The Great Indian Kebab Factory

5 Apr

the dim sum diaries hong kong

the great indian kebab factory hong kong

When I was asked if I wanted to go for dinner at The Great Indian Kebab Factory, I knew I simply had to try it; I thought it could either be truly awful, or it could be pleasantly surprising. Thankfully it was the latter.

the great indian kebab factory hong kong

I, quite wrongly, associate the word ‘kebab’ mainly with Ebeneezer’s, which, perhaps again quite wrongly(?), is somewhere I would never set foot in, no matter how many jelly shots I’d consumed at Al’s Diner (OK, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration – maybe after a few). The Great Indian Kebab Factory (hereby referred to as TGIKF), however, is incomparable to that god-awful place; it is sophisticated and charming, with rich purple velvet chairs and elegant chandeliers. It is spacious and inviting, setting the scene for an enjoyable, leisurely meal.

TGIKF’s food is contemporary Indian, with a strong focus on kebabs, of course. There is an a la carte menu, but I strongly recommend trying the 11-course set menu, which changes every fortnight.

Our feast began rather unusually, with a salad consisting of cucumber, lettuce, watermelon and pineapple, served with an interesting strawberry and mustard dressing – a curious yet refreshing start to the meal.

the great indian kebab factory hong kong

Following this came three test tube shots of lassi – strawberry, mango and original. Without being overly filling and heavy, as I sometimes find lassis to be, these were wonderfully creamy, cleansing the palate in preparation for the myriad of kebabs to follow.

the great indian kebab factory hong kong

the great indian kebab factory hong kong

These kebabs, which are technically only a starter, are served individually to each diner, with the promise of unlimited further helpings should you be particularly fond of any (or all) of them.  On this occasion, having chosen the non-vegetarian menu, they consisted of red bean and mint kebab (amazing, light and very delicate in flavour), Peshwari chicken tikka (just as it should be, with an unexpected fiery kick), peri-peri fish (wonderfully flaky, and again satisfyingly spicy), garlic and bell pepper prawns (fresh and heavily loaded with spicy ginger), paneer tikka (light, delicate and moreishly smooth), and last but not least a minced lamb seekh kebab (so good I had to have two of these).

the great indian kebab factory hong kong

Try, if you can, not to get too excited and over-order on the kebabs; after all this, there is curry! Butter chicken curry to be precise – creamy, delicious butter chicken curry that explodes with the rich flavours of cinnamon and cardamom. Served alongside this is a gloriously warming dhal, fluffy vegetable rice and a selection of freshly baked naan bread. Again, these are served directly on your plate by the timid yet friendly waitresses, who are ready to serve you second helpings to your heart’s content.

the great indian kebab factory hong kong

I warn you again not to get too excited, as the masala chai gelato is not something you want to miss out on. The other dessert of TGIKF Bengali garam rosoguilla (a cottage cheese dumpling soaked in saffron syrup) was not for me, given it’s slightly rubbery consistency, but I could certainly have had two (or three) helpings of the creamy, intensely flavoured gelato.

The 11-course set menu costs a mere $268. Add on wine and/or one of TGIKF’s exciting cocktails (try the ‘Slumdog M’ or the tamarind margarita), and expect to pay around the $400 mark. Service wasn’t remarkable, but neither was it bad. The only thing we found bizarre was how a place that served such delicious food for an affordable price was so empty. Perhaps people don’t know about it yet, or perhaps people aren’t sure about the name, but seriously, please don’t be put off by the name; this is definitely no Ebeneezer’s!

