Posts Tagged French
Review – Private Dinner @ Ta Pantry, Hong Kong
We’ve been to this small gem in Wanchai, Hong Kong back in June, but C did not come so we didn’t review it. We loved it so we had to be back, but we had to wait four months! Since they could only accommodate one table of 10 every night, they were fully booked for the coming month. Moreover, former model turned chef, Esther Sham (Chef Tata as she likes to call herself), was to take up further training in France for three months. So we settled for a table for November in time to celebrate R’s birthday.
There’s a minimum spend of HK$4,400/US$564 from Monday to Thursday and HK$5,500/US$705 for Fridays, Saturdays & Public Holidays (for food only and before service charge). The minimum spend and the service charge had to be pre-paid in order to confirm the booking, something common amongst private kitchens in Hong Kong. And for any additional charges, only cash is accepted.
Tucked on the 1st floor of an old residential apartment building on Star Street, you feel like you’re visiting a good friend’s home. Once inside, you’ll notice the dining room surrounded by racks and racks of wines. In fact, Esther’s brother Andrew (also a scratch golfer) owns A Cellar, a wine shop, and this was his hangout for friends to enjoy a nice bottle of wine. Since good food and wine go so well together, and having a sister who is so passionate about cooking, it was natural for them to get together to start Ta Pantry. But don’t say we didn’t warn you that the dining room temperature is suited for the wine at a cool 17°C.
In the back is the open kitchen as well as a sofa area perfect for some pre-dinner Champagne. It also provides a good chance to chat with Esther as she prepares the night’s dinner. Also keeping us company was Xiao Feng, Esther’s adorable dog, who seemed to be more attached to her bed though. Ordering wine is simple. Either choose from their extensive wine list, which is very reasonably priced. Or bring any bottle that is not on the list and the corkage fee is waived. For dinner, we chose “Le Japonais” menu (HK$550/US$70 per person), which had to be shared with the whole table. We substituted the Yuzu Miso Cod with their famous Melting Onion Duck and added an order of A5 Kobe Beef (adding HK$230/US$30 to the bill).
Our amuse-bouche was gazpacho paired with a mashed potato and cheese cone. A nice refreshing start to the six course meal. The first dish, Tuna, Tuna, Tuna had the fish done sliced, diced and minced. The tuna was OK, but the diced one’s cracker was a bit stale. The minced one was the most fragrant as it was mixed with black truffle but the sushi rice was not quite up to our sushi standards. Next was the Fois Gras Tamago Custard with Asian mushrooms. Nothing spectacular, but still smooth and tasty and Japonais. Their signature Melting Onion Duck was superb though and didn’t disappoint. The slow cooked duck was very tender and paired perfectly with the bed of caramelized onions. Definitely recommend adding this dish if it is not already on the menu. The A5 Kobe Beef was accompanied by spicy mushrooms and melted in our mouths. The Uni Spaghetti that followed was a bit disappointing. The spaghetti was al dente but the seared uni was a bit cold and hard. Not the creamy ooze that we prefer.
For dessert, the Crêpe in Tata’s Favorite Way was filled with Nutella and served with matcha ice-cream & corn flakes. Not bad, the crêpe was very fresh and crispy, but we still prefer Crêpe Suzette anytime. But that’s just us.
Overall, we had a wonderful experience and you can feel Esther’s passion for cooking. We admire her dedication to keep learning to broaden her knowledge and techniques. She has a lot of potential and we wish her dream will come true very soon.
– 16/20
Ta Pantry
Flat C, 1/F, Moonstar Court
2D Star Street
Wanchai, Hong Kong
T: +852 9403 6430
E: tapantry@gmail.com
W: tapantry.wordpress.com
Closed on Sundays
CASH ONLY
111109 Ta Pantry - Pre dinner rest area
111109 Ta Pantry - Plenty of wine to choose from
111109 Ta Pantry - Xiao Feng, the mascot?
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Review – Fa Zu Jie (法租界), Hong Kong
This must be the most obscure building in town. C, having worked in the Lan Kwai Fong (Hong Kong) area for more than 13 years had no idea this place existed. Even if you did know, the dark alley off the beaten track might make you think twice. But, as their owners insist, the surprise when you reach the restaurant is very rewarding. And we agree. Click here for a link to Google Maps to see their exact location.
