"This is so unlike the Jockey Club" was the comments everyone had when we ate at their new venue called Pinnacle, which opened only a couple of weeks ago. At its onset, the place looked more like a trendy nightclub when we were escorted up the elevators and through the bouncers (I mean the Maitre'd counter) at the door to our table. 
We moved on to a few other seafood appetizers. The tuna tiradito was more on the sweet side but a touch of tanginess, with tuna tartare, tomato water and cubes of compressed melon and drizzle of cilantro oil. The Ceviche Verde was a touch stronger (despite the lighter color), with the thick slices of hamachi cured and served with apples and jalapeno for the kick of heat. Scallop Aguachile was another wonderful dish with nice flavor, combining the plump and umami-rich scallops with the sweet mango salsa and spicy rocoto aji. 
Next were a couple more small cooked dishes to share. Chilaquiles Bomba was my favorite of the two, with the creamy filling of avocado, beans and bits of wagyu and chorizo and topped with a mini quail egg cooked sunny-side up. The Bistec de Wagyu came from their Anticuchos menu, with cubes of wagyu striploin grilled on skewers served with aji panca salsa and mashed sweet potatoes underneath. The meat was tender with a nice smoky hint. 
Everything on the a la carte menu was designed for sharing, including the main courses with a handful of choices. The seafood paella was more than enough for the six of us, with plentiful of ingredients piled on top including lobsters, scallops and mussels. I could live with more of the socarrats at the bottom of the pan, but the sofrito was the bomb, full of flavor and nice aroma from the saffron added in. 
The huge piece of bone-in rib-eye was perfectly grilled on open fire and served with a handful of sauces on the side - my favorites were the tangy escabeche and the ancho chili and bone marrow sauce. They probably could do better with the fries, using fresh-cut ones rather than those ready-made ones that came in frozen pouches, but the rocoto aioli that came with it was super tasty. 
Totally stuffed at the end, so we opted for the simple churros and arroz con leche (rice pudding) to share. Can't go wrong with it. They got a good wine menu to go with the food, some in their house wine menu and and an expanded selection from the club's own wine cellar. Went for a couple champs and then a red for the meat-based menu this time. Quite different characters with the two champagnes made with different grapes and we probably should have served the lighter blanc de blanc first than the blanc de noirs, but both were very enjoyable. The young Burgundy red was given a brief time to breathe and showed good energy with plums and red fruits, and stood up well with the meaty dishes we had.
They definitely tried hard to shred away the old-school image of this privileged institution with the entire floor at their new clubhouse completed with bowling alleys, game tables and a few F&B venues that certainly catered to their younger members. The Pinnacle is no different, with its casual ambiance (dimmed lighting, couch seats and a trendy bar) plus a food and drinks menu focused on casual Latin American cuisine (think cocktails, ceviche and tapas)
With the six of us we managed to sample a good number of dishes. The Iberico Jamon came in generous portion and served with toasted sourdough, pickled guindilla peppers and grated tomato on the side. So it's good for a pain au tomate dish to start.
When? July 28 2021
Where? The Eighth - Pinnacle, 8/F, Jockey Club Happy Valley New Clubhouse, 25 Shan Kwong Road, Hong Kong
Menu Highlights? Grilled Bone-in Ribeye
Drinks?
Champagne Egly Ouriet Les Vignes de Vrigny Premier Cru Blanc de Noirs NV (disgorged November 2019)
2015 Champagne Jacques Picard "Les Champs Renard" Extra Brut
2017 Domaine Lupe Cholet Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Chabiots
Web: member.hkjc.com/member/english/the-hilltop-in-the-valley/restaurants-and-bars/details.aspx?id=128PN0
No comments :
Post a Comment