Remarkable Night at Amber

I just realized I am in a dry spell lately as far as blogging is concerned... not that there aren't any remarkable things happening recently worth reflecting on or sharing, especially as far as eating's concerned, so I decided to bring them all on in one go...

Going back and forth several times and a few tweets to Chef Ekkebus later, we landed back at Amber on our 6th wedding anniversary on this Saturday night in December, and we love it!

With the memory of leaving the restaurant as two very satisfied customers on Valentine's Day still living vividly in mind, it seems to be an obvious choice for us to return for another celebration. After arriving promptly at 7:30pm (okay that's not true - we were late), we were seated near the entrance of the elegant yet lively dining room - and in my opinion the more quiet and comfortable section away from the crowd and the kitchen. I love the setting of this place actually - chic decor, well-designed space with tables organized sparse enough that you don't feel intruded yet close enough that you can take a peek at what other people are eating and don't feel you are sitting in a room by yourselves.

The menu left us with a very simple decision - everything in the degustation menu sounds enticing so we spent no time settling on it without even bothered to look at the a la carte options. We are very eager to see what the best the chef has to offer us through the creation of his signature dishes on the menu. Ian our sommelier was very helpful in making our wine selection a straight-forward exercise too. Being my favorite wine region along with Ian's affirmation, picking a Chablis is a no-brainer and glad it worked well with most courses on the menu.

We started with the familiar amuse bouche of foie gras lollipop and iberian pork croquette. We loved the lollipop when we first had it in February, and we still do this time, even though the amusement bit has faltered somewhat with the second try, naturally.

Chef Ekkebus' signature appetizer dish - hokkaido sea urchin served in a lobster jell-o with cauliflower mousse, caviar and crispy seaweed waffles - is easily the one dish that made a lasting impression on us tonight and rightfully so - the presentation is impeccable - it's served in a shell of sea urchin with fine layers of delectable colors inside; the combination of classic regional flavors - uni from Hokkaido - and modern techniques is simply flawless, and the delicate taste and texture are divine - we felt like we are tasting the essence from the sea as the sea urchin roe and lobster jelly along with the caviar's "swimming" in our mouths. CYY mentioned the dish reminded her of the equally adorable "oyster and pearl" that we had in a small yet significant culinary outpost in Yountville a couple years ago, which I totally agreed. I can't say this is fusion, but the chef certainly took full advantage of regional ingredients for this unique and spectacular dish. An absolutely genius creation, I must say.

We also love the melt-in-your-mouth and intense-flavored waghu beef with the main serving oven-roasted and served in its own jus, and in comparison, the second serving - short ribs braised with passion fruit-glazed root vegetables - is just okay (to me, I don't even mind doing it without the second serving altogether) It's so soft and tender that I don't even need to force my knife through. Once again, he made use of regional ingredients - in this case the exquisite Kagoshima beef - and cooked to perfection. I like the light yet flavorful texture of langoustine and foie gras dish, but the scallop's a tad bit overcooked to my liking, which left a slightly rubbery taste on the surface as a result. Nonetheless I think the combination of toasted brioche mousseline and kabocha squash that was served with the scallops an interesting one.

Other courses in the menu included salmon that's cooked to pinpoint accuracy, presented in a somewhat playfully manner with a crust of squid ink-dyed bread crumbs (pretending to be a roast beef tenderloin) and worked in harmony with avocado puree and apple "rolls" on the side, as well as a more-than-decent selection of cheeses wheeled in on a cart after our beef main course.

After a surprising treat of champagne - courtesy of the very man behind the kitchen - we moved onto something sweet. The first dessert of vacherin "coque" with blood orange yoghurt inside was refreshing and did its job of cleansing our palate (and I also like its neat and clean presentation), and by contrast, the chocolate souffle and cocoa sorbet which followed is a rich and comforting winter dessert that is equally enjoyable.

