Yet another change in government policy concerning dining at restaurants meant we needed to switch our table arrangement for our lunch at Caprice, but again, the team at the restaurant did a fine job in accommodating even with rather late notice.
This time we were here for another birthday celebration, with our gracious hosts shared with us a few fine bottles. We began with the beautifully plated smoked salmon with slices of the seasonal peaches and topped with a petit quenelle of caviar. Chef Guillaume’s amuse-bouche always brought a wow factor to begin a meal with with excellent flavor.
I wanted something slightly different than
our previous visit (a couple months ago) so I opted for 2 appetizer courses to start. The nicely arranged tomatoes (from Loire Valley) were ripe with only minimal seasoning, and paired perfectly well with the softest Burrata bavarois on top, and finishing with tiny cubes of balsamic vinegar jelly, almond silvers and tomato gazpacho jelly underneath. That’s the classic summer taste in one dish.
The second appetizer was a repeat of what I had last time, with rhubarb and foie gras terrine with strawberry chutney. It’s done on the sweeter side than last time from what I remembered, which I thought worked better with the acidity from the rhubarb and strawberry and rich and creamy bloc of foie gras infused with port.
My main was pork, with the belly cut “slow cooked” and finished on the sizzling grill for the firm crust on top. Going along were wedges of apricots, sweet potato and apricot espuma on the side and the meat jus underneath. Love the texture of the meat with the fatty bit melted into every bite, and again, the sweet hint was of the right balancing act.
Dessert was another new (and interesting) creation from their new pastry team – with coconut and pandan parfait plus milk and sea salt icecream on the side with the rich and dark palm sugar nectar. Use of Southeast Asian ingredients (coconut and pandan) added a nice exotic (and seasonal) touch.
The wine flight went amazing well with the flow of the food courses. Began with a pair of magnums, with the always delightful Dom (of 2009 vintage) kicking off our afternoon party followed by the extra dry chardonnay from a famed producer in Jura. The most natural presentation of this classic white wine grape with the nice minerals on the palate worked well with the acidity of the tomato dish. The ripe red fruit notes with hint of peppers and cinnamon from the Burgundy red gave the foie gras terrine a nice lift.
Both Bordeaux reds of the same vintage were outstanding and matched well with my main course of pork belly, got the body to stand up with the fatty meat but not too overwhelming in overtaking the taste. But if I have to choose, I went along with Robert Parker to say I prefer the Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte this time (he did give the bottle the perfect 100)
It’s only appropriate for a 100-point bottle to follow another equally rated, only this time the wine was produced a few decades earlier. This special edition PX was bottled 10 years ago with the wines produced in 1946 and kept in the barrel since. Dark color like a vintage port, thick and almost syrupy. Aroma of those fragrant wood, definitely blackcurrant on the palate (I shamefully admitted the sip reminded me of Ribena) and some plums, dark sugar syrup and sweet spices. Probably a bit too rich for the coconut dessert, but went well with the drips of palm sugar nectar on the side, and it’s awesome on its own.
When? July 11 2020
Where? Caprice, Level 6, Four Seasons Hong Kong, 8 Finance Street, Hong Kong
Menu Highlights? Slow Cooked Pork Belly with Apricot and Japanese Sweet Potatoes
Drinks?
2009 Champagne Dom Perignon Brut (en magnum)
2014 Anne et Jean-Francois Ganevat Cotes du Jura "Grusse en Billat" (en magnum)
2008 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Volnay Santenots-du-Milieu Premier Cru
2009 Chateau Beau-Sejour Becot Saint Emilion Grand Cru
2009 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Leognan
1946 Bodegas Toro Albala “Don PX Convento Seleccion” Pedro Ximenez
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