Posts Tagged Restaurant
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 – Alain Solivérès at Whisk, Hong Kong
Chef Alain Solivérès from the Taillevent restaurant in Paris visited the Whisk in the Mira Hotel, Hong Kong briefly this week. Jordi, ex-Gaddi’s sommelier, is the Head Sommelier at the Mira now so we decided to give them a visit.
We didn’t go for the degustation menu as it was a bit too much. Highly recommended was the Lobster & Curry (HK$230/US$30). Done “risotto” style, it was extremely good. Actually using épeautre (spelt, which is a wheat a bit like barley) instead of Arborio rice made the dish less rich and heavy. A hint of curry spiced it up so it was less creamy. Perfect! Especially when matched with a bottle of 1999 Courbis Cornas les Eygats from Northern Rhône, full bodied but not too overpowering. Thanks Jordi for the recommendation. The famous Taillevent duck pie (HK$410/US$53) was a bit disappointing. A bit dry but the truffle gravy helped alleviate that. Not as legendary as rumored, maybe it’s better in Paris? We’ll have to try it someday. C’s M7 Wagyu beef (HK$550/US$71) was very tender, but typical of Wagyu… where’s the beef flavor?
For dessert, the Exotic Delight (HK$110/US$14) was interesting. The coconut foam on top of the pineapples tasted just like a piña colada. Refreshing.
A good experience and we were told the “risotto” might be available in the future. Another good reason to go to Whisk more often. Their Sunday brunch is also very good too. Or maybe we should visit Taillevent in Paris first?
– 17/20
Whisk
The Mira Hotel
Level 5 (dedicated side entrance on ground level)
118 Nathan Road, Tsimshatsui
Kowloon, Hong Kong
T: +852 2315 5999
E: whisk@themirahotel.com
W: www.themirahotel.com/en/dining/whisk.aspx
110319 Whisk - Stainless steel menu cover
110319 Whisk - Cold carrot soup w/ coriander mouse
110319 Whisk - 1999 Courbis Cornas les Eygats
Review – Oyster 18, Hong Kong
We headed to the eastern part of town to Tin Hau, Hong Kong to try a new oyster place appropriately named Oyster 18. We were greeted by the maître d, Wilson, who was very attentive and helpful. He started us off with some homemade black truffle butter and freshly baked French bread. A very good start but we had to refrain ourselves from eating too much. Then we were served a plate of Spanish ham that was aged for 36-months. Very tender and not too sweet. Perfect.
Then on to the main reason we came…fresh raw oysters. Our platter contained Kumamoto (US), Kondachi (Japan), White Perle (France) and Gillardeau (France). C’s favorite were the Kumamotos (which she encored) and R enjoyed the Gillardeaus with the stronger seawater taste. We also tried the Black Perle and Tsarskaya, which were also on the salty side but Gillardeau was still the best.
Our main course, the penne pasta was surprisingly good. The penne was al dente with the sea urchin cream sauce and runny ‘spa’ egg having created a magical combination that was amazing.
We were too stuffed to try the other tempting dishes, so we must come back for more.
– 16.5/20
Oyster 18
G/F, 18 Tsing Fung Street
Tin Hau, Hong Kong
T: +852 2570 0208
110303 Oyster 18 - Homemade black truffle butter
110303 Oyster 18 - 36-month aged Spanish ham
110303 Oyster 18 - Fresh oysters & bar area
110303 Oyster 18 - Fresh oyster platter
110303 Oyster 18 - Pan-fried foie gras
110303 Oyster 18 - Crab meat & salmon timballo
110303 Oyster 18 - Clams & mussels in garlic sauce
110303 Oyster 18 - Penne in sea urchin cream sauce
110303 Oyster 18 - Mango Napoleon
110303 Oyster 18 - Chocolate fondant cake
Update – Robatayaki Ichiban, Hong Kong
We were at one time so worried that our favorite Robatayaki place in Causeway Bay, Ichiban closed down. Check out our previous review. Just after Chinese New Year, we passed by and noticed that the street level shop had closed down without any notice of a new location.
Fortunately, we passed by a week later and saw their removal notice. It turned out that they were on the verge of closing for good due to the high rents. Lucky for us, they found their current location on Hennessy Road, also in Causeway Bay (right next to Sogo department store).
Inheriting the decorations from the Japanese restaurant that previously occupied the premises, the decor is very different from the rustic feel of the old shop, which had been there for more than 20 years. Nevertheless, the same people provide the same friendly service and great food. As they just reopened for one week, there are still some minor teething problems with the new kitchen. But we are sure that they will sort it out very soon and we will definitely be back to support them. Please help spread the word of their new location 
Robatayaki Ichiban
12/F, Macau Yat Yuen Centre
525 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay
Hong Kong
T: +852 2890 7580
110228 Robatayaki Ichiban - New entrance
110228 Robatayaki Ichiban - New interior decor
Review – Oyster & Wine Bar, Hong Kong
We haven’t been to the Hong Kong Sheraton Hotel for eons. Tonight, R had a meeting in Tsim Sha Tsui and thought we’d try the Oyster & Wine Bar on the top floor of the hotel. The lifts only go up to the 17th floor and a flight of stairs took us up to our destination. The views of the Hong Kong harbor were stunning especially when seen from the Kowloon side. We arrived early and had to wait for C, so we checked out the wine list. We were surprised to be given an iPad to select our wine. The app was not bad, we could select by type, grape, country, etc. and each wine had some tasting notes to help our selection. The best thing is you can add the wine to ‘my selections’ to narrow your selection or show the sommelier for a final recommendation. After playing with it for a while, we settled for the Champagne Barons de Rothschild. We heard about this a while back and always wanted to try it. This Brut non-vintage was smooth and well structured with a lingering finish worthy of vintage Champagnes.
When C arrived, we chose the king sized Seafood Platter HK$1,140/US$146. This was more substantial with two layers as opposed to the queen size that only had one layer and priced at HK$650/US$83. There was everything – oysters (of course), clams, mussels, prawns, crab, shrimp, etc. They were very fresh and we even encored a dozen Kumamoto oysters to satisfy our crave.
We were treated to dessert due to some incident with one of the waiter’s service, or the lack of. Not what you would expect from such a high caliber hotel. But the Molten Chocolate Cake and Grand Marnier Soufflé more than made up for it.
The food and atmosphere were great, but let’s hope the service is more up to par next time. Maybe we’ll sit at the oyster bar and sample their wide selection of more than 20 different oysters from all parts of the world.
– 17.5/20
Oyster & Wine Bar
18/F, Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers
20 Nathan Road
Kowloon
Hong Kong
T: +852 2369 1111
W: www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton
110210 Oyster & Wine Bar - Menu cover
110210 Oyster & Wine Bar - iPad wine list
110210 Oyster & Wine Bar - Dinner plate decoration
110210 Oyster & Wine Bar - Garlic bread
110210 Oyster & Wine Bar - Oyster selection
110210 Oyster & Wine Bar - King size seafood platter
110210 Oyster & Wine Bar - Kumamoto oysters
110210 Oyster & Wine Bar - Barons de Rothschild Champagne
110210 Oyster & Wine Bar - Warm chocolate pudding
110210 Oyster & Wine Bar - Grand Marnier soufflé
Affiliate Advertisers