It is a memorable evening to us no matter what but a fine meal like this certainly added a nice touch to it. How appropriate to celebrate our time together with something that we enjoyed doing together most - going on a culinary adventure that is. Will we go back soon? You bet. I am already looking forward to its spring menu coming out in mid-January.

details:

when? December 4 2010
where? Amber, at Landmark Mandarin Oriental
occasion? 6th wedding anniversary
menu highlights? Hokkaido Sea Urchin, in a lobster jell-o with cauliflower, caviar and crispy seaweed waffles
drinks?
Chablis Premier Cru "Fourchaume" 2008, Bouchard Pere et Fils
Krug Grande Cuvee NV

Monday at Sushi Shin

一個星期中, 周一可能是日本料理店生意最冷淡的一天. 不知有多少人是聽了Anthony Bourdain在Kitchen Confidential書裡面"千萬不要在周一在餐廳裡點海鮮"的忠告, 所以壽司店可能不會是大家這天外出吃飯的頭號選擇. 但對我們來說, 人少反而是個好處 - 甚麼人氣長龍食店, 無論多好吃, 要等要擠的, 也從來不是我們的cup of tea, 能舒服自在的嘗一頓飯, 甚麼天也沒有分別.

前個星期和朋友到大坑的一家"隱蔽小店"嘗了頓精彩的"住家菜", 行經這家相熟的壽司小店, 方發現原來已有好幾個月沒有光顧. As a matter of fact, 這幾個月甚至沒有"正正經經"的吃過一餐像樣的sushi. 於是在緊接的一星期裡來了這裡兩遍: 周末獨自walk-in嘗了一頓午餐之後, 順便訂了隔幾天兩個人晚飯的位置. 沒有特別原因, 就隨便揀在這天.

周一晚, 我們來到門前, 才七點半還不到 - 這是個relaxed的平日, 我們寧願稍為早一點開始, 好避開晚飯的黃金時段. 推門進去, 看到是店內少見的清靜, 只有寥寥數位客人在進膳, 還有後方廂房內的私人宴會; 比起前兩天午飯時間的"盛況", 猶如"地獄"與"天堂"之別, 當然, 如果明白supply與demand的原理, 原因也不難想像. 坐進了壽司吧靠寬敞的角落, 師傅已遞上沾了芝麻粒的淮山作前菜 - 簡單利落的amuse bouche. 平時主理壽司的是阿偉和阿傑兩位師傅, 不過這天偉師傅休假了 - 其實反正人不多,  有傑師傅在壓場已綽綽有餘. 侍者遞上酒單, 這裡的清酒選擇並不多, 亦不算出眾, 心裡嘀咕早知自己帶一支來算了, 最後揀了初孫的純米大吟醸. Decent, 只是有點predictable.

坐在壽司吧, 當然連menu也懶得看. 師傅先逐一遞上數款白身魚: 左口魚, 池魚, 針魚及油甘魚腩. 針魚是時令的海鮮, 固然是鮮味不凡, 油甘魚腩也不錯. 接著來了兩片toro - "大拖羅"用上chilled(冰鮮)的, 未經過急凍就空運直送到店; 和"普通"的急凍toro一先一後的品嚐, 頓時高下立見 - 這亦解釋了為甚麼在日本嚐的sashimi很多時都比在其他地方好. 燒帶子夾著紫菜, 只簡單灑了海鹽調味, 已經是一絕. 一輪sashimi以後, 換上了sushi. 海鰻搭配yuzu zest, 味道清新; 嘗了一口雲丹壽司之後, 你會明白為甚麼晚飯的價錢會比午餐高上好幾倍.

本來omakase我一向也很少向師傅亂點菜, 不過也忍不了口要了一件秋刀魚, 因為快要off season的了而我可不想要等下年秋季才有機會再嚐. 秋刀魚算是很"麻煩"的魚, 稍欠新鮮的話, 不用甚麼食家也很容易吃得出, 雖然季節已臨尾聲, 但這一件也很好, 還很肥美.

傑師傅不快不慢, 邊聊天邊飲邊做, 不知不覺就一個晚上,  而且不單是我們, 所有人客看來都很愉快, 難怪不少人認定這裡是全城其中一家最好的. 後來來了一件鮪魚魚鮫壽司, 味道絕不下於剛嘗過的chilled o-toro, 再加上toro飯團和一碗暖呼呼的天婦羅烏冬, 一輪又一輪的美食剛好足夠把前幾天下雨天加上monday blues帶來的抑鬱一掃而空.