The Great Indian Kebab Factory

19/F, Wellington Place – M88
2-8 Wellington Street
Central
Hong Kong

(Also at Shop 202, Miramar Shopping Centre, 102 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong)

Tel: +852 2810 7000 (Central)
Tel: +852 2317 7008 (Kowloon)

www.thegreatindiankebabfactory.com

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Gin Sai

26 Mar

the dim sum diaries hong kong

 

 

gin sai hong kong

If it’s Japanese food you fancy, in Hong Kong you needn’t venture far from wherever you are standing; whether its sushi, yakitori, robatayaki or ramen you’re after, you will almost always be just a stone’s throw away from that Japanese fix. Brand new Gin Sai in Wan Chai is doing things a bit differently. Rather than specialising in one or perhaps two or three kinds of Japanese dishes, it pretty much does most of them – at least most cooked dishes.

gin sai hong kong

The décor is very modern, with exposed light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. The main walls are made up of angular shapes in earthy colours, while sliding doors leading to a private room are beautiful silk floral screens brought over from Kyoto – an interesting blend of east and west.

As I mentioned, the menu is vast, ranging from tempura, to robatayaki, to ramen, to oden, to steamed meat and seafood; if you want to be able to taste a significant slice of the menu, I suggest either going absolutely famished or, preferably, with a group of other famished people.

gin sai hong kong

We began with some assorted Japanese-style hors d’oeuvres, which came beautifully presented and were surprisingly delicious. I was admittedly a little frightened of the miniature cuttlefish, yet, dressed in a strong sake-based marinade, this little creature went down (or rather, slipped down) a treat. The seaweed and the tofu skin topped with sea urchin were equally good, suggesting the start of a very good meal.

gin sai hong kong

Instead of edamame to nibble on whilst the rest of our food arrived, we were served preserved blowfish. This had a texture like jerky, and a sweet but dangerously moreish taste, intensified by Japanese mayonnaise.

gin sai hong kong

Although sashimi isn’t on the a la carte menu, given that Gin Sai specialises in cooked Japanese food, it does, however, appear on the set menu. The chef’s selection of prawn, sea bream and toro were wonderfully fresh and tender, my favourite being the sea bream.

gin sai hong kong

The Wagyu salad offered an exciting contrast in textures from the melt-in-the-mouth beef, crunchy iceberg lettuce and juicy cherry tomatoes. The beef was coated in a gorgeous sesame dressing, giving this salad the definite thumbs up in my opinion.

gin sai hong kong

Oden is a dish I had neither tasted nor even heard of before, so of course I had to try it. This slightly salty broth, with a choice of up to five boiled ingredients (mine had Japanese sausage, radish and deep-fried tofu) was perhaps my least favourite dish of the night, offering little in the way of excitement. I can imagine, however, that on a blustering, cold winter’s day, this would be the ideal dish to warm you right to the bones.

gin sai hong kong

gin sai hong kong

Moving on to the grilled items, the chicken meatball yakitori was deliciously tender and flavoursome, infused with chopped spring onion and a hint of charcoal, reminding me of a hot summer’s barbecue. The pekorosu, or Japanese onion, was lovely and sweet, without that pungent oniony flavour.

gin sai hong kong

Best of all the grilled dishes however, was the salmon belly. Perfectly crisp skin gave way to equally perfectly flaky flesh that needed no encouragement to bring out its wonderful smoky flavour.

gin sai hong kong

The spectacle of the evening was the Seiro, again something I have never before seen nor tasted. A huge bamboo box containing a layer of A5 Wagyu beef and a layer of seafood was placed in the centre of our table, above a hidden stove. After a mere few minutes, we had delicious and fresh steamed seafood and beef. Infused by the bed of vegetables beneath the meat/seafood, it had a delicate flavour that did need a splash of sauce (ask for the sesame one) to help it on its way.

gin sai hong kong

Having never been a fan of green tea desserts, the brown tea ice cream sounded equally as unpleasant. It was, however, quite the opposite, carrying a sweet flavour and a heavenly silky texture.

An average feast at Gin Sai is likely to cost anything from $600 a head to $1500 a head, without drinks. Although everyone likes variety in their lives, I can’t help but think that Gin Sai is trying to do too much at once. The food is good, the service is fine (there was a definite language barrier), yet I left feeling a touch overwhelmed and unsure of Gin Sai’s real speciality.

