Statement epitomises so-called fine dining in Hong Kong: nice decor, subpar service, and terrible food.
Let's start with the positive. The ambiance was outstanding. It's beautifully decorated; it's clear they spent a lot of money on it. Unfortunately, the buck stops here in terms of the highlights.
Throughout the evening, we felt we were in a high pressure sales environment. While it's not uncommon for restaurants to try upselling alcohol or desserts, that's usually done in a classy & non-pushy way. Not at Statement, though! Here are my favorite highlights :
1. Within 15 mins of being seated, we were asked on three separate occasions if we wanted a bottle of champagne. Did they perhaps not think that's a bit excessive considering that only one person is drinking alcohol? Or the fact that we already said no on the previous 2 instances?
2. We originally ordered two appetizers to be shared among the four of us. The server, however, suggested that we should order more as they were small, so we did, and that turned out to be a huge mistake (more on that later).
3. Before I even finished my first drink, one of the servers rushed up to me and asked if I wanted another glass. Geez, chill out!
4. As we were working through our appetizers, we were asked on two separate occasions if we were done with it so they could take it away. It wasn't like the plate was left untouched for an extended period of time. I am not sure why the staff felt so rushed--the place wasn't even full.
5. As I was halfway done with my second glass of wine, one of the servers asked again (for the fourth time in the evening) if I wanted to open a bottle of champagne. Geez, they never give up!
The food wasn't any better than the service. There flavors were very one dimensional and offers no cohesion or substance. In addition, the portions would be considered small even for someone who might be anorexic, so be warned! Here are some of the key highlights:
1. Scallops with uni emulsion: If this were a knife-skill competition, they would single handedly win this category. They managed to slice one regular sized scallops into perhaps 7-8 microscopic slices. The uni emulsion was barely noticeable, and it's almost as if someone thought, "Hey, it's uni, let's just add it so we can charge more."
2. Cauliflower with truffle: The largest portion of the three, and the only one that I'd consider fit to be called an appetizer. We liked the truffle sauce, but it was nothing extraordinary.
3. Carrot salad: This is one of the worst dishes that I can remember ever having at a restaurant. We weren't even going to order it but the wait staff insisted that we should order more food. It was literally a dish of thinly sliced carrot, and the carrot was definitely not some bougie organic carrot. It was of the wet market varietal. And for them to get away charging $150 for a plate of carrot is so infuriating.
4. Roast Beef: For $350, you would think that this would be a satisfying piece of beef. Ah, but this is statement, so instead what you will get is literally two extremely small slices of beef (probably about 2 ounces total), with a little side of mashed potatoes. When it arrived, I literally almost asked the server what appetizer that was. I have never ever seen portions this small! The good news after I basically finished the dish in 20 secs, they offered me a refill. What followed were two slightly larger slices. I would venture to guess that I consumed somewhere between 5-6 ounces of beef for $350. I am not expecting American portions, but to serve something like this as an entree is a complete joke.
Not surprisingly, after our meal of sliced carrots and miniature steak, all of us were still hungry. Thank God for McDonald's, as that turned out to be a lot more satisfying.
影片
