Archive | March, 2012

The Chinnery

20 Mar

The Chinnery

Dating back to 1963, The Mandarin Oriental hotel is one of the city’s most prominent landmarks, clearly not due to its size but due to its charm, its status, and its pure unyielding elegance. After undergoing inevitable renovations over time, The Chinnery has remained largely unchanged, exuding sophistication that is reminiscent of a private British members’ bar in a long-forgotten era, with comfy leather armchairs, dark wood and glass panelling. The beer is served in tankards, the butter in pewter dishes – it’s touches like this that give a restaurant that extra charm that will relentlessly win my heart.

The Chinnery serves wholesome (very wholesome!) British food such as Bangers and mash, Shepherd’s pie, Roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, and so on. What really stands out, however, and what everyone constantly insists I try there, are the curries. The menu isn’t enormous, and the curry menu in particular is limited to three or four varieties, the aim being to serve the kind of curries that are now in fact considered ‘British’.

Scotch eggs

We started with some starters to share from the ‘snacks’ section of the menu. The Scotch eggs set the standard high. These adorable bite-sized beauties, made with quail’s eggs rather than chicken’s, put my ever-so-slight fear of Scotch eggs to bed; there was no grease present, the egg yolk was still wonderfully soft and the meat was not of the kind where you’d rather not know its origins.

Onion bhaji

The Onion bhaji were utter perfection. Where onion bhaji can sometimes be dripping in oil and it is difficult to discern any flavour other than the oil, these were light and delicate; I would almost say I considered them healthy, but perhaps not quite! I also loved how they were served on a sheet of newspaper, old school style.

Lamb samosas

A wise friend of mine once said that the very best samosas are the kind that can stand up on their own, the 3D kind. The Lamb samosas at The Chinnery fit this description to the letter, and even more importantly, taste divine. The minced lamb is of the highest quality and melts wonderfully in the mouth; the pastry is thin and flaky (again, almost healthy!); and the mint dip that goes with it has a definite awakening kick.

Tandoori chicken

After hearing nothing but positive comments about the curry at The Chinnery, we all opted for this. The Tandoori chicken was succulent and full of flavour. There is always the fear that as tandoori is not bathed in a rich sauce, the chicken can dry out and leave you dissatisfied, but this was far from the truth in this case.

Chicken Tikka Makhani

The Chicken Tikka Makhani had a delicious smoky taste to it amidst the rich creamy sauce and the chicken was tender throughout. I’m not sure of the difference between this and a regular chicken tikka massala, though perhaps it has something to do with this one being a touch spicier.

Lamb Rogan Josh

The Lamb Rogan Josh contained beautifully tender chunks of lamb coated in a rich, aromatic sauce. Rogan Josh is always one of my favourite curries, and this one did not disappoint.

Mini-desserts

Dessert simply was not an option after all this food, although the dessert menu certainly did look appealing. Thankfully the waiters must have sensed my desperate need for something sweet that materialises after every meal and brought us a cute little plate of bite-sized apple crumbles and brownies – a courtesy that I think all restaurants should learn from.

If you hadn’t already registered from my comment above, service at The Chinnery is first-class, and I particularly enjoyed being served by waiters in black tie! Evidently the prices reflect firstly the elegance and sophistication of the restaurant, and secondly its location inside one of the most well known hotel brands in the world, so don’t expect to pay much less than $300 a head without drinks. Another wise friend (I have a few) once told me that The Chinnery is her go-to place for when she’s feeling a little blue and in need of some good quality, pick-me-up food. I can now completely understand this.

The Chinnery

1/F Mandarin Oriental Hotel
5 Connaught Road
Central
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2825 4009

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ABC Kitchen

19 Mar

ABC Kitchen

Hong Kong is without a doubt a very funny place. Everywhere you look you’ll find a complete mish mash of cultures attempting, and succeeding, to coexist in the same location. What you perhaps won’t expect to find, though, is a very good Italian restaurant in a cooked food market. The Queen Street Cooked Food Market in Sheung Wan, however, has shown us that this is possible, as ABC Kitchen resides amidst the usual throng of very local dai pai dongs common to all cooked food markets.