Gin Sai

Shop 3-7, G/F, Oakhill
32-38 Cross Lane
Wan Chai
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2574 1118

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Winners for Jason Black’s Cookbook Competition Announced

22 Mar

cow pig chicken jason black hong kong

Jason Black’s recipe tester competition for his exciting upcoming cookbook cow pig chicken has now closed. We had an overwhelming number of responses, most of which were truly excellent. This made it almost impossible to select the top five entries, but, after very careful consideration, we have managed to narrow it down to five lucky winners.

We were surprised at the very generous offers to help from some fantastic chefs, some of which are even working at some of our favourite venues too! Testing the recipes is really about ensuring that they can work under most conditions, not just for able chefs but also for amateur home cooks. We were therefore unable to select the professional chefs, and the almost professionals, even though we would have loved to work with them. Practised cooks, who would most likely be able to cook a gourmet feast with their eyes closed, would have instinctively tweaked the recipes as they went along, or at least skim read the instructions, knowing what was coming next. The real challenge is following the recipes to the letter, in order to make sure that each step is logical, accurate and successful. We have no doubt that every single applicant could have done a superb job, but of course, with it being a competition, not everyone can be a winner.

And so, without further ado, the five lucky recipe testers are:

Sally Collier

jason black cookbook cow pig chicken

Sally is a keen cook, having grown up in her mother’s home catering kitchen.  Originally from Trinidad, she has lived in Australia, the US and the UK and now finds herself enjoying her fifth decade in HK.  Her favourite meal is a good roast with all the trimmings, followed by a lavish dessert, all of course accompanied by a great bottle of wine.

Karen Herrero

jason black cookbook hong kong cow pig chicken

Karen is a 32 year old Spanish citizen who grew up in Canada. In the past 10 years, her job has moved her from Canada to Belgium to France and 2 years ago to Hong Kong. She enjoys the chaotic lifestyle in Asia and is thankful to have a full kitchen to support her unique form of mediation… baking! She loves cooking and hosting brunches and dinners with a focus on European and Middle Eastern flavours.

Veronica Mihno

jason black cookbook hong kong cow pig chicken

Veronica, 45, is from Sydney, Australia. Her mum says she started eating solid foods at 5 months old … and frankly she hasn’t stopped since! She has travelled to 33 different countries and makes it her mission to sample whatever culinary delights she finds. She no longer buys traditional souvenirs; she buys kitchen utensils. She has been living in Hong Kong for 13 years and is still delighted with a new find at the wet markets, and you will most certainly find her puttering about the foreign food isles at supermarkets. She is an all round cook, but the best compliments from her friends and guests are for her roasts, pastries and cakes. “Yumm-o!”

Payal Patel

jason black cookbook hong kong cow pig chicken

Payal is a relative HK ‘newbie’ having moved here from the UK about 5 months ago.  She would be lieing if she said  she ‘lurves it’ just yet, but she’s definitely finding her way and making the most of what HK has to offer – which as you well know is plenty and some! She is pleased that she has not limited her experience thus far to merely bar hopping; she has been to some wonderful restaurants, been on numerous hikes and thrown in some travelling too. 

There’s nothing fancy about the stuff Payal likes to cook–large portions of unpretentious comfort food.

Megan Smith

jason black cookbook hong kong cow pig chicken

Though often referred to as ‘that girl who likes cake’, which, by the way, she takes to be a positive rather than negative reference, her real name is Megan Smith. Having graduated in the UK just last June, Megan hopped on a plane to HK as fast as she could to begin a new chapter of her life here. Currently “22-years-old going on 62″, she enjoys eating, food, cooking, food, baking, food, running (usually towards the prospect of food), rowing (often followed by food) and reading (about food). “Greedy? Me? Never!”