Opened for just three months, the chef, Paul, was from an advertising background but loved cooking from a very young age. He aims to introduce French methods (his training) with traditional Shanghainese ingredients (his heritage). The other partners, Joe (also in advertising), contributed to the design elements of the restaurant and Chris, an ex-banker, served as the maître d.
Entering the establishment will wow you in its simple and clean design. A huge contrast to the dark alley entrance to the old building. With a maximum capacity of only 26, there are three tables in the main dining area that surrounds the centerpiece of the restaurant – the open kitchen. This gave Paul the opportunity to interact with us between courses, a nice personal touch. At the back, the owners enclosed the back courtyard area with a glass roof to provide a larger more private dining area. An adjacent outdoor area is a great place to lounge out before or after dinner. After touring the restaurant, we were given some old books… What??? To read??? Actually, the fixed menu (HK$538/US$69 per person, minimum of four) was hidden inside each book. A very unique presentation until they found out that they have to change the menu every month! The name for each dish was also very creative, often having left us to guess what we were to have next.
Our first course started with “Spring. Snow. Dutch Yellow.”, which translates to bamboo shoots with Hollandaise sauce and deep fried capers. The bamboo shoots were very soft and it felt like eating asparagus…very nice. The next course, “Treasure. Hundreds of them.” had nine ingredients finely chopped and arranged on top of a braised carrot. The fun was to guess all the nine ingredients for a round of Coke on the house. Unfortunately we couldn’t get the last two…Now we won’t give it away so don’t expect us to disclose it here. “Miss Quail. Mr. Sanuki. Wax Apple. Woflberry. All are Half Drunk.” was like drunken chicken, except that the larger quail from Australia was used instead. Cooked with eight year old aged Hua Diao rice wine (花雕) and served cold on a bed of Japanese Sanuki udon. Very good. The quail was cooked just right, keeping it juicy and very tender. The udon was nice and chewy, just how we like it. All half drunk as the menu described 
“North Atlantic Wild Scallop. Melting Ma Lan Tao. Shrimp Roe Oil.” was one of the easier to decipher items on the menu. The plump juicy scallops sat on a bed of mashed potatoes mixed with Kalimeris (ma lan tao/馬蘭頭)…a nice combination. “Diana Spicy Slow-cooked Beef. Wonton.” was also very tender. Diana is a friend of Paul’s and making subtle tweaks to her original recipe was a great success. The wontons were stuffed with pumpkin and onions to complement the pungent sauce.
We bought a bottle of 2000 Pichon Baron as they do not charge for corkage. However, they do offer a small selection of French biodynamic wines which are reasonably priced. The dinner concluded with a “Panna Cotta. Oriental Touch.” and for HK$50/US$6.40 extra, we tried their siphoned coffee to round off the evening.
We will be back to see how their creative minds tempt our taste buds with the new menu next month. And bring your cash as they do not take credit cards yet.
– 17.5/20
Fa Zu Jie (法租界)
1st Floor, 20A D’Aguilar Street
Central, Hong Kong
View location in Google Maps
T: +852 3487 1715
CASH ONLY
110420 Fa Zu Jie (法租界) - Entrance off D'Aguilar St.
110420 Fa Zu Jie (法租界) - Go through a dark alley
110420 Fa Zu Jie (法租界) - Walk up to the 1st floor
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Review – Bouchon Bistro Français, Hong Kong
In typical Hong Kong fashion, a slew of French bistros are recently popping up around town. First there was Chez Patrick Deli. This time, we went to Soho (Hong Kong) to try Bouchon Bistro Français. Not to be confused with Bouchon in Napa Valley by Thomas Keller. Opened for just 1½ months, the place was packed, even at 8:45pm…true Parisian style.
