Tag Archives: ice cream

Chez Patrick

1 Oct

chez patrick hong kong

Having never managed to get to the old Chez Patrick on Peel Street, when I first saw that it had closed and the sign had been taken down, I was a little bit sad that I had missed out. However, when I heard it was undergoing a revamp and moving to Wan Chai, my excitement re-emerged and I knew that I had to go there. Pronto.

The move from Soho to Wan Chai reflects the need for a larger space to accommodate Chez Patrick’s growing clientele it had built up over the six years it was on Peel Street. I never saw the old venue, but several people have mentioned that, although the old space was quaint and cosy, it was looking a little out-dated and worn out. The new space is obviously larger, whilst still maintaining some intimacy. It is reminiscent of an elegant Parisian dining room with grey wood-panelled walls, contrasted with beautiful wallpaper and quirky light fittings.

From the moment we entered, we knew we were in for a treat. The General Manager Jean-Noel was there to greet us and escort us to our table, and throughout the meal he was continuously there to offer menu suggestions and witty comments (my favourite being when he translated his name into English: “John-Christmas. What were my parents thinking?!”). Chef Patrick Goubier himself also made sure he did the rounds of all the tables, adding a personal touch to the experience; I always love meeting the chef behind the food, especially when he’s such a sweet, charming man as Patrick is.

chez patrick hong kong

Moving on to the food, the starter of King prawn and baby artichoke tartare with beetroot and goat’s cheese ice cream was divine, particularly the ice cream, which had an amazing blend of sweet versus savoury that excited every taste bud and perfectly complemented the stronger flavours of the tartare.

chez patrick hong kong

The Trio of foie gras was even better: smooth foie gras layered with a sort of fig chutney; raw foie gras marinated in Sauternes wine; and foie gras ice cream. The latter two, encased in soft brioche and smothered in bitter chocolate sauce looked like two little profiteroles. I’m definitely more of a dessert than a starter girl, so to almost have a dessert as a starter was just incredible. The foie gras ice cream again absolutely wowed me and worked so well with the bitter chocolate sauce.

chez patrick hong kong

For main course, our indecisiveness proved to be a winning trait, as our inability to decide between two dishes resulted in us being brought both; so three main courses between two! The Pigeon with leg parcel on gingerbread was delightful and offered so many different flavours and textures on one plate: rich gamey pigeon cooked to tenderness perfection; sweet gingerbread; soft flaky filo pastry encasing tender chunks of pigeon thigh meat: definitely one to recommend.

chez patrick hong kong

The Chicken ballotine stuffed with pig’s trotters, porcini and foie gras was complete melt-in-the-mouth goodness. The chicken was tender and juicy, made the more so by the soft, rich meaty filling and perfectly complemented by a delicate black truffle sauce and sweet celeriac mash.

chez patrick hong kong

Although to look at, the Roast Rack of Tasmanian Lamb was the least exciting of the three, to taste it may have been the best. The lamb was succulent and tender, bathed in a gorgeous rosemary jus. I had to remind my sister that we were in a nice restaurant and politely told her to put the chop down as she tried to gnaw every last morsel of juicy meat off the bone.

chez patrick hong kong

On to desserts, the Sablé Bréton was definitely the perfect summer dish. The biscuit was both crumbly and decadently buttery, topped with juicy fresh raspberries and accompanied by a deliciously refreshing basil sorbet to cleanse the palate. I can see that chef Patrick likes to have fun making uniquely flavoured ice creams and sorbets!

chez patrick hong kong

The Warm chestnut candy served with caramel ice cream is one of Chez Patrick’s signature desserts. It offers a delicious contrast between savoury and sweet and the little filo pastries are beautifully designed to look like ‘candy’.

If you can manage it, definitely save some room for cheese, as Chez Patrick’s cheese is without a doubt the best I’ve tasted in Hong Kong. I didn’t have cheese on this occasion, but tried some when Chez Patrick’s home catering service came to Sassy. Obviously slot it in before dessert, as after all, you are in Paris.

Whenever someone meets me, knowing I write restaurant reviews, they will without fail ask me “what’s your favourite restaurant in Hong Kong?” I despise this question as never know how to answer it; there are just too many choices! Having said that however, if I were to name a few favourites, I now think Chez Patrick would certainly be up there.

An average meal per person at Chez Patrick would set you back around $600, but I can assure you that for the faultless service, beautiful presentation and sheer quality and taste of the food, it is 100% worth it.

