To celebrate my wife’s birthday, I book this Michelin 2-star restaurant, located in One Chinachem Central. In my last visit two years ago, both of us have a wonderful time, with the fantastic white truffle dishes still giving us a mouth-watering memory till today.
Tonight, we are seated at the L-shaped sofa at the corner, having nice space and intimacy, enjoying the full view of the restaurant, and looking out the window to the commercial buildings in Central. The same vibe with the familiar luxury comfort, the atmosphere remains as pleasant as I recall.
We take the 8-course Degustation Menu ($1980 each), with also the complete wine pairing ($860). There are two Amuse Bouche, with the first one a Puff with Cauliflower Fillings, on the surface is a thin slice of Guanciale Ham, a specialty made from pork jowl. The ham is very thin with a nice savoury taste, not too salty, and goes well with the puff with the creamy cauliflower puree.
The second Amuse Bouche is Tuna Tartare Tart, with the diced marinated raw tuna very tasty, nicely seasoned with a bit of fresh herbs, and on top are some caviars to increase the umami notes, supported by a crunchy tart base. Another good canape.
The first course is Imperial Oscietra Caviar, with the chef using some thinly sliced red daikon to hold the fresh, diced scallop, then adding an abundance of caviar on top with some small greens. The burrata cheese dressing is rich and creamy, with a bit of chive oil to enhance the flavours. Very nice. The wine served is NV Charles Le Bel ‘1818’ Brut, a traditional blend Champagne with good acidity and vibrant freshness, with a nice toasty and citrus note.
The second course is Foie Gras, very beautifully presented with a gold foil wrapping the creamy and tasty foie gras inside, which has steamed and cooked with sake and miso. On top are some elderflowers, Champagne jelly and Chasselas grapes, with the acidity of the grapes helps to balance the indulgence from the foie gras. There is a piece of brioche toast to go with the foie gras too. Delicious. The wine served is 2020 Fritz Haag Juffer Riesling Kabinett, a Mosel off-dry Riesling with a sweeter note to pair with the rich foie gras, with also its signature petrol aromas despite its young age.
The third course is Australian Blacklip Abalone ($280 addition to substitute the Hokkaido Abalone). The large abalone is meaty, with a good bite and flavourful. Together with artichoke and long pepper, the slight nutty and earthy tone is complementary with the umami taste of the abalone, while the black truffle does not dominate the flavours. Quite good. The wine served is 2020 Domaine du Pelican, a Chardonnay from Arbois. With bright citrus, there is also a rich almond note and mineral finish.
The fourth course is Spaghetti Chitarra. The pasta is fantastic in texture, with a wonderful bite. Mixed together with some fresh and sweet sea urchin, deep-fried garlic pieces, some chives, and a creamy sauce made from scorpionfish stock, it is pure culinary delights with each ingredient harmonized and integrated. A must order. The wine served is 2021 Santiago Ruiz Albarino, having nice floral, minerality and white peach characters.
The fifth course is the signature. The Spanish Red Prawn ($280 addition to replace the ravioli) is big in size, smoked, having some homemade dried scallop as condiments together with some bottarga butter. Not sure whether it has been cooked for quite some time, I found the prawn just lukewarm in temperature. Also, the piece of toast to scoop up the essence from the head is very greasy. Sadly, a big contrast to the good memories from my last visit, and perhaps we should just stick to the ravioli instead. The wine served is 2020 La Gibryotte Gevrey-Chambertin, and the Pinot Noir also did not go well with the prawn head, resulting in a fishy aftertaste.
The sixth course is Aged Pigeon. Having been dry-aged for 28 days, the pigeon breast is beautifully seasoned, very delicious with some black truffle and hazelnut, further enhancing the fragrance with a bit of nutty notes. The wild radicchio is trimmed to a disc-shape, with the crunchy texture giving nice contrast to the tender pigeon. Very good. The wine served is 2018 Togni Rebaioli 1703, a Nebbiolo with nice earthy and savoury characters pairing well with the pigeon.
The seventh course is Omi Beef. The cattle are raised in Shiga prefecture, considered the top three among Japanese beef. Very nicely seared and juicy, the beef has less marble fat, much to our liking. On the side is some deep-fried veal tendon, having a nice bite, together with some freshly shaved black truffle. Very good. The wine served is 2017 Le Chiuse Brunello di Montalcino, with a nice red fruit, oaky note, smoky and lots of herbs, pairing well with the beef.
The eighth and final course is Japanese Strawberries. The strawberries have been cooked to a soft texture, in a nice strawberry juice dressing, with caramel crisps, meringue that is made to a flower shape, and on the side a nice mascarpone cream and rose geranium ice-cream. Nice finale. Not included in the wine pairing, I have an additional wine for this dessert. The 2021 Marco Capra Moscato d’Asti Bricco delle Merende ($80) has a slight fizzy mouthfeel and not too sweet, suitable for the pairing with the strawberries.
The Petits Fours include Madeleine, Lemon Jelly, and Chocolate Praline. All delicious and with the right sweetness, pairing well with the Double Espresso ($70) to wrap up the meal.
Service is good, with the staff friendly and attentive. While they all did explain each course to us, I would hope they can go a bit deeper into the details of the ingredients and cooking techniques. The bill on the night is $6,798 and is reasonable in my opinion. Overall, it is still a nice restaurant, but somehow, I do not have the same excitement or urge to return like my previous visit.
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