishes, a Pan-Seared Coral Brittany Langoustine, with Beetroot and Buckwheat Tartare, Black Pudding. When served the nice smell of the langoustine already assaulted our nostrils, and the meat is nice, firm and full of flavors. And surprisingly the beetroot and buckwheat tartare balance well with the crayfish. Originally not a big fan of them, this dish changed my perception of langoustine. A Domaine Elian Da Ros Coucou is paired. Following is the Japanese Sea Urchin, with Oatmeal Foam and Ginger Butter Sauce. A piece of thin toast is provided as crouton to accompany, and mixing them together I found all the components are in great harmony and supplemented each other on the taste. Another creative use of ingredients, the same Domaine Elian Da Ros Coucou is provided to pair with the dish. Coming now to the main course, the first is the Brittany Blue Lobster Lightly Cooked, with Brioche and Pork Head Veil, Curry Sauce, and Apple and Grapefruit Condiment. The lobster is simply gorgeous, so fresh and tasty, and I like the combination of the sea and land concept by having the pork meat thinly toasted on top. Adding the lobster sauce just made the overall flavors explode in the mouth. A Domaine Georges Vernay Viognier is paired. The final main course is Confit Brittany Monkfish, with Gnocchi, Seaweed, Audouille Crisps and Parsley Extract. The fish is seasoned well, and the sides of gnocchi and crisps offer a good contrast on texture, all beautifully prepared. The fish meat is thick but moist, cooked thoroughly without feeling rubbery. Certainly another signature of the restaurant. Interestingly a red Chateau Paradis is paired and did well to supplement the food. To dessert the first one is Buckwheat Texture, Carazin Ice-Cream. The flavours of the ice-cream reminded me very strongly on a toasted walnut on the aromas. A good job but comparatively this does not offer me too much of excitement. The Telmo Rodriguez MR Mountain Wine is chosen to pair, which I like the acidity and freshness, without any cloying sensation. The last dessert is Strawberry Tart Version 2018. Using the crispy pastry strip to wrap the food, the tart has plenty of strawberry mouse added, again showing great balance in acidity and sweetness, There is also an ice-cream on the side, made from pitachio if I am not mistaken. The same dessert wine is used to pair. Concluding the meal there is also Mignerdises, the bite-size dessert to wrap up the meal. Nicely put inside a box, each of them is rather like a jewelry, good in taste and sight. It is a good way to finish our meal.What I am most impressed with The Ocean is how they are creating new concepts on some of the dish, while at the same time paying great attention to highlight the original and true flavors of the ingredients. To me that is always the demonstration of the power of the chef.The service is also good, with the staff attentive, coming to explain each of the dish and wine pairing, and the greatest customer service experience in working diligently with the kitchen to change the menu to accommodate my wife who doesn't want butter or cream in her dishes because of some stomach problem on the day. In a lot of restaurants I would expect a hard time when raising this, but the staff here did nothing but trying their best to work around. We really appreciate their service from that perspective.With the two degustation menu, one with wine pairing and a bottle of water, the total bill on the night was $4,215. Considering the dining experience, food, service and decor, plus the invaluable beach view of a quiet and peaceful Repulse Bay (because we just lowered the typhoon signal today?), I would say it is of good value for money. 继续阅读

Paying a visit to the bathroom in a 1990’s British household often felt like taking a trip to the nautical love nest of Laurence Llewelyn Bowen and Captain Birdseye. For reasons unknown, the trend of ocean themed bathrooms transcended the lower and upper middleclass. Ceramic fish swam upon cobalt blue walls; buoys, anchors and oars were propped on whitewash linoleum and cracked seashells were in constant battle with the steep sided bathtubs. Exactly the same interior design greeted us at lunch last Saturday. With the name, décor and vista of mega tankers leaving a swell of pollutants in Repulse Bay, The Ocean is at pains to let you know it’s a seafood restaurant.  Visiting on a Saturday lunchtime, the price of the set menu borders on reasonable. Mrs A and I both opt for it and in no time at all a deep fried oyster ball is sitting in front of us. The wee morsel burst with the structural integrity of a cheese puff, releasing a mild oyster liquor. A very nice start indeed. A lovely refreshing little dish of asparagus, burrata and foam was next. But then began a less welcome theme. Buckwheat. To the uninitiated, buckwheat is a grain that looks like rat droppings and tastes like a hoppy ale. It first made its presence known in the bread, then the butter, then a langoustine dish and then the desert. One can only assume the kitchen had a tub of the stuff nearing its sell-by date. The next dish of cauliflower, sea urchin and squid ink was wasted on me. The flavour of the two fishy ingredients are too strong for my palette and the delicate cauliflower ended up being lost in a sea of black and brown mucus.  However, the ingredients of the next dish of langoustine, black pudding and beetroot really are to my taste. The langoustine was succulent and sweet, the boudin noir had the luscious consistency of wet mud and the sharp beetroot cubes gave the dish real bite. Expectations of seafood are very different in Asia and Europe and I often find myself hankering for clean Atlantic fish and French culinary methods – where quality trumps quantity and you don’t need sharp elbows to get to the front of the all you can eat seafood buffet. At the Ocean, with a little squinting and sun-drunk imagination I can just about picture myself dining cliff side in the Cote D'Azur. Alas, Mr and Mrs Clooney weren’t feeding raw shrimp into each other’s moist lips. We had to make do with the lone son of a factory owner shovelling delicate oysters into his ample mouth with all the refinement and enjoyment of colonoscopy examination. Our fellow diner notwithstanding, the next dish delivered the clean Breton refinement we craved. Monkfish, gnocchi, seaweed, audouille crisps and a meaty pâté substance was a triumph of perfectly balanced flavour and texture.  My second (optional) main failed to live up to the previous. The combination of lobster, pork head and curry sauce was unbalanced and overcooked and I was left trying to discreetly pull strings of lobster meat from my teeth. Olivier Bellin’s Gallic patience would no doubt be tested at the treatment of his signature creation. But that’s the risk you take opening a restaurant six-thousand miles from home. The Ocean made a few waves upon opening two years ago largely thanks to its Michelin patron, but only a ripple of noise remains. One problem with pseudo-celebrity chefs is their elusiveness. With multiple restaurants on multiple continents, preparing five covers on a Saturday afternoon in Hong Kong will not be Monsieur Bellin’s number one priority. On a Saturday lunchtime you don’t get the head chef. Based on the lobster, I’m not entirely sure you get their deputy… or their deputy’s deputy.We returned to The Ocean’s adjoining sister restaurant a fortnight after our initial lunch. We enjoyed a dozen unadorned oysters and moule mariniere. Both dishes were as sweet, salty and delicate as my new-born daughters tears. My recommendation is therefore to forgo the Ocean and stay at the lighthouse. 继续阅读