These recipe testers were selected on the basis of their excellent responses to the question “what makes you think you have what it takes to be one of Jason’s elite recipe testers?”

We are all very excited about cow pig chicken and can’t wait to get started on the recipe testing! Updates will follow, so watch this space to see how the book is coming along and when it will be on the shelves for you to buy.

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Lobster Bar and Grill

18 Mar

 

the dim sum diaries hong kong

 

lobster bar and grill hong kong

 

At the Island Shangri-La’s Lobster Bar and Grill, the elegance and charm of this 20-odd year old restaurant is instantly apparent the moment you walk in. Given that obviously it specialises in seafood, and particularly lobster, the blue décor and the two beautiful aquariums dotted with colourful fish fit the scene perfectly.

To the right of the entrance, a huge mahogany bar dominates the space, where you can enjoy a cocktail or two pre- or post-dinner. To the left, is a gorgeous dining room with blue leather chairs, where you can gladly spend hours over a civilised dinner, whilst enjoying the tunes from the live jazz band.

lobster bar and grill hong kong

Following a recommendation from the helpful, smiling staff, we began by sharing a seafood platter for two. This enormous platter, bearing Boston lobster, Alaskan crab, oysters, abalone, muscles, sea whelks, prawns and four kinds of sashimi (scallops, salmon, squid and tuna), would have probably sufficed as our meal, or at least served three hungry people. The seafood was all incredibly fresh, my favourite being the very meaty lobster tail. Served on a bed of ice, my only complaint is that some of the seafood was a little too cold, verging on frozen, meaning that some of the flavour, from the crab for example, was lost.

lobster bar and grill hong kong

The Peruvian ceviche, consisting of scallops and hamachi, with avocado and pomelo, was deliciously fresh and light. I loved the contrast in textures from the melt-in-the-mouth scallops, to the buttery avocado, and chunky hamachi.

lobster bar and grill hong kong

The poached Boston lobster tartare, large enough to be a main course after the rest of the seafood, despite being on the starters menu, was divine. Tiny chunks of lobster, laced in a lemon yoghurt dressing were meaty and flavoursome, without being too heavy.

lobster bar and grill hong kong

My favourite savoury dish of the night, however, was the black ink seafood risotto. The rice was perfectly al dente, topped with scallops, prawns, clams, cuttlefish and of course lobster. It would be impossible to fault this dish and I only wish I had been able to finish it.

lobster bar and grill hong kong

Moving on to dessert, the Calvados baked apple was richer than expected, spiked so heavily with liqueur that you could probably get drunk on this alone. Paired with the slightly sharp green apple sorbet, however, a wonderful balance was achieved.

lobster bar and grill hong kong

Apparently the most popular of all the desserts, and understandably so, is the hazelnut parfait. This wonderfully creamy dessert can only be described as heavenly. If I had to give up chocolate for the rest of my life, this dessert, with its nutty outer layer and wonderfully silky interior, would possibly make it just that little bit less torturous. The chunks of passion fruit-topped mango on the side were just a bonus (as were of course the inevitable petits fours!).

lobster bar and grill hong kong

A meal such as this one, with only one cocktail each, would cost at least $2500 for two people. Yes, it’s expensive, but that is to be expected when presented with such high quality seafood that you would be hard pushed to find elsewhere in Hong Kong. For a civilised, delicious meal in an elegant setting, whilst enjoying lovely music (they even take requests!), I would definitely recommend a trip to the Lobster Bar and Grill. If you’re not a lobster fan, fear not, for apparently the steaks are also excellent, but then again it’s not called the “Steak Bar and Grill” now, is it…?!