Chez Patrick

2/F Garden East
222 Queen’s Road East
Wan Chai
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2541 1401

www.chezpatrick.hk

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Masu Robatayaki & Sushi

29 Aug masu hong kong

 

dim sum diaries hong kong

 

 

Masu hong kong

The excitement of a new sushi restaurant will never ever get old, despite how many our beautiful city is loaded with, so when I heard about Masu Robatayaki & Sushi’s arrival, I was as keen as wasabi to put it to the test. Masu is Privé Group’s newest baby, located in On Hing Building, just off Wyndham Street.

The décor is very minimalistic, using shades of cream and grey to create, in my mind, a rather boring and drab ambience. Diners can sit around the sushi bar or on proper tables, but there is nothing particularly eye-catching about the décor.

Thankfully, however, the food completely makes up for any lack of atmosphere; as the name suggests, Masu serves up everything from scrumptious sushi to incredible robatayaki, with endless choices in between.

In fact, endless is exactly what the menu is, almost to the point of being overwhelming. Unsure where to begin, I asked the manageress Rabina to order for us, knowing she would be sure to serve us the restaurant’s signature dishes.

masu hong kong

After a failsafe bowl of salted edamame, we were served a beautiful selection of assorted sashimi including sweet shrimp, yellow tail, salmon, scallops and tuna, served, of course, on a mound of ice. Each piece of seafood was incredibly fresh and wonderfully tender, melting like butter in the mouth.

masu hong kong

A Japanese fruit salad followed: a lovely combination of gorgeously juicy sliced tomatoes and soft smoked aubergine paired with a delicious garlicky sauce. It certainly contradicted my belief that salads are inexorably boring.

masu hong kong

The signature Masu deluxe rolls that came next were possibly some of the best sushi I have had the pleasure of eating. Wrapped inside the rice was egg, crab and finely sliced cucumber, while delicious seared Wagyu beef, toro, Hokkaido uni and salmon roe sat neatly on top, all drizzled in a sweet ‘secret sauce’. Although it was rather difficult to eat in one go, the flavours all complemented each other perfectly.

masu hong kong

On to the robatayaki, the beautifully cooked asparagus was impossible to fault. However the grilled ox tongue, marinated in delicious spices, could have been amazing, yet it was so tough I could barely sink my teeth into it, which left me rather disappointed.

masu hong kong

Thankfully, the succulent chicken wings made up for it. I am usually hesitant about ordering chicken wings, as there’s often more skin and fat than meat, but these chickens had definitely been well fed.

masu hong kong

Even better was the minced chicken meatball, served alongside a soy and egg yolk dipping sauce. The meat was spectacularly juicy, not dry in the slightest, and simply packed full of flavour. I rather wish we’d each had our own meatball rather than having to share…

masu hong kong

Next came a plate of cute little beef croquettes. Tender chunks of beef and slightly pickled veggies were encased in very fluffy and flaky batter that was far from greasy and dangerously more-ish.

masu hong kong

Last but by no means least (of the savouries) came a bowl of steaming Inaniwa udon noodles. The broth was rich and comforting and the noodles had a perfect chewy texture; although we were struggling to eat another mouthful, it was near impossible to refrain from finishing the whole bowl!

masu hong kong

The delicious meal ended with a scoop of sesame ice cream, which was exactly what we needed to cleanse the palate and send us into a comfortable food coma.

Service started off a little hesitantly, but they made up for it as the meal progressed, making sure to change our plates after each and every dish; I seriously hope they have a dishwasher! As you can imagine, being part of the Privé Group, a meal at Masu Robatayaki and Sushi doesn’t come cheap: a hearty meal without drinks would likely cost between $400 and $700 per person, minimum. If, however, you’re after some commendably fresh and delicious Japanese fare where setting (and cost) isn’t important, then definitely give Masu Robatayaki and Sushi a try.

Masu Robatayaki & Sushi

UG/F On Hing Building
1 On Hing Terrace
Central
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2537 7787

www.masu.hk

 

 

 

 

 

 

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La Cantoche

13 Aug

 

 

 

 

la cantoche hong kong

Some restaurants open with a bang, shouting out their arrival for all to hear. Others open quietly, safe in the knowledge that people will find them on their own and fall in love. La Cantoche, tucked away on a side street off Hollywood Road in Sheung Wan, did the latter and, having only been open for a couple of months, is packed full every night.

