La Bodega Negra, London

15 Jan

the dim sum diaries hong kong

 

 

la bodega negra londonThese days, it is not unusual to find decent food in the strangest of places. Did you ever imagine you could find good food in a sex shop? No? Neither did I, until I went to La Bodega Negra on a recent trip to London.

I’m not talking about the cute, turquoise-fronted La Bodega Negra on Moor Street; that’s the café. I’m talking about its naughty sister just around the corner, emblazoned with provocative neon lights that make you stop outside, totally bewildered, assuming you have been given the wrong directions. There is no name outside, but this is number 9; it has to be the right place… You quickly look left, then right, check that no one is giving you a dirty look, and duck inside, only to be greeted by a man(nequin) in a gimp suit, beyond which, thankfully, is a nice lady with a clipboard, waiting to check that you have a reservation. Don’t expect to just walk in; despite its rather peculiar exterior, this place is really quite popular!

la bodega negra london

Keep going down the stairs into a dimly lit cavernous ‘bodega’, or cellar, that has nothing whatsoever to do with a sex shop. It is in fact a restaurant, serving, in its own words “Mexican food, street, beach and free style.”

After a couple of frozen margaritas at the bar while we waited for the rest of our group to arrive, we were seated in a cosy booth table and immediately offered some sesame tostadas with some of the most delicious guacamole I have ever tasted.

la bodega negra london

La Bodega Negra’s quesadilla rustica is unusual in that it is open, without the second tortilla on top, exposing its topping of four cheeses, roasted tomato, epazote and, on some slices, some pretty ferocious chillies. Despite being like no other quesadilla we had ever had, we enjoyed it so much we ordered a second.

la bodega negra london

The soft shell crab and pork belly carnitas tacos had hints of deliciousness, but unfortunately, with only a small dollop of chipotle crema or salsa verde respectively, they were just a little lacking in flavour. Aside from the beautiful presentation, I also found the £8.50 (HKD108) price tag for only two soft shell crab tacos a little steep.

la bodega negra london

Perhaps they do ceviche very differently in Mexico, or perhaps it’s just different at La Bodega Negra, but the ceviche rojo, with squid, octopus and prawns, was not ceviche as I know it. For starters, the seafood was cooked, not raw, and it didn’t have that distinct citrusy flavour from the lemon juice in which it is cured. Nevertheless, the tomato salsa, despite making this more of a ‘seafood cocktail’ than a ceviche, did have a nice flavour and the seafood was deliciously fresh.

la bodega negra london

The roasted corn salad with Serrano chilli and lime dressing was one of my favourite dishes of the night. The ingredients were simple yet fresh and merged together perfectly to create a delicious dish with interesting textures and a pleasant yet subtle chilli kick.

la bodega negra london

The final dish of the night, from the specials menu, was a lovely slow-cooked beef cheek. The meat was beautifully tender and was served atop two very different sauces: on one side there was a tangy mango chutney, whilst on the other a very spicy tomato-based sauce. The meat worked wonderfully with both, whether you can handle your spice or not.

Due to La Bodega Negra’s strict two-hour seating policy, we were told that we did not have time for dessert. Although slightly disappointed by this, we knew that it was probably our fault for being pretty slow in ordering and had had an enjoyable meal nonetheless.

The bill, not including the margaritas and a lovely bottle of Tempranillo came to £25 (HKD320) each. Considering we didn’t leave uncomfortably full and hadn’t even had dessert, this was perhaps a little higher than it should have been for London, but pretty average by HK standards. The service was personal and friendly, making it fully deserving of the 12% service charge. It was a fun meal in an interesting venue that I would definitely recommend. Just don’t expect this kind of food nor service from any old sex shop!

La Bodega Negra

9 Old Compton Street
London W1D 5NH

Tel: +44 (0) 207 758 4100

www.labodeganegra.com

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GLOW

14 Jan

the dim sum diaries hong kong

glow restaurant hong kongThe trendy area of Sai Ying Pun continues to grow as a foodie destination. Unlike every other saturated area of the city, however, what I like about Sai Ying Pun is how most restaurants in this area remain true to its neighbourhood feel; few belong to huge groups and are often run by independent operators. Cute new restaurant GLOW on Second Street is the perfect example.

