Fish and Meat, and more...

Last Sunday I was in Fish & Meat in Central to try out their new Sunday brunch menu. They were one of a few new restaurants in town opened late last year riding on this farm-to-house cuisine trend and it's been quite a success, judging from the almost unanimously positive feedback I got from those who have been here.

The restaurant sat right at the corner of Wyndham Street and The Glenealy on top of Lan Kwai Fong. It didn't take long for me to fall in love with this place - seriously. As I walked up the spiral staircase at the street-level entrance at The Glenealy, what came in sight first was the open kitchen on one side and a well-stocked bar on the other, then a tall communal table good for drinking or casual dining. The roomy dining space just behind was furnished with rustic, minimalist decor with scarcely placed dark wooden table and chairs and retro-style light bulbs hanging from the bare ceiling. In the end of the room, there's a floor to ceiling window providing ample natural lighting to the room, and opened up to a balcony overseeing the the timeless Fringe Club aka The Old Dairy Farm Building across the street. They even planted a few pots of lemon trees on the balcony to complete the farmhouse theme. On one side of the dining room there's also a private area good for at least 12 people, and that's where we were seated this afternoon. Well, I wish my flat looks half as cool...

Their Sunday brunch was served semi-buffet style with antipasti dishes lined up outside the open kitchen counter area, then we got a choice of main dishes and desserts ordered and served at the table.

Bruschetta Station

Making your own Bruschetta!

Homemade granola with raspberry jam, berries and yoghurt

Oysters with Shallot and Red Wine Vinegar

I sampled a few items from the antipasti selection and all of them were delightful. Salmon was marinated with beetroot giving it an attractive bright red color; asparagus was julienned and charred, tossed with olive oil and served with pistachio pesto and grated parmesan; homemade granola was served in a sealing jar with yoghurt and raspberry jam; and shreds of crab meat, cucumber, onion and mandarin combined for a refreshing salad finishing up with mint vinaigrette. All of those were well-planned dishes and I enjoyed them a lot, along with the fresh oysters served with shallots and red wine vinegar. My another favorite was the bruschetta station with bowls of warm grilled portabella, salsa verde, prosciutto, artichoke puree and marinated tomatoes allowing us to mix and match as toppings on toasted bread slices.

Saffron Risotto with Crispy Sea Bream, Scallop, Squid and Prawn

Chef at work!

　Slow cooked Spanish Teruel pork belly porchetta / Italian pork and fennel sausage /
salsa verde / crackling / garlic mash potatoes

The choices for main course range from regular breakfast items (cinnamon polenta pancakes or sunny side eggs with prosciutto and romanesco sauce) to a simple Italian cooked dishes (pan seared sea bream or risotto), and also on offer was the thickly-sliced porchetta with cracklings - rolled pork belly slow-roasted and served with sausages, salsa verde and garlic mash. I opted for something light and my saffron risotto with seafood was marvelous. The rice was well-cooked and infused with the enticing saffron fragrance, the sea bream fillet was perfect with the seared crispy skin, scallop well-seasoned and pan-seared to the right doneness (warm but not overcooked in the middle), and then the squid and prawn completed the dish. The porchetta looked equally attractive - actually that, and other choices on offer, did present me with quite a dilemma as I read through the menu.

Sicilian Lemon Tart with Country Clotted Cream

The dessert options presented me with another difficult task, having to choose between a lemon tart, a chocolate "pot", and an "Air-misu" which I assumed to be some sort of deconstructed tiramisu dish. At the end I picked the Sicilian Lemon Tart with country clotted cream and I was glad that I did. The thin pastry was rich but not over-reaching, lemon custard with the right balance of being sweet and tangy and combined well with the soft and airy clotted cream.

Bellini - Prosecco and Peach

Fish & Meat does hit the spot with its carefree, country-style cooking coupled with great ingredients in a friendly atmosphere. Their brunch was not particularly substantial, but definitely sufficient with good choices and good portion. I was well-fed and this is a great place to chill out on a lazy weekend afternoon. With the amazing food, warm sunshine going through the windows and a sip of bellini at the table, I felt like summer time already.

Note: Meal courtesy of Maximal Concepts.

When? February 23 2014
Where? Fish & Meat, 2/F, 32 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong
Menu highlights? Saffron Risotto, Crispy Sea Bream, Scallop, Squid, Prawn
Web: www.fishandmeat.hk