Lobster Bar and Grill

6/F, Island Shangri-La
Pacific Place
Supreme Court Road
Central
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2820 8560

www.shangri-la.com/hongkong/islandshangrila/dining/restaurants/lobster-bar-grill/

 

 

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Tangerine

14 Mar

the dim sum diaries hong kong

tangerine thai restaurant hong kong

To narrow down all the cuisines of the world and select my favourite would not be an easy decision to make. Thai food, however, is certainly up there, and will often be my go-to choice of comfort food. Thankfully, Thai restaurants there are aplenty in Hong Kong. Yet there are no Thai restaurants quite like Tangerine.

Its location on the quieter part of Peel Street and the fact that it claims to serve ‘Thai tapas’ didn’t fill me with hugely high hopes for this place; I expected it to be one of those that has no chance of surviving. That was until I tried it whilst doing a review for Time Out (read it here).

As its name suggests, Tangerine is significantly orange in colour, contrasted against dark wood and modern Thai touches, all presented under intimate, dim lighting, giving it a cosy yet elegant feel.

tangerine thai tapas hong kong

As I mentioned, Tangerine specialises in Thai tapas, although there is also a regular menu featuring many Thai favourites. Deciding that a Thai green curry could be had anywhere, we kept our focus mainly on the tapas side of the menu, comforted by the fact that, this way, there was less chance of coming face to face with our evil friend Food Envy.

tangerine thai tapas hong kong

An unexpected yet wholly delicious amuse bouche appeared in the form of a fresh prawn roll, before we were served the first of our ‘tapas’ – char-grilled chicken satay. According to my father, these were the best chicken satay he’s had since he lived in Singapore 50 years ago! They were beautifully presented in little shot glasses full of the creamiest peanut sauce you could ever taste, and the chicken was unbelievably tender.

tangerine thai tapas hong kong

Next up, the garlic and chilli sizzling prawns, although not even slightly sizzling, were delicious, packing a significant chilli and ginger punch that lingered long after the prawns had been devoured.

tangerine thai tapas hong kong

True to our friendly waitress’ recommendation, the stir-fried soft shell crab with garlic and chillies was exceptional. Not only were the generous chunks of crab crispy and satisfying to bite into, but so were the large slivers of garlic – definitely not a dish for a first date!

tangerine thai tapas hong kong

Perhaps my favourite dish of the night was the minced pork with Thai chillies and kaffir lime leaves, served on fresh lettuce. Again these were beautifully presented for individual consumption and were simply bursting with flavour. Not for the faint-hearted, these parcels of delight are even spicier than the abovementioned dishes, making them, in my mind, utterly delicious and authentically Thai.

tangerine thai tapas hong kong

Unfortunately the char-grilled pork neck with Esan-style chilli sauce was disappointingly chewy and far too salty for our liking – the only let down of the evening.

tangerine thai tapas hong kong

The last of our tapas dishes was sizzling tofu with basil and chillies, this time most definitely sizzling. If the tofu itself wasn’t hugely flavoursome, the rest of the dish, with lovely chopped green beans, crispy Thai basil leaves and of course a lot of chilli, made up for it.

tangerine thai tapas hong kong

The pad Thai, from the non-tapas menu, was one of the best I have tasted, with just the right balance of sweet and spicy, beautifully presented in a thin, tasty omelette.

tangerine thai tapas hong kong

Last but by no means least, the mango sticky rice with coconut cream, made with both black and white, amazingly sticky rice, was the perfect end to a surprisingly delicious meal. The mango here was just as I like it – slightly sharp, creating a wonderful contrast with the heavenly sweet coconut cream.

Between four of us, our meal amounted to a little over $200 a head, with only soft drinks; had it not been a Monday night, the tapas menu even offers wine suggestions to complement the dishes. Finding a place like Tangerine with excellent, well-executed food and good service that doesn’t cost the earth is a true breath of fresh air. We were such fans of Tangerine that we even ordered a takeaway from there just four days later! This may well become our go-to Thai place…

Tangerine

51 Peel Street
Soho
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2546 6162

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Lung King Heen

11 Mar

the dim sum diaries hong kong

 

 

lung king heen hong kong

Some may wonder how one Chinese restaurant can truly stand itself apart from the rest. Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons, the first and only three-Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in the world, proves, with style and charm, exactly how this can be done.

