Bang For the Buck

We kicked off our long weekend with a lovely lunch at Roganic, the new restaurant in Causeway Bay opened a few months ago but already got so popular that it’s almost impossible to book. We finally managed to score a table on the first day of the Ching Ming Festival holiday weekend so we figured that’s perfect timing for us for a long lunch there.

Roganic and Aulis right next door (which I have already been in January) were both restaurants overseen by British chef Simon Rogan, with Aulis being the fine-dining flagship serving avant-garde tasting menu in a kitchen studio setting and Roganic sort of its more down-to-earth “sister” in a casual dining environment under the same roof (and in a much friendlier price point). Regardless of the setup, both followed the same cooking philosophy of Chef Simon of using fresh, local ingredients, delivering in contemporary techniques with straight-forward presentation.

I must say the lunch menu offered by Roganic Hong Kong represent the best value of any decent western restaurant of this level in town, with its 3-course set lunch menu going for less than HKD$300. This set lunch came with a choice in each of the first, second and third courses (appetizer, main and dessert), plus canapes, bread and petit fours. And all the dishes were top-notch and perfectly executed.

We started with a mini-tartlet with pumpkin, nashi pear and bay leaf filling. The sweetness from the pumpkin and pear made this bite-sized snack a perfect start to any meal along with some nutty flavor with crushed silvers of almond on top. Totally unintentional, but it paired well with the drink I ordered to start, with vodka, Cointreau and caramelized pineapple chunks served in a stemmed glass. The freshly baked soda bread that arrived along side with our first course was also great, warm and soft and tasted good with the cultured butter on the side.

For first course, I went for the grilled salad. Similar to what I had at Aulis last time, a medley vegetables from local farms that included kale, scallions, mustard greens and broccoli was dehydrated or charred by grilling and served with scallion oil and the creamy Westcombe cheese sauce infused with truffles flavor. Didn't get much of the truffle aroma, but this vegetarian salad dish was excellent with good combination of creamy and crispy textures, and smooth and smoky tastes.

There’s a choice between duck, snapper and vegetables for our second course, or mains. Both of us went for the duck. Almost forgotten was the small bowlful of braised duck served on the side, and turned out that was the most impressive part. The piece of duck breast was cooked sous-vide and basted on top for the slightly crispy skin, then on the plate was the white part of the charred leek, thin slices of raw daikon and red vinegar gastrique sauce. I love the meat with a good bite, the vegetables added to the rustic style of the dish and the slightly sweet and tangy sauce brought everything well together. Almost forgotten was the small bowlful of braised duck ragout served on the side, with layers of watercress puree, shredded duck meat and potato foam combined for the rich and hearty flavor – I felt like I could have that for lunch every day for the whole week.

Having tried both the apple tart and the stout and molasses ice cream dessert previously, I went with the third choice of “Strawberries and Cream” for my final course, which I was told was new on the menu. Chunks of the Japanese strawberries was mixed with dehydrated strawberry powder for the double punch of sweetness, and that was matched with the unique flavor of buttermilk cream, also done in two ways, in custard underneath with kombucha and in snow-like flakes on top in a cool stoneware bowl. And then there was a small donut for each of us, also baked fresh, and coated with pine-infused sugar. Felt like chef has brought a hint of British winter countryside to this side of the world with this simple finale snack.

Previously I described Aulis as the most exciting restaurant opening this year, and I must say Roganic now got my vote for the not-too-distant second. Both were such fine additions to our dining scene and I look forward to many return visits for more simple seasonal fares.

When? April 5 2019
Where? Roganic, UG/F 08, Sino Plaza, 255 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Menu Highlights? Duck, leek, spiced red vinegar
Web: www.roganic.com.hk