Saturday, September 22, 2018

Return of Lobsters

We were pretty excited about the comeback of the “Lobsters and Bubbles” menu at Café Causette at MO Hong Kong. They have run the same menu during summer time a few years back and we loved it so much that we went there a number of times in quick succession, and glad they decided to bring it back this year for the month of August.


It’s great to catch up with a few friends over the meal at a location most convenient to everyone. At first glance the menu looked similar to what we had before with the a la carte choices of appetizers and mains prepared with the Boston lobsters, plus a few champagne choices from their usual wine menu. Gone were the set course with glass of bubbles included, and I suspect they raised the price a little bit too, but they still represented great value at one of our favorite hotel coffee shops in town.

We went for a couple appetizers to share. One couldn’t fault the lobster cocktails, served in a tall martini glass, with a big piece of lobster claw combined with mayo dressing and served on top of iceberg lettuce. It was rich yet refreshing. The lobster tacos – served in the size of two – were great with chopped lobsters, cream with a kick of spices, lemon juice and coriander stuffed inside the crispy taco shells. One probably wouldn't find this served in Mexico but the tacos were great.

Another lobster dish was ordered to be shared as our main course. The full lobster thermidor was served in halved shells, with chunks of lobsters done in the most traditional way, mixed with a buttery cream sauce, baked au gratin with sprinkles of cheeses and herbs on top, and served with fries in a classy brass basket. That’s the way lobsters should be done, going with something rich and creamy. The size was perfect for sharing too – it would be a bit daunting taking on the full lobster by myself, but half-size was just right. Since the promotion was called “Lobsters and Bubbles”, we thought we might as well go with the flow and ordered a bottle of bubbles to share. The Ruinart Blanc de Blancs worked just fine, with good acidity to go with the many creamy lobster dishes.

To finish, we had a few desserts to share, picked from their normal restaurant menu. Their “1963 Mandarin cheese cake” was a tad bit too petite to my liking (I was expecting a giant New York style one), but I love the chocolate and banana crumble served with salted caramel icecream. The chunks of banana matches with the rich chocolate well, and the ice cream was delicious.

When? August 17 2018
Where? Cafe Causette, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong
Menu Highlights? Lobster Thermidor and Fries
Drinks? Champagne Ruinart Blanc de Blancs NV
Web: www.mandarinoriental.com/hong-kong/victoria-harbour/fine-dining/restaurants/international-cuisine/cafe-causette


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