As you enter, you immediately notice the star-class service and beautiful, elegant décor of hand-embroidered silk and glass screens, comfortable leather chairs and of course the floor to ceiling windows that show off the gorgeous view of the harbour, or ‘view of the dragon’, to which the name translates.

Almost as soon as we were seated, the restaurant’s cheery and slightly mischievous sommelier, Bernard, sauntered over to offer us some Champagne from his Champagne cart; how could we turn him down? And, more importantly, why do more restaurants not have Champagne carts?!

Happily sipping on our bubbles, whilst taking in our city’s gorgeous view, a lotus root and prawn amuse bouche appeared before us to enliven our taste buds and get us even more excited about our imminent feast (as usual, we may have over-ordered just a tad).

lung king heen hong kong

The chef’s signature appetiser selection offered us miniature versions of four incredible starters: crispy eel with sweet soy sauce (amazingly meaty and succulent, with a sweet, satisfying yet delicately crisp exterior); crispy scallop with pear and Yunnan ham (an unexpected yet delicious combination of sweet and savoury, crisp and tender); char siu (one of the best I have tasted – so juicy and meaty with hardly a trace of fat); and barbecued suckling pig (unbelievably crispy skin and ever-so-succulent pork, served atop a slightly strong-flavoured Japanese shiso leaf). I could probably have been content with just this starter.

lung king heen hong kong

The dishes kept on coming, however, starting with individual portions of beautifully presented steamed star garoupa fillet with ginger and spring onions. This faultless fish was as tender as could be, and carried a lovely, comforting flavour.

lung king heen hong kong

lung king heen hong kong

The roast Peking duck, which must be ordered at least six hours in advance, was exquisite. The skin, carved up in front of our table, was perfectly crisp and full of flavour, complemented by the hoisin sauce, spring onions and cucumber, and wrapped up in a soft pancake (which I sadly had to miss out on) – the flavours and textures were enough to create heaven in your mouth.

lung king heen hong kong

The rest of the duck was taken away and brought back several courses later as stir-fried minced duck in lettuce wraps. This has been one of my favourite dishes since childhood, and Lung King Heen’s version did not disappoint.

lung king heen hong konglung king heen hong kong

Unable to decide between two prawn dishes, we ordered smaller versions of both: wok-fried prawns with crispy green pea purée and sautéed prawns with steamed eggplant in spicy plum sauce. Although I thought I would prefer the latter, the sauce was a little too rich and sticky for my liking. The wok-fried prawns, however, were excellent, simply dressed in an interesting yet delicious green pea crumble.

lung king heen hong kong

The wok-fried superior Australian Wagyu beef cubes with morel mushrooms were certainly superior; each bite of beef was wonderfully tender and beautifully flavoured by the rather pungent mushrooms.

lung king heen hong kong

Meanwhile the stir-fried shredded vegetables with bean sprouts were delicately flavoured and very fresh. The addition of soft sheets of tofu played well against the crunchy bean sprouts, giving us a little bit of goodness after all the slightly less healthy dishes!

lung king heen hong kong

I never understand why Chinese restaurants always serve the rice last. I know the saying goes ‘save the best for last’, yet what if by this stage you can barely fit another morsel of food in your mouth?! Who am I kidding? When the Lung King Heen lobster fried rice with seafood arrived, and I tasted just how incredible it was, I made an extra effort to eat every last grain.

lung king heen hong kong

Of course, there was then dessert, and we all know that dessert occupies its own little space in our stomachs (perhaps the paunchy bit at the front that we can never get rid of?!). We tried the chilled mango and sago cream with pomelo – a refreshingly light end to a rather heavy meal.