GLOW, which stands for Grill Lounge Ocean Wine, is owned by brothers Keith and Vincent Ng, together with a third business partner. It is their first venture into the food and beverage industry, which Vincent explains by telling me “we are very adventurous.” The lovely guys are obviously very passionate about what they’re doing, so, despite their lack of experience, they seem to have started on the right foot, given that the place is busy every night.

GLOW is a sweet little restaurant that definitely gives off an inviting charm from the exterior. Inside, light wood, faux-vintage mirrors and cosy booth seating take up most of the space, whilst along the bar, stools are set up for diners to gaze longingly at the fresh oysters, lobster, crab and clams.

Although the menu isn’t huge, it offers quite a wide range of options that make it difficult to pin down what its speciality cuisine type is. Amongst the dishes on offer, there are hints of French, Spanish, Italian and Australian dishes, besides the grilled meat and seafood.

glow on second street hong kong

We began with the scallop sashimi with cauliflower purée. If I’m not mistaken, sashimi implies thinly sliced, raw seafood. These scallops were neither sliced nor raw, but served whole and lightly pan-fried. Despite therefore being completely different to what we were expecting, they were nevertheless beautifully cooked, with a light, bouncy texture and a delicate smoky flavour. The crunchy tempura bits and creamy cauliflower purée were a pleasant contrast too.

glow on second street hong kong

The Manila clams in GLOW’s special tomato sauce were a little on the bland side. They had the occasional chilli and garlic kick, as well as three pieces of chorizo to enhance the flavour, but unfortunately these flavours did not linger long. Perhaps we could have asked, but a few more pieces of crunchy garlic bread would have been welcomed to mop up the sauce.

glow on second street hong kong

Feeling greedy, we also tried a third starter between us – GLOW’s signature seafood soup. With generous servings of lobster, salmon, squid, mussels and clams, the soup itself had a lovely, hearty flavour, ideal for these cooler climes. In some cases, however, the seafood unfortunately hadn’t absorbed the flavours and, alone, was also a little on the bland side.

glow on second street hong kong

Moving on to mains, the 60-degree slow-cooked salmon fillet with herb leaf salad was a very simple yet lovely dish, made the more so by the beautiful texture of the fish.

glow on second street hong kong

The braised Australian grain-fed beef cheek also had a wonderful, super-tender texture and, with it’s rich flavour, would be the perfect comfort food for winter. The only downside was that the vegetables were a little too crunchy for this dish. Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather crunchy veg than over-cooked, mushy veg, but here it seemed a bit of an afterthought as opposed to an accompaniment.

glow on second street hong kongFor dessert, given I’m not always a fan, the panna cotta with moscato caviar and berry sauce was surprisingly delicious, particularly the tart berry sauce, sweetened ever so slightly with a red wine reduction.

glow on second street hong kong

GLOW’s tiramisu was also rather special. Unlike the classic dessert, GLOW’s was a deconstructed version, made with chocolate crumble, coffee liqueur-coated ciabatta, coffee jelly, chocolate crisps and mascarpone. The differing textures and intense flavours worked well together, making this easily our favourite dish of the night.

Service was excellent, to the point of almost being a little too good, but I guess that’s almost unavoidable in such a small restaurant. Prices linger around the $100 mark for starters and $200 mark for main courses. Although there isn’t really a defining cuisine at GLOW and the food isn’t necessarily out of this world, it’s a cute little spot with passionate staff that will hopefully continue to fill its seats every night.

GLOW

Shop C, G/F, Tung Cheung Building
1 Second Street
Sai Ying Pun
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 3460 5226

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Catalunya

13 Jan

the dim sum diaries hong kong

Since the first whisper was heard about the grand opening of Catalunya, it has been near impossible to secure a reservation at this hot new Spanish restaurant. It first gained celebrity status in Singapore, when it opened there under a year before opening in the Morrison Hill area of Wan Chai, and brought its month-long waiting list with it. With the backing of 20 acclaimed culinary experts from several three-Michelin-starred restaurants in Spain, including El Bulli, it isn’t hard to believe that its reputation is well deserved.