见O先生今年成日OT，工作辛苦，作为人妻既我决定以美食慰劳O先生本年既杰出人夫表现。既然O先生星期六生日，我就拣间远离市区烦嚣，有浪漫海景，又有情调既有星餐厅试下。我事先网上订左枱同request左喺dessert 度写birthday message。Email好快收到回覆。地点好似有d隔涉但其实唔难去，搭公共交通既话，搭40号小巴（佢系24小时服务既，所以走都有车返）喺浅水湾落车沿沙滩一直行到尾行入商场再到尾搭䢂到2/F就到。我book左7pm，因为网上提到dinner用餐时间大概要2.5hrs，事实都真系食到9:30pm。Dinner有8个course同5个course拣，分别系8个course会多左前菜同dessert, 因为价钱上唔系差好多所以我地拣左食8个course。第一道前菜口感好有惊喜，每道菜都切合餐厅ocean主题，卖相都好靓不过唔知点解几乎每碟都有乔麦做配搭，估唔到既系普通到就咁乔麦配佢地自制既面包加seaweed butter食又几清新好味😋。佢既signature dish Ocean breeze 我同O先生都觉得咸左d，碟红菜头汁配虾我反而几钟意，只虾好似用左慢煮既手法好软熟，红菜头汁既甜味衬托出虾既鲜味，系好好既配搭。另外我自己钟意佢碟Blue lagoon多d；main course 既龙虾虽然老左小小但配搭一齐食既薄脆猪肉（近耳仔）又令我加返分，加埋d 别致既hermes餐具，食到O先生都好开心😀😀。最后上甜品时本来觉得第一度甜品加birthday message 有d简单，我以为完，点知到第二度甜品上既时候，现场pianist即场弹生日歌伴奏，职员随即奉上甜品兼唱左几句，连我都惊喜埋。成个用餐experience都好好，最后完餐后可以漫步沙滩咁离开，感觉完满👍🏻。 继续阅读

圣诞节也是我们的一周内纪念日，选了这里庆祝。 The Ocean的圣诞节特别餐单午餐和晚餐是一样的8道菜大餐。考虑到此餐厅面朝大海，因此订了午餐，可以一边赏美景，一边叹美食。万万没想到，吃午餐还有另外一个好处，就是包！场！了！ 圣诞特别餐单以“航海为主题”，从The Shore出发，Set Sail让你的胃准备好航行；出发啦，拥抱一下Ocean Breeze，放下Anchor，感受海洋温柔的First Wave，沈浸在Blue Lagoon中，欣赏Great Reef，潜入Deep Sea看看神奇的海底世界，然后返航，Costal View渐渐映入眼帘，欢迎Back to The Bay，持续了2个半小时的航程结束啦。 名叫“The Ocean”，但食物的设计是融合了海陆，几乎每一道菜，都有来自陆地的食材，如牛、鹿肉、黑松露等，也有来自海洋的龙虾、鱿鱼、北海道扇贝、海胆、蚝等，更不用说各种记不住名字的香料了。大部份食材都不是第一次吃，但是这里的组合却让人感觉很有惊喜，想不到可以如此搭配。 餐厅的装饰也十分呼应海陆相融，蓝色代表大海，原木代表陆地，交融在一起，阳光从大大的落地玻璃窗透进来，甚是温暖。 在我们吃饭的间隙，有看到Olivier从厨房出来和侍应说了几句，我们远远地打了招呼，他冲我们笑了笑，又回后厨忙去了。现在想起来，十分后悔没有趁著人少，和他聊几句再合个影。 继续阅读