ABC Kitchen – the acronym for A Better Cooking Kitchen – is run by two former chefs from what used to be M at the Fringe. Sadly I never got to taste M, so can’t give you my first hand comparison between the two, but from what I understand, they have brought their most popular dishes to ABC, where they continue to be just as popular. ABC knows that it’s too good for a cooked food market, as it is the only ‘restaurant’ in there with tablecloths and proper crockery. I think the sheer location of it, however, is all part of its appeal and success.

Although on the front of the menu it claims they serve pizza and pasta, inside the menu neither were an option. Apparently these are served at lunchtime, whereas for dinner, finer choices such as the signature dish of suckling pig are offered.

Provencal fish stew

Judging by the size of the starters that drifted past our table, we decided to share three between the five of us. I shall start with my least favourite: the Provencal fish stew. I normally associate stew with a slightly thicker liquid, whereas this had more of a broth consistency. Nevertheless, said broth had a delicious fennel taste and ample amounts of squid, clams and mussels. Unfortunately, it was served tepid, which really let it down.

Pan-fried foie gras

The Pan-fried foie gras was faultlessly smooth and light, paired with a sweet fig jam and a lightly dressed salad. Unfortunately this too was not served hot.

Sea urchin risotto

The Sea Urchin risotto had a fabulous flavour, a perfectly al dente texture and a creamy consistency. It’s just a shame that it was also served cold…

Porcini souffle

After complaining about the temperature of the starters, the apologetic waiters made sure to bring the main courses piping hot. The Porcini soufflé was a beautiful sight: perfectly risen and wrapped in sheets of paper-thin filo pastry. Although it was served with a creamy mushroom sauce, the flavour of so many mushrooms was by no means overpowering.

Seared sea bass

The Seared sea bass, served in a lemon butter sauce, was wonderfully flaky with a light, delicate flavour. I’m not normally a fish-skin person, but here the skin was so crispy and delicious that it could actually be eaten on its own.

Pan-roasted pigeon

Having been assured that the bird came from France and not the streets of Hong Kong, my mother tried the Pan-roasted pigeon. This little bird had such a succulent and rich flavour that was enhanced by the delicious jus and huge, sweet grapes. There is no way to fault this dish.

Lamb shank

On to the Lamb shank…. when is a lamb shank cooked to perfection not absolutely divine? The meat slid off the bone and melted in the mouth. Infused with the essence of the Shiraz it was braised in, as well as fresh rosemary, this dish was utterly delicious.

Roasted suckling pig

How could we not order the signature dish? Although the menu changes seasonally (in fact, the spring menu which we tasted has only just started), the Roasted suckling pig will always remain on the menu. Thank heavens for that, as it is possibly one of the better suckling pigs I have ever tasted! Seated on a bed of baked cinnamon apples and kipfler potatoes, the meat was so tender and juicy, the skin so perfectly crackling, that this was certainly my favourite of the main courses.

Lemon meringue tart

For dessert, although almost bursting at the seams after such wonderfully rich savoury dishes, we shared three between us. The Lemon meringue tart, something I would not usually order, was delicious, although perhaps the lemon curd was a little on the runny side. The biscuitty base and the marshmallowy meringue were impeccable however.

Pavlova

The Pavlova on its own would have been far too sickly sweet for me, but once topped with fresh fruit, and in particular sour passion fruit, a balance was achieved.

Mille feuille with passion fruit custard

My favourite of the desserts was the Mille feuille with passion fruit custard. Layer upon layer of wafer-thin pastry were sandwiched together with creamy yet tart passion fruit custard and served with fresh passion fruit and kiwi – two of my all-time favourite fruits. Perfection to a tee.

The atmosphere at ABC is fantastic, and this all boils down to its location, as you just can’t replicate the energy and excitement you’ll find in a cooked food market. Go with a group, bring your own wine (at zero corkage charge!) and this is bound to be a fun night. The delicious food is just a bonus. Make sure you book in advance, as although they serve 70 covers on an average night, even on a weeknight it is always buzzing.

One thing to note about ABC Kitchen is that although it is situated amongst dai pai dongs, the prices are by no means dai pai dong prices. For three starters, five mains and three desserts, plus a bottle of wine (we didn’t plan ahead) we paid $300 a head. Not outrageous under normal circumstances, but just make sure you’re not expecting to pay local prices. However, for fare that is undeniably always going to win in any dai pai dong battle, ABC will have you rushing back regardless of the cost. Trust me.

