This Thai/Vietnamese restaurant is located in 3/F IFC Mall, with also an outdoor seating area where one can enjoy the gorgeous view of Victoria Harbour. We were seated at the section near the entrance, so unfortunately did not get to see much but able to hear the activities in the open kitchen behind.
The decor is modern and offering a relaxing mood from the dimmer lighting. Using stones hanging in the ceiling, hemp ropes and weathering steel further adds to the rustic ambiance of the restaurant.
Ordering a number of appetizers, the first is Prawn Rolls & Lemongrass Pork Rolls ($98). The prawn rolls in my opinion is a bit imbalanced, having a lot of rice noodle while the only two sliced small prawns at both ends, so after the first bite you would feel you are having a plain rice noodle roll. The pork rolls are better with the minced pork seasoned well and having the flavors throughout the whole roll.
Next come the Chargrilled Platter with Lamb Skewer, Rib Eye, Squid, Thai Salad, Tomato ($248). The squid is a bit disappointing. even with the sauce on top there is not much taste. The Thai salad is decent but nothing special, while the rib eye is quite spicy. Not sure what herbs are used to season the lamb skewer but it is not that impressive, and frankly the best is the grilled tomato, which is meaty and juicy.
The Roasted Eel ($158) is the biggest let-down of the night. During the grilling there is a sauce applied on the eel, and to me that strange taste is not pleasant. I can find some peppery notes but that flavor was not something I have experienced. I tried to immerse the eel in the chili sauce to mask that taste I am surprised to find the expected hot and spicy note is so weak. Frankly this dish I would not recommend at all.
The main dish of Wok-Fried Tiger Prawns with Lemongrass & Garlic ($138 each) is certainly eye-catching. The size of the tiger prawn is one of the largest I have ever eaten. Prepared together with the lemongrass and garlic, the prawn is nicely seasoned with the fragrance from the lemongrass and garlic so overall this dish helps to rescue quite a lot of the disappointment in the earlier dishes. At the price point it is also one of the better value among those we ordered.
We also had the Wok-Fried Flat Rice Noodles with Pork ($128). This dish is decent, with the taste and everything matching with my expectation. The only advice would be to adjust the proportion of the flat rice noodle with the pork and vegetables, as it certainly feels more like a wok-fried pork and vegetables. While someone might think it is good deal this way, to me the customer is looking for the noodle when they order this dish.
Decided to try the dessert as well, I ordered Coconut Panna Cotta ($78) while my wife had the Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango & Coconut Milk ($78). The panna cotta is quite nice, with plenty of coconut meat inside, and paired with a coconut ice-cream which is of the right sweetness. Nicely done.
Service is good, with the staff attentive and pleasant. I also noticed the restaurant taking good measure to maintain distancing of the tables and customers which is something I applaud them.
With two cocktails as well, the bill was $1,320 which is quite expensive considering the food we had. I am happy to see that the restaurant is almost full on the night but I believe there are quite a lot of things they would need to look into and improve, if they want to ensure they survive in this competitive industry.
沒有留言:
張貼留言