We heard so many good words about this little neighborhood bistro called Jean May that we finally managed to get a dinner booking and went. The restaurant was quite a standout in this quieter side of Wanchai, located in the rows of street-side stalls with the welcoming menthol green facade and dark window panes channeling some Parisian vibes.
The dining area is cozy but comfortable, with 10 tables or so and less than 30 covers with the kitchen tucked at the back with a handful of staff working. Only a handful of dishes were offered with some of them written on the blackboard hanging on the wall and the rest listed on the menu separated into sections like "Snack", "Starter", "Main" and "Dessert". We were recommended to each pick one from each section. Interestingly, the wine menu was slightly longer, with a round-the-world selection and some offered by the glass, though this time we opted to bring our own.
Given the size of her kitchen and restaurant, Chef Tiff Lo was clever (and pragmatic) in making the menu short and precise, with some items that can be prepared in advance and required simple assembly, while only a handful of dishes required preparation a la minute with rather straight forward steps to ensure serving speed and quality with a small kitchen team. This made far better business sense than some others who might be more adventurous in mind but failed to deliver with limited resources.
But at the end we did deviate slightly from the recommendation with more dishes from the Snack and Starter sections and only a sole main dish to share. We began with a couple deep-fried nibbles - always a crowd pleaser first with the Shimeji mushrooms done Italian friti style with a light coat of batter and garnished with grated Parmesan and lemon juice then the red mullet croquette served with Provencale sauce. The former reminded me of a vegetarian version of calamari with nice crunchy crust and the latter with right flavor from the tomato-based sauce served with the croquette with soft fillings.
The pair of starters was simple yet comforting. Hard to go wrong with a warm potato salad served with smoked eel, pickled onions and half a soft-boiled egg. The nice acidic flavor worked nicely with the starch. The beef tartare was well-seasoned, with thin slices of toast served on the side with an egg yolk on top. Wouldn’t get any prize for originality but well-executed nonetheless. The chicken liver parfait was another made-ahead dish and I liked it’s firm but creamy texture with onion compote right at the center.
Thought the pasta was a bit too soupy for my liking but taste-wise, there’s nothing wrong with it, with braised baby octopus, black and green olives and tomatoes served with homemade linguine. And we were too stuffed for the regular dessert course so we went for a pair of honey madeleine to end our dinner with – baked to order and delivered to our table swift and warm. Found the right bottle for the bistro-fare in this casual natural wine that we brought in. Medium-bodied, a hint of earthiness and plenty of bright red fruits, and versatile for just about anything light and cheerful, just like the meal. We had a good time at this friendly bistro and this is one of those places that I don't need to think twice before going back again.
When? July 21 2022
Where? Jean May, Shop A, 14 Gresson St, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Menu Highlights? Smoked eel, potato, soft-boiled egg
Drink? Anne et Jean-Francois Ganevat Cuvee Madelon Vin de France NV
Web: (Facebook) www.facebook.com/jeanmayhk
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