The ambiance gained full marks. Tight small tables all packed together intimately in typical bistro fashion. The buzz from the crowd also made you feel even more like you were in Paris. Unfortunately, the food was a bit disappointing.
We ordered the traditional bistro fare – escargots (½ dozen HK$78/US$10), steak tartar (230g HK$248/US$32) and steamed mussels (1kg HK$298/US$38). These dishes are the ultimate benchmarks for testing bistro food as pizza Margherita is for Italian cuisine. For the escargots, the garlic and herbed butter sauce was a tad on the bland side and that the snails seemed to be just added at the last minute didn’t help. They were tasteless and didn’t have enough time to soak up the flavors. However, dipping the warm, freshly baked bread into the butter was perfect. C had the mussels which was even more bland…maybe we’re getting old? Come on, don’t skimp on the garlic! The mussels were also pretty dry and hard. The steak tartar tasted OK, but it could have been a bit spicier though. We miss those restaurants where they mix it right in front of you. Of course it would be impossible in this small bistro, but shouldn’t they have asked our preferences first? And the beef was cut too thick and a bit tough. We did enjoy a nice bottle of 2004 E. Guigal Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which seems to rightfully enjoy a strong presence in the local bistro scene.
Dessert fared better though. Their apple tatin tart (HK$68/US$9) was very nice. Although the generous portion of apples slightly overwhelmed the thin crust, it nevertheless was one of the better ones in town. C’s petit plateau (3 kinds) of fromages (HK$178/US$23) was not bad and she was happy that they had Livarot.
We later realized that they had just replaced the old chef with a new one who arrived just a few days ago. A second chef in 1½ months??? Despite the somewhat negative comments about the food, the ambiance got us and we still have high expectations for them. We hope that their teething problems will be sorted out very soon and will definitely give them another try in a few weeks.
– 19/20 ambiance
– 15/20 food
Bouchon Bistro Français
49 Elgin Street
Soho, Central
T: +852 2525 9300
W: www.diningconcepts.com.hk/bouchon
110419 Bouchon Bistro Français - Intimate ambiance
110419 Bouchon Bistro Français - Parisian decor
110419 Bouchon Bistro Français - Table mat
Review – L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
We haven’t been here for years, so when we saw on their website a new outlet, Le Jardin, it sounded like a nice informal place for a Sunday lunch. However, it turned out to be the old formal dining area of L’Atelier. Maybe it was called Le Jardin back when it first opened, which was when we were here last. Anyway, the jardin part came from their outdoor terrace area that was well landscaped to shield all the surrounding skyscrapers. We would have sat outside if they had some fans…didn’t think that we could stand the 30°C/86°F plus heat. And their dress code was for no shorts! Anyway we changed tables to the bar area near the entrance, which is L’Atelier. Instead of sitting at the bar area surrounding the open kitchen, we sat at a table with high bar chairs. Much more relaxing and appropriate for our Sunday lunch. We ordered the four course set menu, from which you can choose an appetizer, a soup, a main course (fish or meat) and dessert for HK$498/US$64.
We started off with a nice pumpkin mouse for our amuse bouche and opened a half bottle (it is lunch after all) of a 1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château de Beaucastel. For appetizers, R had Le Guacamole that had a good citrus zing to blend in the flavors of the fresh crabmeat and the creamy avocado. C’s Le Saumon was right up her alley with the salmon marinated with truffle oil. For the soup, they both chose Les Ravioles, a clear chicken broth with incredibly thin ravioli wrapped with small pieces of foie gras. A separate bowl of cream accompanied the dish and adding a little made the broth nice and creamy. For main course, R had Le Bœuf – beef cheek braised with red wine that was very tender and matched perfectly with the Parmesan polenta, which was soooooo smooth. C had Le Porchelet – spit-roasted baby pork, which was OK but nothing special. We were so full we wondered if we had any room for dessert – Tiramisu L’Atelier style. Maybe we had too much of the freshly baked bread and we were too full, but the ladyfingers were quite distinct and were not soaked enough with either coffee or rum. It came with a coffee ice cream on the side, which did help to blend in the flavors.