ABC Kitchen

CF7, 1/F Queen Street Cooked Food Market
38 Des Voeux Road West
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 9278 8227

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Comilonas revisited

12 Mar

I first went to Comilonas just weeks after it had opened its doors, and am happy to say that I believe I was the first food blogger to taste it and review it. I have now been twice since then and am still certain that this is one of my favourite restaurants in Hong Kong. It sets itself apart from other private kitchens by serving traditional Catalonian food unique to Hong Kong in a casual and homely environment without the rocket high prices other places would charge.

The menu has stayed the same since it opened, until owner Lluis and his wife Carrie, the chef behind the wonderful food, ventured back to Lluis’ home town of Barcelona for the month of February to explore new ideas and put together a new menu, which I sampled last week with a group of 16 hungry bellies.

Comilonas seats between 10 and 20 diners, and only serves one group, meaning you book the whole space and entertain as though it were your own dining room, for that is how it is designed to feel. They’ll even put the name of the host on the menu for you, an added touch that I obviously loved!

The dinner still kicks off with a Romesco dip – a beautiful blend of almonds and roasted vegetables that Lluis explains is his family’s secret recipe – and crudités to nibble on whilst the guests arrive.

Herb-marinated scallops

Another dish that has fortunately remained on the menu is the Herb-marinated scallops. Thin slivers of scallops are cured in the tastiest herb-infused olive oil and lemon juice, resulting in wonderfully tender scallops that simply melt in the mouth. Here’s hoping Carrie and Lluis never take this dish off the menu!

Musclos escabetxats

To follow, Musclos escabetxats, which translates to pickled mussels, were very popular. The acidic marinade made from olive oil, vinegar, garlic and tomatoes cuts through the strong fishy flavour of the mussels, creating a lovely and hearty dish.

Esqueixada

Replacing the previous original salt-cod dish comes Esqueixada, an equally, if not more, delicious platter of salt-cod piled high with a scrumptious blend of tomatoes, olive oil, onions and olives. Although sad at first that the brandada de bacalla was no longer an option, this delicious dish quickly quelled my sadness.

Piquillo peppers with cheese

My favourite dish of Piquillo peppers with cheese, however, thankfully remains on the menu. The tender beak-shaped peppers (hence the name ‘piquillo’ which stems from the Spanish ‘pico’, meaning beak) are lovingly stuffed with buttery Manchego cheese and sprinkled with spring onions. Absolutely heavenly.

Chicken & pork canalons

Newcomer Chicken and pork canalons almost stole first place for me. These canaloni were stuffed with an interesting blend of minced chicken and pork, giving a rather crude meat flavour, topped with a cream and cheese sauce to balance it. Popped under the grill to make the cheese golden and crispy, this, for me, was the ultimate comfort food.

Fennel and orange salad

Admittedly, the Fennel and orange salad didn’t thrill me, but then again salads rarely do, as I am not much of a salad person. It was, however, a very refreshing dish.

Seafood paella

Unlike the black ink paella on Comilonas’ previous menu, the Seafood paella on the new menu is certainly aesthetically pleasing. It was quite the spectacle as Lluis carried out the enormous paellera to the somehow-still-hungry diners. The prawns were beautifully tender and full of flavour, the rice was perfectly al dente, yet as a whole, I found the dish to be slightly less tasty than its predecessor. However, this could have been due to the lack of aioli, which I fell in love with the previous two times.

Caramelised orange with ice cream

To finish, we were served individual portions of Caramelised orange with ice cream, beautifully presented inside half an orange and topped with chopped hazelnuts. This is the dessert from the original menu; the orange halves are consistently scraped clean so I think Carrie and Lluis know that this dish is a winner.

In line with Hong Kong’s private kitchen scene, Comilonas has a BYOB policy, yet unlike other private kitchens, doesn’t charge a single cent for corkage (nor, incidentally, do they charge for service). To add to the atmosphere you wouldn’t experience in any other Hong Kong restaurant, Lluis presents diners with a drinking vessel that is a cross between a watering can and a decanter; using all the skill you can muster, you are expected to pour wine directly from the porró into your mouth, from as great a height as you can without spilling wine all over yourself (bibs are also provided just in case!).