Not to order seafood on Monday? said who?

details:
when? November 8 2010
where? Sushi Shin, G/F 110-114 Tung Lo Wan Road
menu highlights? Chilled Toro Sashimi
drinks? 初孫 純米大吟醸

A time for everything - Otto e Mezzo

There's an obvious reason why October is always my favorite month of the year, and a lot not-so-obvious ones. It's about the only time of the year that one can truly appreciate the pleasantness of scrolling on the street in Hong Kong, feeling the gentle breeze and admiring the clear sky, and often the time when we have the fullest moon of the year. As we bid farewell to the gruesome hot and humid days, this is also the time when we see buckets after buckets of in-season delicacies start showing up in the supermarkets and grocery stores - oysters, hairy crabs, just to name a few.

Oh of course, it's also hard to overlook the fact that October is the white truffle season - from the numerous emails, newspaper articles, tweets from restaurants around town announcing the arrival of this so-called "diamond of the kitchen" from Alba. (a friend of mine received 8 of those in one day) This is not surprising since just the mere mentioning of the word truffles in any menu item almost gave you the automatic right to charge 50% more than normal.

With that in mind, when the time comes to decide where to go to celebrate an October birthday, it seems like a no-brainer that Umberto Bombana's Otto e Mezzo is the ideal choice, especially what we are talking about is MY birthday and Chef Bombana is known as the best in the trade as long as cooking truffle dishes are concerned. Perhaps the reason why we have waited for so long to try this restaurant is that we subconsciously think October is THE best time for him to leave a first impression.

We have little doubt about Mr Bombana's ability to deliver perfectly-executed fine meals consistently - after all our previous experiences with him at Toscana of the former Ritz-Carlton and The Drawing Room never disappoint. And we were delighted to see the grand maestro mingling with guests and supervising his staff as we walked inside the comfortable yet stylish dining room just as darkness begins to fall - dim but appropriately lighted space with minimalist table decorations, no flashy or unnecessary stuff that does nothing but shouted "snobs".

We were seated at a table by the window which gave us a good view of the entire restaurant. The place's located on the second floor so don't expect a jaw-dropping view but it nonetheless gave us a sense of tranquility, overlooking the quiet Chater Street in Central as the day's drawing to a close.

As we are surveying across the tables surrounding us, it's no surprise that almost every table opted for the treasured white truffle dishes this evening - a fanatic couple next to us almost refused to eat anything unless there were truffle flakes scattered on top of the dish and even went to the extreme of keep sniffing at every dishes like a ***, or drug addicts, if you might. I guess they were so self-indulged that they didn't realize the funny scene they were making of themselves by doing that. Not wanting to bore ourselves and our taste buds, we instead decided to supplement the tasting menu with just a couple white truffle dishes to share - to eat, not sniff, of course.

The dinner's absolutely gorgeous - quite possibly our best of the year so far, except a couple meals we had in South Africa. The scrambled "taiyouran" eggs and risotto - both served with white truffles in abundance and prepared by Mr Bombana by the table - were of course unforgettably divine, as we both sort of took for granted from this restaurant and from this man. With the dining room soon getting full as the evening progresses, the entire place's quickly filled with this enticing aroma of the "white diamond".

My main course of beef duo - tenderloin and short ribs served in red wine sauce - was predictable (like the one we had at The Drawing Room) yet still delicious no matter how many times we have tried before. I also liked the contrast of two vastly different cuts being prepared differently but served as one dish. But it came as a surprise to us that the common verdict of our favorite course belongs to the angelhair with cherry tomatoes and lobster - it's not at all eye-opening or creative but simply fresh and harmonious in flavors. Classic Italian dish at its best. Nothing in particular to write home about for other dishes such as foie gras with caramelized pears or the dessert of almond cake and chestnut icecream, but we nonetheless enjoyed them much.

