This French restaurant is located in Wanchai. Turning up from Star Street to the steep Electric Street, it is near the end of the short street. Owner and chef Esther Sham started this restaurant in 2015, after spending time in some famous restaurants both local and abroad.
Seated at a table at the far corner of the restaurant, I spent some time savoring the design, which has a comfortable, cozy family tone, with clean and neat decorations, but plenty of features that actually reminded me of some good times during my last vacation in Nice.
We ordered the 6-course Deluxe Menu ($1,288 each), plus wine pairing ($588). After serving the home-made bread, the amuse bouche followed, which was a Fresh Oyster. The Gillardeau No. 2 is of a nice size, fresh and sweet, and just adding a few drops of lemon juice was already a great starter.
The first course was Foie Gras, very rich and great in flavors, and I especially liked the crust of thyme and other herbs coated on the outside, adding another layer of taste. The raspberry puree gave a bit of acidity to balance the fat, and the pomegranate seeds the crunchy texture to contrast. The wine paired was a Champagne from Charles de Fere, Cuvee Jean-Louis Blanc de Blancs.
The second course was Scallop and Scrambled Egg with Truffle. The scrambled egg was very tasty, with a creamy texture, seasoned perfectly and added a bit of parsley. The flavors were further supplemented by the truffle. The scallop in a way was relegated to the supporting role, nicely seared on both side but a tiny bit overcooked in my opinion. The wine paired was Maison Jaffelin Bourgogne Chardonnay, which was a wonderful match with the food.
The third course was my favorite in the evening. The Squid and Octopus Linguine with Garlic and Chili was great in taste, with the pasta impeccable on texture, offering the perfect bite and chewiness, with the right balance of garlic and chili flavors integrated. The squid and octopus were crunchy too. Overall it was definitely worth trying out. The wine paired was Domaine Paul Blanck Riesling from Alsace.
The fourth course was Miso-Glazed Halibut with Clams. The fish skin was thinly brushed with miso before putting to sear. While the fish was seasoned nicely and the bearnaise sauce was rich and buttery on taste, it was a bit burnt on the skin, resulting in some bitterness. It was unfortunate as the dish could be much better. The wine paired was Louis Latour Pouilly-Fuisse.
The fifth course was Pan-fried Wagyu Sirloin with Rendang Filo Roll. The beef was not too fat which was to our liking, and the black garlic puree and savora sauce was both good complement in taste. The pastry was stuffed with rendang beef of the Malaysian recipe. A nice dish. The wine paired was Chateau Manoir du Gravoux from Bordeaux.
The final course was Coffee French Toast, with the brioche soaked with egg, milk and coffee powder before pan-frying, and the staff then poured some condensed milk on top artistically. There was also a scoop of Teh Tarik Ice-cream on top, made from the nice milk tea note familiar in Singapore and Malaysia. A good finale to the meal, and the wine paired was Delas Beaumes de Venise La Pastourelle.
For Petits Fours, we were served a Macaroon, perfect on the shape and the sweetness of the crust and fillings. The service throughout the meal was good. One thing I suggest would be to do a more detailed explanation for each course upon serving. While we were told briefly what the menu covered right at the beginning, it would be good to showcase the food and ingredients, special technique and so on, for the guests to enjoy the dish even more.
The bill on the night was $3,588 which was reasonable. The restaurant was popular and I saw that it was full house on the night, and with the touch of improvements I am sure it can go even further in the local culinary scene.
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