Without exaggeration, Catalunya is enormous. But then, perhaps that’s what you get when you move away from the more restaurant-saturated areas about town. Its red walls, high ceiling and chic ambience instantly remove you from Hong Kong, placing you in the heart of the region of Catalunya itself.

After nibbling on some pretty serious olives, we began with Catalunya’s tomato tartar, which the menu correctly described as having a “trick up its sleeve.” Although perhaps more of a ragu than a tartar, the tomato somehow carried a distinct meaty flavour that gave what could have been a very boring dish a lot of depth. I’m not overly fussed by fancy foams, yet the tomato foam, with its delicate flavour, and indeed texture, balanced this dish nicely.

I was strictly informed that I could not go to Catalunya without trying the “Bikini” (pictured at the top). With a generous layer of black truffle, this took the regular ham and cheese toastie we all know and love to another level.

The classic tapas dish of “huevos estrellados” didn’t stray too far from the traditional version; when the ingredients are as simple as eggs, potato and, in our case, chorizo, you needn’t really stray anywhere at all.

The Bombas from “Barceloneta” also took the classic croquetas to another level. Here, deep inside the well-known layer of crispy mashed potato, lay a mound of minced beef, all finished with a generous dollop of (very) spicy salsa brava and aioli.

Catalunya is famous for its suckling pig. The staff make quite a spectacle of it, using plates to slice it for the table. Given there were only two of us, we opted instead for the suckling pig tapa – a miniature version of the famous dish. It was tender and delicious, but, for its size, we weren’t convinced it deserved its $170 price tag.

To finish, the simply titled ‘Chocolate’ dessert was unfortunately not nearly as good as we were hoping it would be. Several textures of chocolate, including brownie, mousse, ice cream and biscuit each lacked a little flavour and didn’t quite reach the level of richness that any chocoholic craves.

Some delicious cocktails and a beautiful bottle of Rioja took the grand total to a rather staggering $1800 for the two of us. Service was excellent and personal, where recommendations were honest and thorough when required. The setting, (mostly) delicious food and easy yet total escape from Central, make Catalunya a natural choice for a satisfying dinner – just make sure you book in advance!

Catalunya

G/F, Guardian House
32 Oi Kwan Road
Wan Chai
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2866 7900

www.catalunya.hk

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Zafran

8 Jan

the dim sum diaries hong kong

 

 

zafran hong kong

You’d have thought we’d have long tired of tapas restaurants, given the pace at which they multiply in this city. Spanish fever has not yet weakened and I sense it never will, particularly when a restaurant as delicious as Zafran joins the scene.

Zafran is Aqua Group’s latest baby, hidden away down a little alley off Wyndham Street. In my opinion, whilst the food in other Aqua restaurants isn’t bad, it is usually secondary to the location or view. At Zafran, however, although the restaurant itself is very cool, the food is spectacular.

zafran hong kongUpon entering through the ‘secret garden façade’, I was surprised to see just how big the space is. It’s like a cavernous basement, divided into three sections: the bar, the dining room and the late night lounge. The use of dark wood and bare bricks give it the look and feel of an underground hangout, yet a very, very cool one.

We were seated at the open kitchen/tapas bar, where we could watch the kitchen team, led by Spanish chef Marc Lores create their delicious masterpieces of ‘classic tapas’ and ‘Zafran tapas’.

zafran hong kongTo begin, after each being served an individual (mini) jug of sangria, we were offered an amuse bouche of watermelon sangria, a refreshing bite of compressed watermelon and wine that cleansed the palate and prepared it for all the exciting flavours that were to come.

zafran hong kongThe first of the dishes was the Galician Padrón peppers with sea salt. Usually, in a pile of 25 of these little peppers, you’ll find a few seriously hot ones. Whether Chef Marc had been through them and removed the hot ones, or we were just very (un)lucky I am unsure, but not one single pepper was remotely spicy. They did, however, have a lovely charred flavour and a beautiful texture. The sea salt complemented the ever so slightly bitter twang of the peppers.