Comilonas is booked up weeks, or even months in advance (I’d like to take just a little bit of credit for this, having reviewed it for The Dim Sum Diaries, Lifestyle Asia and Foodie!). Yet where other private kitchens start to knock the price up once they gain popularity, Comilonas’ menu remains at only $380 per person. For the amount of food I’ve just described and a fun lesson in how to drink wine Barcelona-style, this is as reasonable as you’re going to get. Be careful not to miss the bib though, or your dry cleaning bill might end up being more expensive than dinner!

Comilonas

Flat 22, 1/F Yip Cheong Building
4-16 Hill Road
Sai Wan
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 9863 2270

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Spring Moon

9 Mar

When I think of The Peninsula, I think of elegance. I think of class. I think of all the things we are often too busy to care about in Hong Kong’s fast-paced lifestyle. Spring Moon, The Peninsula’s Cantonese restaurant, echoes this to the letter. It is designed to be reminiscent of a 1920s-style Shanghainese mansion with dark wood and oriental rugs. Little touches like the silver bowls and trays used for things as commonplace as nuts or warm hand towels were enough to make me know, right from the onset, that this was going to be a very special meal indeed.

We tried the wine-pairing menu at Spring Moon, which is available until the 14th March. This 8-course feast offered very traditional Cantonese dishes (dishes which one would perhaps not usually order, but which nevertheless tasted divine) with six carefully selected wines to complement them.

Deep fried American oyster

The first dish of Deep-fried American oyster set the bar pretty high. The huge, fresh oyster was wrapped in a crisp, delicate batter. Whilst it had a strong flavour, it was not over-powering like some oysters can be and, paired with a beautiful New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Hawkes Bay, was the perfect start to a perfect meal.

Double-boiled sea conch with cordyceps flowers

To follow, we were served a beautifully presented soup: Double-boiled sea conch with cordyceps flowers. Certainly not for the un-adventurous, this soup featured chunks of salty and slightly chewy sea conch and a perhaps-somewhat-unnecessary chicken’s foot. Although the foot didn’t particularly excite me, the soup as a whole was unexpectedly tasty and comforting. The sort of dish I would imagine to be perfect for when you’re feeling under the weather.

Sauteed prawns with spicy-sour black pepper sauce

The Sautéed prawns with spicy-sour black pepper sauce, topped with crispy noodles, were divine. The sauce had a subtle kick hidden behind the sweet flavour. A little insulted, we declined the offer of a knife and fork, but in hindsight perhaps we should have accepted as it was not the easiest dish to eat due to the size of the succulent prawns. A 2008 Riesling from Alsace, France, which was lighter than your average Riesling, was the ideal match for these prawns.

Braised goose web and pomelo peel in abalone sauce

An interesting looking Braised goose web and pomelo peel in abalone sauce followed. The pomelo peel had been boiled for five hours in fish stock, giving it a wonderful melt-in-the-mouth texture and a salty-sweet taste. The braised goose web (literally a goose foot!) had more meat on it than the chicken’s foot and was surprisingly tasty. A full-bodied 2008 Pinot Noir from Santa Maria Valley, USA went down a treat; I think this was my favourite wine of the night.

Wagyu beef with morels

The Wagyu beef with morels, another beautifully presented dish, was a real winner. Though the beef may have been slightly chewy, the flavour shone through and I was surprised to find that the morels were even more delicious. Served in a cute little bird’s nest and accompanied by a wonderfully oaky South African Constantia Glen Three, this may well have been my favourite dish.

Coddled young spinach in rice broth

Compared to the rest of the dishes, the Coddled young spinach in rice broth seemed rather bland. However, this was actually not a problem and in fact I even think it needed to be bland in order to balance the richness of the other dishes. Again, I can only describe this as a comforting dish.

Fried rice is one of my favourite dishes of all time. Back when I was a really fussy eater (can you believe it?!), I would eat little else. The Fried rice with barbecued pork and preserved vegetables did not disappoint. In fact it was so good that as soon as it was presented before me, I pounced and forgot to capture it on camera! Oh well, we all know what chow fan looks like. Succulent char siu and preserved vegetables, the latter a traditional ingredient used less and less nowadays, will always win my heart.