Service at Lung King Heen lived up to its three-star status throughout the entire evening. Despite dining with the lovely PR ladies, I noticed that service for the other diners was just as exceptional; plates were changed between courses, advice and detailed descriptions of dishes were given where necessary, yet we didn’t feel suffocated at all. When the bill arrives, remember its three-star status, take a deep breath, and think about the delicious food you’ve just eaten. An average meal is likely to cost around $1500 per head, perhaps more if you fail to resist the Champagne cart… Definitely one to recommend.

Lung King Heen

4/F, Four Seasons Hotel

8 Finance Street
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 3196 8888

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Gold by Harlan Goldstein

8 Mar

the dim sum diaries hong kong

 

 

gold by harlan goldstein hong kong

 

Although I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting him, I hear Harlan Goldstein is quite a character. He must be to call one of his restaurants Gold and indeed decorate the place entirely in gold! I have always therefore been a little intrigued about Gold by Harlan Goldstein…

As I mentioned, Gold is gold: gold ceiling, gold walls, not to mention a huge gold bar in the entrance. Yet it is not gold in a tacky way; everything about it speaks of elegance and class, which you’d down right expect from a one Michelin-starred restaurant, especially at the prices he charges.

gold by harlan goldstein hong kong

Our meal began well, with an excellent slow-cooked Italian octopus. The taste from the fennel, black olives and melitzanosalata (a kind of aubergine caponata), as well as the octopus of course, was earthy and light. Unfortunately, however, a little too much dill slightly masked these flavours.

gold by harlan goldstein hong kong

From the specials menu, the balik smoked salmon with caviar was even better. Each morsel of salmon was beautifully tender and paired perfectly with the slightly sharp blood orange and sweet chunks of beetroot.

gold by harlan goldstein hong kong

According to the menu, the 8oz fillet of beef ‘will melt in your mouth’. It most certainly did. This excellent cut of beef, cooked to medium-rare perfection, was so succulent and flavoursome it needed no form of sauce whatsoever. All it was served with was a whole head of roasted garlic, which could be spread like butter over the beautiful beef.

gold by harlan goldstein hong kong

The 10oz Dutch veal chop was somewhat of a disappointment compared to the beef; although the flavour of the milk-fed veal was delicious, it was ever so slightly under-cooked, resulting in a rather chewy consistency. Again it was served with the same roast garlic, which definitely helped redeem it.

gold by harlan goldstein hong kong

Sides of creamy spinach with pine nuts and black truffle mash were exceptional, particularly the latter. Remember how delicious I found the mash at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon? I think this one might have trumped it. Imagine the creamiest of mashed potatoes, add a generous sprinkling of black truffle, and seriously, what else do you need in life? (Other than Chocolate.)

gold by harlan goldstein hong kong

For dessert, due to my silly decision of giving up wheat and chocolate for Lent, we opted for a slightly boring and also slightly forgettable choice: Baileys and vanilla gelato. On another occasion, I would be interested to see if Harlan’s warm white chocolate cake truly is the ‘best [I’ve] ever tasted’, as it says on the menu…

Despite our food being very slow to arrive, service was professional and very efficient. Again, this is to be expected from a Michelin-starred restaurant, yet I was impressed by the knowledge of our friendly waitress and her readiness to give us her opinion when asked.

All of the above was washed down with a beautiful bottle of Montepulciano, and amounted to a total of around $2800 for the two of us, including a further glass of wine each on the beautiful terrace. The restaurant’s name alone suggests a pricey bill; add to that Harlan’s fame and a Michelin star, and of course it isn’t going to be cheap. It is, however, rather cheap compared to his extortionately priced “8” dinner – eight courses, eight wines, eight people for a whopping $88,000! Does anyone have $11,000 lying around they’d like to spend on dinner for me?!

Gold by Harlan Goldstein

Level 2, LKF Tower
33 Wyndham Street
Lan Kwai Fong
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2869 9986

www.gold-dining.com

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