zafran hong kongGambas al ajillo are a personal favourite at any tapas restaurant, and Zafran’s version was just what I was hoping for. The texture of the prawns was perfectly bouncy, served in the right amount of garlic-infused olive oil, with large, lightly fried slivers of garlic and chilli.

zafran hong kong

Chef Marc’s take on the classic pulpo a la Gallega are his octopus skewers with potato foam. Sprinkled in paprika, this had the same lovely, simple flavours as its classic counterpart, and was warm, comforting and utterly delicious. The octopus itself was cooked to perfection, without the slightest hint of chewiness.

zafran hong kongZafran prides itself on its homemade chorizo, and quite rightly so. Each bite had a lovely, crumbly texture, the right level of spice and a comfortingly (but not overly) salty flavour. Definitely one of the best dishes of the night.

zafran hong kongThe salt cod brandada with cauliflower cake and ikura was clearly one of the more creative ‘Zafran tapas’, and we could tell the chefs had had a lot of fun constructing it. To look at, it was beautiful; but to taste, it was even better. The textures, from the smooth cod brandada, to the crumbly cauliflower cake, crunchy toasted bread and popping fish roe worked joyously well together.

zafran hong kongZafran’s signature suckling pig was lovely and tender, served with a slightly sour citrusy pumpkin puree that perfectly balanced the flavours.

zafran hong kongOur last (savoury) dish was the ‘Secreto Iberico,’ acorn-fed pork with chickpea puree and confit piquillo pepper. Chef Marc announced, “I am really in love with this dish!” We agree, apart from the fact that we felt it would have benefitted from just a little more of the confit pepper.

zafran hong kong

zafran hong kong

For dessert, whilst the huevo frito – a sweet replica of a fried egg, black pudding and chips, made with pumpkin ice cream, white chocolate foam, chocolate cake and pineapple with strawberry and sour cherry ‘ketchup’ - was fun and interesting, it was the ‘Chocolate dessert’ from the specials that really impressed us. This was an amazing explosion of bread, chocolate, olive oil, peanuts and sea salt that fused together to make a truly delicious dessert.

Finally, just in case we hadn’t had enough, we were served little pots of ‘Gin and Tonic Dessert’ – literally the beloved drink in perfect palate-cleansing-dessert form!

Prices at Zafran range from $68 to $270 per plate of tapas. Service is excellent, and we would particularly recommend sitting at the bar for front-row action. Although there may be tapas restaurants all over town, don’t, for a second, lump them all in the same category; sometimes one might come along and take you by surprise, just as Zafran did for me!

Zafran

Basement, 43-43 Wyndham Street
Central
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2116 8855

www.zafran.com.hk

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Top 10 Restaurants of 2013

7 Jan

top 10 restaurants 2013Happy 2014 everyone! Another 12 months have flown by, bringing me back to that difficult time of year once again, when I must reflect on all the delicious meals I have reviewed over the past year and somehow pinpoint my top 10.

Firstly, a brief reflection on the past year in general: in April 2013 The Dim Sum Diaries celebrated its second birthday. There was yet again no specific celebration, but I did receive a lot of lovely congratulatory messages from readers, some of whom I know personally, and others whom I don’t. Trust me, when my schedule makes it very difficult to find the time to write, it’s you who spur me to go on and keep this blog going. Thank you all, near and far, for taking the time to read my reviews, make comments and even send recommendations; it means a lot.

Last year I introduced a beautiful new logo to the page, designed by the fabulous Roger de Leon, designer extraordinaire and co-owner of HK’s favourite burrito joint, Little Burro. There will be a few more changes coming up soon-ish to keep the page looking fresh and make it easier for you all to find what you’re looking for. Watch this space.