Spring Moon dessert - Orange pudding

To end our feast, a Spring Moon dessert was served. This was a delicious orange pudding, similar to the traditional mango variety. However, where a mango pudding is perpetually sweet, this orange pudding maintained a refreshing sharpness to it. For me, this was ideal as I adore sour things and found the 2007 Chateau Belingard Monbazillac from Bordeaux already far too sweet for my liking.

Service at Spring Moon also reflects the elegance and class I alluded to at the beginning of this review. Although service between courses may have been slow, the waiters were more than attentive and made us feel relaxed and very well looked after.

The ‘wine pairing promotion’ costs $1,388 per person. They change the promotion with frequency; sometimes it might be a tea pairing promotion or a focus on one aspect of Cantonese cuisine. Frankly I’m glad we booked our table when we did as I love a good wine-pairing!

Spring Moon

1/F The Peninsula
Salisbury Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2315 3160

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se sa me

5 Mar

Mark Cholewka and Cathal Kiely, the guys behind successful restaurant and bar Shore in L Place, have opened up another venture. se sa me, also in L Place, just one floor below Shore, serves delicious ‘Japanasian’ cuisine in a modern, stylish setting.

se sa me doesn’t officially open until 7th March, but naturally I jumped the gun and snuck in during the soft opening to try their tasty treats.

Rock shrimp tempura

The menu, put together by Chef Rodelio Aglibot (known as the ‘Food Buddha’ due to his disciplined approach to cooking) and Dominic South (with restaurants such as NOBU London under his belt), combines traditional Japanese dishes with ingredients from all over Asia, serving food you would never come across in your average Japanese eatery.

Sweet corn crunch

Whilst choosing the rest of our menu, we nibbled on some rock shrimp tempura – delicious, soft morsels of prawn mixed with caramelised nuts – and the sweet corn crunch, similar to the Yardbird sweet corn fritters but somehow the batter seemed much lighter. Dipped in a Vietnamese nuoc cham sauce, to give them a salty-sour taste, these were definitely something special.

Sashimi platter

To follow, a platter of beautifully fresh sashimi – scallops, umi, toro – awaited us. We were advised to eat them in the aforementioned order, perhaps because each one got better and better. I particularly loved the way the platter was adorned with pretty, edible flowers.

Buddha crispy rice with spicy tuna

The Buddha crispy rice with spicy tuna is something you won’t find elsewhere – here the sushi rice is fried lightly on each side to give it a crispy outer layer, topped with delicious melt-in-the-mouth spicy tuna, although actually its only down side was that it wasn’t as spicy as I anticipated.

Alaskan snow crab handroll

The Alaskan snow crab handroll with dynamite sauce came wrapped in rice paper as opposed to seaweed, making it phenomenally fresh. I was expecting the dynamite sauce to blow my mind, but again was ever so slightly disappointed by the lack of spice.

Pork and duck gyoza

A plate of Pork and duck gyoza followed. Crispy on the outside and smooth on the inside, these are some of the best gyoza I have tasted. Go easy on the dipping sauce as too much makes it a little on the salty side, but the combination of pork and duck works beautifully.

Seared Wagyu nigiri

We then chose the Seared Wagyu nigiri from the specials board. The most tender and flavourful beef made me sad that there were only two pieces.

se sa me

For dessert, the namesake se sa me is an incredible array of seven different textures of sesame: sweet sesame ice cream, crumbly sesame biscuit, chocolate sesame crunch, sesame sponge cake, sesame panna cotta, all enhanced by sesame paste and beautifully fluffy and velvety white chocolate mousse, garnished with a thin sheet of sesame sugar. Amazing.

Passion fruit cloud

The Passion fruit cloud however, was for me the absolute star of the evening. The fluffy ‘cloud’ made by whisking passion fruit, sugar and gelatin was deliciously tart, complemented by the juicy berries and sweet meringue pieces, topped off with fresh passion fruit and a sour lime glaze. If you like exciting and sour desserts, as I do, this will definitely make your taste buds dance.

Don’t forget to try some unique cocktails and delicious sake from sommelier and general manager Maiko Tsuji’s drinks list to complete your meal.

Service at se sa me is second to none. The food isn’t cheap, but it isn’t outrageously priced either, and for the quality and range of flavours you’re getting, I think it’s worth every cent. Conveniently I work just behind L Place, so I will definitely be returning…with frequency!

se sa me

2/F, L Place
139 Queen’s Road Central
Central
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2870 2323

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