Wine list is concise with good variety. Our Nebbiolo d'Alba showed floral yet earthy nose which matched well with the unique aroma of that of the truffles', was medium-bodied with predominantly black fruit flavor and wrapped in mellow and smooth tannin, a sign of graceful maturity. It's very approachable both in terms of its taste and price - especially when compared with its more famous neighbors.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven... I wonder if God's enjoying a dish with white truffles as He gave us the verse. I was sure reminded of this when I had mine. Despite the hefty dinner tab, I have a feeling that it won't be too long for us to return to this Michelin-star contender - hopefully before the end of this truffle season.

details:
when? October 16 2010
where? 8½ Otto e Mezzo, Alexandra House, Central
menu highlights? Everything with white truffles
drinks? Luca Abrate "Ceisa" Nebbiolo d'Alba DOC 1999

Best.Sausage.In.Town

This new restaurant serves the best sausage in town. Enough said.


Portabello - stuffed with mixed mushrooms (portabello, champignons, porcini), caramelized onions and sage. Served on signature BRAT bun, dijon mustard, and some extra caramelized onions as condiment. This is what I ordered - everything's great - except I can certainly live with more mustard and more condiments. The more the better.

This place's in Soho (and the lower part of Elgin). Here's their website: www.brat.com.hk. They called themselves "Purveyor of Awesome Sausages" and deservedly so. If you are sausage lovers like us, don't just come, RUN to this place before words got out. I bet soon enough it will be swamped with people.

details:
when? September 25 2010
where? brat, 7 elgin street, hong kong
menu highlights? sausages! more than 10 to choose from.

Encore @Tim's Kitchen

Not too often did we find ourselves returning to the same restaurant in quick succession, but we did draw exception every now and then, and this Monday evening was one such occasion. It's my father's bday and when we suggested two decent Chinese restaurants to pick from for celebration, that's what he chose, so Tim's Kitchen that is. (the other one's The Chairman, just in case you wonder)

Since our last visit in June, Tim's Kitchen has undergone quite a number of changes actually, so in a way it's somewhat new to us - it's moved to a bigger and nicer venue a few blocks down the street with a more upscale decor, and the menu has greatly expanded (I also heard whispers saying that they inevitably raised the price for some items in the menu). Presumably with a larger kitchen and staff team, they are now able to serve dim sum daily for lunch, and have more choices of a la carte dish for dinner.

Nonetheless, we ended up repeating some of its signature dishes, plus a few more new ones. The Steamed Crab Claws in Egg White (蛋白蒸蟹鉗) is still my favorite of the evening - the claw was de-shelled, exposing the meat inside, and was steamed with superior broth and egg white. It's delicately prepared, nicely presented, with melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich flavors. This time we also tried to do a crab claw 2-ways course, with the second dish being the deep-fried stuffed crab claws (百花炸釀蟹鉗). Even though we probably had this dozens of time before as this is a common dish in banquets, I think this one just blew the rest of competition away by a long mile.

Water melon soup (冬瓜盅) has always been our favorite summer "dish" - and its portion is just perfect for four of us and is full of various ingredients - we enjoyed that as much as we did the first time. We completed our meal with three additional a la carte dishes - chicken with black beans , stir-fry chinese cabbage with garlic, and satay beef rice rolls. They are not fancy but nonetheless delicious.

For dessert, we ordered 4 huge Chinese birthday buns - which unfortunately, weren't as good as some others we had elsewhere. I don't know what's a bigger problem - not enough filling, or slightly undercooked dough. That certainly discouraged us from returning a third time for its newly introduced dim sum menu any time soon.

The old free corkage policy's long gone after they moved but at $80 per bottle we still found it reasonable. We brought a lovely vintage champagne in that matched well with the dishes, with pleasant complexity and smoothiness to show forth. It's no doubt an enjoyable evening and we will certainly come back again - actually we are already plotting to do so when their famous snake soup's in season - but I think we will likely stick with the tried-and-true old dishes next time around.

details:
when? September 20 2010
where? 桃花源 tim's kitchen, G/F, 84-90 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan
menu highlights? Steamed Crab Claws in Egg White again! (蛋白蒸蟹鉗)
drinks?
Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 1996