Now on to the main event: I reviewed close to 100 restaurants during 2013, so, yet again, I must point out how difficult it is to narrow this down and pick out my favourites. There were a few close contenders, but the restaurants I reviewed that I loved the most last year were, in chronological order, as follows:

l'atelier de joel robuchon hong kongL’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
This three Michelin-starred French restaurant is guaranteed to impress, whether you’re on a date or an important business meeting. Everything from the beautiful, chic décor, to the exquisite, immaculately presented food is perfect. Although lunch is significantly more affordable, your credit card will take a little bit of a beating, but trust me, it’ll be worth every cent.
Shop 401, The Landmark, 15 Queen’s Road Central
+852 2166 9000

kimchi private kitchen hong kong

KimChi
This private kitchen in the depths of Hung Hom took me completely by surprise. Don’t be fooled by the name – KimChi is an amalgamation of the names of the two owners, not a Korean restaurant. Chef Chi’s incredible, somewhat experimental dishes suggest years spent at one of the top culinary schools. I was amazed, however, to hear that she learnt everything she knows by watching cooking programmes, making me even more impressed by this little gem.
Flat C, 7/F, Loong Wah Building, 36-42 Baker Street, Hung Hom
+852 5364 6623

lung king heen hong kong

Lung King Heen
The first three-Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in the world resides at the Four Seasons, complete with a gorgeous harbour view. The extensive menu includes everything from traditional Cantonese dishes to more modern ones, each presented with the elegance and beauty for which Lung King Heen is known.
4/F, Four Seasons Hotel, 8 Finance Street, Hong Kong
+852 3196 8888

stone nullah tavern hong kong

Stone Nullah Tavern
The lovely and talented chef Vinny Lauria has made the “New American” menu at SNT his playground. He uses only the best, mostly locally sourced ingredients to create sharing-sized portions of extraordinary dishes, such as crispy pig’s head with lobster salad, chicken fried tenderloin, and some of the best chicken wings you will ever taste. Perfect for date night or a meal with friends, SNT always keeps me coming back for more.
69 Stone Nullah Lane, Wan Chai
+852 3182 0128

metropolitain hong kong

Metropolitain
In my review of Metropolitain, I claimed that their chocolate fondant might actually be the “best in Hong Kong”. If that isn’t enough to lure you to this casual, authentic Parisian bistro, then there are plenty of other classic French dishes that will.
G/F, 46 High Street, Sai Ying Pun
+852 6271 6102

chachawan hong kong

Chachawan
Not for the faint-hearted, this super spicy eatery is like no other Thai restaurant in town. With its emphasis on Isaan cuisine from the northeast of Thailand, don’t expect to find your favourite Thai green curry on this menu. Instead, expect bolder, (much) hotter flavours that will reignite your love for Thai food.
206 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan
+852 2549 0020

souvla hong kong

Souvla
Whether it’s down to its tender lamb ribs, fried cheese or Golden Greek Time, from day one, contemporary Greek restaurant Souvla has been a hit for hungry Hongkongers keen for something a little different. Try the set lunch for a great-value, deliciously healthy feast.
1/F, 40 D’Aguilar Street, Central
+852 2522 1823 or Text: +852 9285 8846

Chom Chom Hong Kong

Chôm Chôm Bia Hoi and Eatery
Specialising in Vietnamese street food and fresh draft beer, Chôm Chôm is not your average Vietnamese restaurant; in fact it doesn’t even serve pho! What it does serve is delicious sharing dishes bursting with fresh herbs and spices in a fun, casual setting.
58 Peel Street, Central
+852 2810 0850

Little Bao Hong Kong

Little Bao
I described Little Bao as “char siu bao, crossed with burger, crossed with pure awesomeness,” and think that pretty much sums up these amazing bundles of joy. Whilst the ‘baos’ are my favourite, Little Bao also serves some delicious sharing plates that are impossible to resist, particularly the LB fries.
66 Staunton Street, SoHo, Hong Kong
+852 2194 0202

flint grill and bar hong kong

Flint Grill & Bar
Flint is not just a restaurant; it’s an experience. I was completely wowed by everything from the gorgeous décor that blended the new and the old, to the beautiful bar complete with one of Asia’s top mixologists, to, most importantly, the fantastic food. This is one seriously cool restaurant.
5/F, JW Marriott Hotel, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty
+852 2810 8366

And now we have another exciting year ahead of us filled with more delicious food, balanced with plenty of ApeFit, H-Kore and swimming, just to make room for even more food! Restaurants in the pipeline include G7, the new Spasso, Ham & Sherry, Fish & Meat and many, many more. If you have any recommendations for places you think I should try, please don’t hesitate to drop me an email at [email protected].