David Sung, the restaurant’s French-born owner, never had a background in hospitality or F&B, yet after years in unsatisfying jobs, he dreamed of creating a place of his own, where he could serve his childhood memories in a fun and casual space. This is exactly what La Cantoche is; get to know David and you’ll instantly see how much of his personality has gone into the design and the overall flavour of the place.

la cantoche hong kong

 

The space is lovely, spanning over two small floors, with whitewashed brick walls dotted with the odd bit of graffiti and contrasted with brightly coloured mismatched chairs. Chilled out hip-hop beats are heard while old-school films such as Back to the Future or Ghostbusters are projected onto one of the walls and a foosball table welcomes guests in the entrance. The aim is for diners to feel at home and relaxed in a completely unpretentious environment.

The food isn’t pretentious either; obviously it is French, yet as the name of the restaurant suggests (it translates to ‘canteen’), the food is kept simple and homely.

la cantoche hong kong

Despite protestations that it was a Monday evening and therefore should have been an alcohol-free day, David insisted we try a glass of rosé, which he claims is the best in Hong Kong. I haven’t tried enough to be able to judge if it is the best, but it certainly is delicious: delicate in colour as well as flavour, making it more than easy to quaff.

la cantoche hong kong rice krispies

We began our meal with some ‘Rice Krispies’, one of David’s mother’s recipes. This dish involves crispy puffed rice mixed with minced pork and exciting Vietnamese herbs and spices (David’s mother was born in Vietnam). David’s advice was to scoop a serving into one of the accompanying lettuce leaves, take a bite, wait a couple of seconds and then smile. It was hard to disobey the final command, as this dish was absolutely incredible, packed full of flavours that did indeed instantly make me smile.

la cantoche hong kong

The Nems au chevre (goat’s cheese spring rolls) were also amazing, oozing with molten goat’s cheese yet still, somehow, delicately light…or maybe that’s just what I told myself to ease the guilt of eating deep fried cheese? You’ve got to love a bit of deep-fried cheese!

la cantoche hong kong

Our final starter was a selection of crudités, namely leeks in gribiche sauce, mimosa egg and shredded carrots. Each of these had a distinct flavour, ranging from the slightly sharp carrots in vinaigrette, the beautifully soft and moreish leeks, to the delicately flavoured hard-boiled egg, my favourite of the three. The leeks’ gribiche sauce also served as the perfect dip for the still-warm fresh baguette.

la cantoche hong kong

Moving on to main courses, to keep Food Envy at bay, we also shared a couple of these. The Poisson Papillote, a fillet of barramundi cooked in a tinfoil parcel, was divine. There was little added to it other than soft leeks, cherry tomatoes and capers, so the flavours were all natural and light, leaving a jus that again doubled up as the perfect dip for the bread.

la cantoche hong kong cordon bleu

The rustic Cordon Bleu was also a winner, stuffed with flavoursome ham and melted cheese and then lightly breaded and fried, again without that overly heavy feeling. My attempt to only have half of my share failed due to it being far too delicious to waste!

la cantoche hong kong ratatouille

Each main comes with complimentary side dishes: we had some wholesome and comforting ratatouille as well as three different kinds of potato: homemade mash, homemade chips, and pommes noisettes. Ever had a tater tot? Pommes noisettes are exactly that, but with a fancier name: deep-fried crispy balls of pure potato goodness reminiscent of childhood days gone by.

la cantoche hong kong

It seems David loves his old-school child-friendly food, as the desserts are just the same. A thin, semi-cooked chocolate cake is served not with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as regulation normally requires, but in a puddle of crème Anglaise (English custard). The cake is gooey and perfect, without being too sweet.

la cantoche hong kong

The most incredible dessert is the homemade nougat ice cream with crushed M&Ms. I am not exaggerating when I say that this was heaven on a plate, and again it left a permanent smile on my face from the first mouthful until the last, when I realised there was no more left.

la cantoche hong kong

Prices at La Cantoche match the unpretentious feel of the restaurant, with starters around the $70 marker and mains around $130. It has also jumped on the no-service-charge bandwagon, where guests are encouraged to tip if they appreciate the service. It is impossible not to appreciate the service, as waiters are genuinely friendly and David himself does frequent rounds of the restaurant to make sure all his guests are happy; happiness is precisely the emotion that La Cantoche will instil in you.

La Cantoche
G/F, 5 Wa Lane
227 Hollywood Road
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2426 0880

 

 

 

 

 

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AVA Restaurant Slash Bar

29 Aug

I have been making the treacherous journey to the ‘dark side’ fairly frequently recently and have begun to think that it isn’t actually all that dark.

On Wednesday evening I was invited to represent Sassy HK at a media preview for the launch of Azure Restaurant Slash Bar’s little sister, AVA Restaurant Slash Bar, which will officially be ‘born’ on 1st September.