Maybe it fell a bit short of our high expectations, but nevertheless, we had an enjoyable lunch. Probably we should pop down and get some Coco Tuile while we’re here…
– 17/20
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
Shop 401, The Landmark
Central, Hong Kong
T: +852 2166 9000
E: reservation@robuchon.hk
W: www.robuchon.hk
100926 Le Jardin de Joël Robuchon - Outside seating
100926 L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon - Menu cover
100926 L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon - Open kitchen
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Review – Gunther’s Modern French Cuisine, Singapore
This restaurant was found by searching the Internet and although we hadn’t heard of them, they are #7 on Miele’s 2009/2010 list. Located on a small side street, this was not your typical hotel restaurant, which might be a good thing. We were greeted warmly by Fabio, our waiter for the evening. We didn’t really study the menu much as the Menu Dégustation already caught our eye. At S$128/US$92 it was very reasonable…at least by Hong Kong standards. They were also very flexible and said that we could change our main course if we did not eat lamb. No problem for us and we stuck to the original menu.
Their wine list was also very extensive and the best was their wide selection of half bottles. We ordered a half bottle of 2006 Christian Moreau Chablis 1er Cru to match the first few dishes, but started off with a glass of Champagne to compliment the caviar in the first dish.
The amuse-bouche was a prawn tempura. We know we’ve been spoilt by Inagiku, so this tasted a bit bland. The first appetizer, cold angel hair pasta with Oscietra caviar was a very good start. Even when served cold, the pasta was still al dente! Amazing!!! The caviar went well with our glass of Perrier-Jouët Champagne. No wonder this is their signature dish. Next up was the grilled bamboo clam flown all the way from Scotland. Mixed with tomatoes and pilaf rice, this was a strong flavored dish. Kind of overpowered the freshness of the clam, but the end result was very good. The egg fondant with grilled mushrooms and Spanish ham was right down C’s alley…eggs! On the first bite, R immediately knew that C would love this dish…and he was right. Without a word, it was gone in no time. The combination was perfect. The egg was very smooth and the yolk was very runny and very rich.
Fabio saw that we had just started a half bottle of Pichon Lalande 1994, so he took the initiative to let us try the roasted foie gras with crushed candied almonds, another signature dish of theirs. This was very nice…made us have the urge to order a half bottle of d’Yquem. The rich Lalande did the job and we did have a main course to come. The main course, grilled lamb rack was in R’s point of view very good. But C commented that it was quite gamy (膻). Obviously, this word was not in R’s dictionary, so it didn’t bother him a bit.
The fine apple tart “à la dragées” was not what we expected. The two thin wedges did not look like your typical apple tart. But paired with the Havana rum raisin ice-cream, it was perfect. Of course, C had the French cheese…but no trolley here, just a small sample of four cheeses…a bit disappointed.
The service was remarkable and the food exceptional. Not too fancy, just fresh ingredients and great implementation by Chef Gunther Hubrechsen. Definitely worth a higher ranking on the Miele list in our opinion.
– 18.5/20
Gunther’s Modern French Cuisine
36 Purvis Street #01-03
Singapore 188613
T: +65 6338 8955
E: restaurant@gunthers.com.sg
W: www.gunthers.com.sg
100402 Gunther's - Amuse-bouche, prawn tempura
100402 Gunther's - Cold angel hair pasta with Oscietra caviar
100402 Gunther's - 2006 Christian Moreau Chablis 1er Cru
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