Happy New Year everyone! Let this be the best year yet!

Read my Top 10 picks of 2012 here and 2011 here.

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Mum Veggie + Coffee + Sweet

6 Dec

the dim sum diaries hong kong

mum veggie hong kongIn a city where it is far too easy to be unhealthy, vegetarian restaurants are inevitably popping up everywhere we look. Mum Veggie + Coffee + Sweet, a cute relatively new vegetarian café recently joined the throng, offering healthy and delicious food to the southsiders in Wong Chuk Hang.

As I’m sure you must by now be aware, the chance of me bidding adieu to meat is about as likely as me giving up food altogether; it simply will never happen. That said, I do appreciate a good veggie meal and was very happy to put Mum to the test.

On the ground floor of shiny One Island South building, Mum is a modern, cosy space with that ever-popular unfinished look – exposed ceiling, dusty stone walls and a hotchpotch of furniture. There is certainly something sweet and alluring about this little spot, further evidenced by the many curious faces we first saw cautiously peer in through the entrance and then slowly make their way to the brightly lit counter displaying fresh, colourful salads and cakes.

mum veggie hong kongAfter a delicious refreshing juice (try the Super C, loaded with fresh orange, apple and lemon), we tucked into a burdock root salad. The combination of colours and textures from the burdock root, carrots, bean sprouts and salad leaves married beautifully together, lightly dressed in a more-ish sesame dressing.

mum veggie hong kongWhilst we loved the idea of Mum’s style dumpling udon noodles, the vegetable dumplings were sadly a little lacking in flavour. Dipped in the chilli and sesame dipping sauce, they fared a little better, but would have benefitted from a little more seasoning. Thankfully, however, the perfectly doughy udon noodles were spot on.

mum veggie hong kongPossibly the best of the three dishes we tried were the sesame somen noodles with wakame seaweed and assorted veggies. Again, the array of textures from the crunchy leaves and seaweed to the chewy noodles complemented each other and the sesame dressing (I think Mum likes sesame!) completed the dish.

mum veggie hong kongUnable to resist the gorgeous looking cakes that had been staring at us from the moment we sat down, we ordered three to share: the vegan banana cake, tofu brownie and vegan toffee apple cake. Whilst we found the banana cake a little on the dry side, the toffee apple cake, served warm, was sweet and comforting, with a layer of fresh apple on top to keep it moist. The tofu brownie, however, by far outshone the other two. This was also served warm and was utterly heavenly; you would never tell it was made with tofu and it was hard to believe it wasn’t terribly bad for me!

mum veggie hong kongPrices at Mum are as refreshing as the food, with main courses around $50-70 and desserts around $25. It’s not necessarily somewhere I would rush back to, given its slightly out of the way location, but if I happened to one day find myself in the area, there is no denying that I would stop by, even if just for a ‘healthy’ chocolate brownie.

Mum Veggie + Coffee + Sweet

G07, G/F, One Island South
2 Heung Yip Road
Wong Chuk Hang
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2115 3348

www.facebook.com/Mumveggiecoffeesweet

Closed Saturdays

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Flint Grill & Bar

29 Nov

the dim sum diaries hong kong

 

flint grill and bar hong kongGiven my obsession with eating, I visit a LOT of restaurants. Often my eating experiences blend into one and if someone asked me months later what I ate at one particular restaurant, I cannot for the life of me remember. Then, every so often, somewhere new comes along that totally takes me by surprise. Flint Grill & Bar, a beautiful new restaurant located within the JW Marriott Hotel, is one such place.