The whole experience, from travelling in the dangerously named ‘bullet lift’, watching the Hong Kong harbour get smaller and smaller; to arriving at the 38th floor of Hotel Panorama by Rhombus, admiring the spectacular 270° view; to eating Chef Mike Boyle’s incredible creations, is like no other.

With floor to ceiling windows and warm décor, AVA invites you to feast on international modern cuisine in true style, taking in the amazing skyline that our wonderful city has to offer.

Start the night with one of AVA’s signature cocktails, made by a highly trained mixologist before your very eyes. The AVA-tini is quite something; a blend of Absolut mandarin, Belvedere raspberry and Malibu with fresh fruit juices, topped off with liquid nitrogen, served actually smoking to the table – a feast for all the senses!

After the cocktail, move on to one of AVA’s high quality wines from the extensive wine list, with selections to perfectly match your chosen dishes. The Auntsfield Marlborough Chardonnay (2009), with only a subtle oakiness to complement the citrus notes is very good, or for an amazing red wine, try the MI Terruno Mayacaba Malbec (2007) from Mendoza, Argentina – a full-bodied wine made from 100 year old vines.

Crab salad on the beach

Each meal commences with a complimentary amuse bouche: Crab salad on the beach – a multi-tiered crab salad served atop a mini edible beach. From the moment I saw how much effort Chef Boyle had put into even his amuse bouche, I knew this was going to be a very special meal indeed.

The AVA team put together a tasting menu of about 8 signature dishes for us, including meat, seafood and vegetarian options to show the full range of their talent.

Boston lobster

The Boston lobster, served inside an ice crystal was sensational: layers of crab, avocado and tropical fruits with seriously tender lobster. The presentation was like nothing I have ever seen before, keeping the lobster both looking and tasting as cool as a cucumber.

Red pepper soup

Next came a red pepper and tomato soup with black garlic, served inside a beautiful little iron pot. I had never even heard of black garlic, let alone tasted it, so was surprised to notice the sweetness of the flavour, created by fermenting garlic at a very high temperature. Garlic is one of my favourite foods, and I think I fell in love all over again.

Duck foie gras

To follow came Duck foie gras with foie gras ‘pebbles’ served on a citrus-spiced waffle with orange vanilla gel. I have never been the biggest foie gras fan, but I think Chef Boyle’s dish may well have converted me.

The pan-roasted red snapper with orange ginger sauce, baby fennel and heirloom carrots on a bed of cauliflower risotto, showed Chef Boyle’s insistence on making the vegetables an integral part of any dish, rather than simply fading into the background. He likes his dishes to be colourful and aesthetically pleasing, hence his decision to use purple, yellow, white and orange carrots.

Salt-marsh lamb

The same was indicated in his Salt-marsh lamb from the Rhug Estate in Wales. Even though the lamb was hands-down the star of this dish, the carefully selected vegetables (Brussels sprouts, celery roots, potatoes, carrots and beans) served on a ribbon of beetroot purée, were also major players in this sensational dish.

As a special surprise not originally intended to be a part of our menu tasting, the butternut squash tortellini with light cinnamon butter and a fennel and orange salad was divine.

The Cap

Also from the Rhug Estate in Wales, the grilled Cap served with rosemary carrots and chunky smashed potatoes was possibly one of the best cuts of meat I have ever eaten. With absolutely no need for any kind of condiment, this tender, perfectly pink steak was a slice of heaven on earth.

Rosewater and raspberry ice cream

Knowing AVA’s dessert would not disappoint, we desperately located the special dessert space in our stomachs. Chef Boyle prepared a rose water and raspberry ice cream right in front of us, using liquid nitrogen. Paired with a berry compote, and served in a little shortbread basket, this dessert exceeded expectations.

AVA’s contemporary Sky Bar, with a live DJ from 10pm to 2am every Thursday to Saturday is the perfect place to relax and dance away the stress from a long week at work. For me, going to the same bars every weekend in Central is starting to lose its appeal, so a change of scenery is always appreciated. Alternatively, if you’re looking for something a little more chilled out, take the lift up to the 40th floor to the open-air Sky Garden to admire the view and relax with another of AVA’s amazing cocktails.

If you need a reason to brave your fears and visit the ‘dark side’, AVA is it. Once you get over the panic of stepping outside your comfort zone, you’ll realise that, sometimes, change can be a very wonderful thing.

AVA Restaurant Slash Bar

38/F Hotel Panorama by Rhombus
8A Hart Avenue
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Hong Kong

Tel: +852 3550 0262

Date visited: Wednesday 24th August 2011

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