Having heard absolutely nothing about Flint until I received an invitation, my expectations were fairly non-existent; I had simply read the words ‘chef’s table’ and ‘grilled steak’ and the decision was made for me to attend.

flint grill and bar hong kongFrom the moment you enter the restaurant, you forget you’re in a hotel; you forget you’re even in Hong Kong. The space is gorgeous, combining rustic with chic, modern with old, and here and there adding the odd Hong Kong touch. The wallpaper, for example, from a distance could just be coloured stripes, but on closer inspection actually represents the colourful, high-rise buildings of our city. Individually sourced antique (yet working) kitchen scales line the shelves across the four spaces of the restaurant – bar and lounge, sommelier’s table, chef’s tables and dining area – something that I immediately noticed and loved.

flint grill and bar hong kongFlint’s mixologist and bartender, Bryson Rivera, formerly at Aqua, is considered one of the top mixologists in the whole of Asia. Watching him make a ‘Feint Obscurity’ (his signature take on an Old Fashioned) was like watching a theatrical performance, complete with smoke, fire and unbelievable aromas.

flint grill and bar hong kongOnce seated on the beautiful wooden chef’s table, our feast (no exaggeration), prepared by award-winning chef Sven Heinrich Wunram, was laid before us, beginning with amberjack sashimi, house-cured gravlax, burrata salad and tomato salad.

flint grill and bar hong kongWhilst the seafood dishes were beautifully fresh, for me, being a cheese fiend, it was the two salads that really stood out. The burrata was wonderfully creamy, with a delicate, yet notable flavour, whilst the blue cheese dressing on the other salad was out of this world! Knowing how much food was still left to come, I had to refrain from scooping up spoonfuls of this dressing and eating it on its own!

flint grill and bar hong kong

The first of the main courses to arrive was the Boston lobster, baked Thermidor-style, followed by a seafood grill including snapper, more Boston lobster, red king prawn, scallops and a pot of mussels. The seafood was again wonderfully fresh and cooked to perfection. I particularly enjoyed the king prawn, once we had successfully managed to remove its shell, and I was impressed by the amount of meat on the lobster that made it worth its buck.

flint grill and bar hong kongThe fennel seed-crusted Berkshire black pork chop, served with apple compote, was juicy and delicious, the sweetness of the apple nicely complementing the ever so slightly bitter fennel seed crust. Even better, however, was the Linz Heritage prime Angus sirloin. Cooked on a lava stone grill to a perfect medium-rare, the beef was tender and tasty on its own; drizzled in Flint’s secret sauce, it was even more spectacular. This sauce, made with 30 ingredients including Madeira and curry powder, was totally different to the average pepper sauce and left a lasting impression.

flint grill and bar hong kong All of the above was served with crispy fries, creamy mashed potato with chives, creamed spinach, steamed asparagus and garlicky forest mushrooms – each of which deserved more praise than a simple side dish.

Moving onto desserts, each of the four we sampled was more impressive than the next. The key lime cheesecake with seasonal berries was perfectly light and fluffy, whilst the candied ginger ice cream gave it a little hint of unexpected excitement.

flint grill and bar hong kongThe meringue layer of the Baked Alaska gave way to mango custard and raspberry sorbet, again giving it an exciting twist from the original version.

flint grill and bar hong kong

The gigantic s’more, Flint’s take on the classic campfire dessert, was dangerously moreish, yet, surprisingly, it was the banana cream trifle that took first prize for me. Creamy dulce de leche, coconut parfait, chunks of banana and cubes of banana rum cake came together to make this dessert simultaneously refreshing yet decadent.

flint grill and bar hong kongDining at Flint was more than just a delicious experience. In each and every dish, you could taste the quality of the ingredients, and the see the skill involved in making dinner here a memorable one. Prices for starters range from around $100-200, whilst main courses range from around $180-500. After my first dining experience at Flint, I knew it most certainly would not be my last.

Flint Grill & Bar

5/F, JW Marriott Hotel
Pacific Place
88 Queensway
Admiralty
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2810 8366

www.facebook.com/jwmarriottflint

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