Since its opening, this overseas branch of the famous Michelin 3-star in Seoul under the same name has been a hot spot for HK diners. On the night I come with high expectation to 3/F of M+ in West Kowloon to experience how Chef Sung Anh and his team bring Korean cuisine to another level.
The main dining room is spacious, looking out to the HK skyline on one side. In the middle is a large patch of flower bed decoration, with comfortable circular banquette tables around. The dim hanging lights provide a cozy and relaxing ambience, giving me a feeling of dining under starry night.
There is only one tasting menu ($2,180 per person), and I also go for wine pairing ($1,180). My wife has opted for a Pineapple Juice ($58) to start. The staff then brings us a welcome drink, made from Korea rice wine, with some black pepper and ginger, exhibiting interesting flavour combinations.
To pair with the first course, a glass of Laurent Lequart ‘Reserve’ Blanc de Noirs NV is served. Made from 100% Pinot Meunier, the wine has green apple, white flowers, and some slight bitterness on the finish. A very clean and refreshing Champagne to start the meal.
The first course involves four small bites, starting with Seaweed with Salmon Roes. The crispy seaweed is formed to resemble a small cup, with plenty of marinated salmon roes inside. The wonderful umami from both of the ingredients creates a feast of delights in taste. A great starter.
The second small bite is Tomato Tart, with the tart made from almond. The tomato skin has been removed, leaving the soft flesh that has been braised in stock to infuse with flavours while retaining sweetness. On top is an olive crumble as toppings to give fragrance and texture. Another nice one.
The third small bite is my favourite, Abalone Taco. Wrapping in the crispy taco shell is the very tender abalone, with some sweet mustard inside. On the top is some fine shredded kombu to add to the umami. A few drops of lime juice enhance the taste tremendously by giving some acidity.
The last small bite is Ink Tart, with eggplant puree inside. On top is the sliced cured beef, with a nice marble but not very fatty on palate. Very tasty and all four small bites give us a pleasant surprise of how the chef can integrate these Korean ingredients with Western cooking techniques.
The next wine features the Modern series of Senkin, a sake from Tochigi prefecture. Muku is the flagship of the series, with the name meaning no stain, reflecting the idea of the style of pure and clean, having a mellow palate, with white pear, flowers and is good match with the tofu.
The Black Sesame Tofu is a creative dish with a Japanese touch. The silky tofu is made to resemble a xiaolongbao, with sea urchin inside. Mixing with a bit of wasabi the delicate tofu taste is in great harmony with the umami of the sea urchin, with the light soy sauce providing good seasoning.
To pair with the third dish, I am served Depperu ‘Ruinas’ 2021, a 100% Vermentino from Sardinia. Well-structured and refreshing, with nice fruit and herbs, a bit of green tea and hints of salty on the finish. A versatile white wine to pair with fish, as well as other seafood in my opinion.
The presentation of Pink Tilefish in Brassica is amazing, with the meaty tilefish with colourful skin sitting on a sauce of pinkish hue, with the greenish herb extracts creating patterns on it. The tilefish is very smooth and soft on the texture, great in quality. The brassica shreds also provide an extra layer of texture.
Next wine is Radikon Slatnik 2020, an orange wine from Fruili-Venezia Giulia, a blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Sauvignonasse. My favourite wine on the evening, this wine has plenty of yellow stone fruit, melon, and good minerality and savoury to match with the deep-fried mushroom.
Essence of Autumn Ground is in fact a tempura style deep-fried mushroom with a sauce made from mushroom essence, a puree made of spinach and orange. Despite the best effort from the chef, I feel the dish is quite oily on the palate. Perhaps the restaurant should consider changing this dish.
To pair with the noodle, the wine chosen is MastroJanni Brunello di Montalcino 2018. The beautiful ruby red wine has a nice strawberry, cherry and spicy notes, tobacco and savoury characters. Classic Brunello that goes well with cheese and the earthy notes of the black truffle in the next dish.
Ember Roasted Acorn Noodle features the Korea acorn noodles, but using Parmesan cheese to prepare a sauce, with plenty of shaved black truffle on top. The texture of the noodle is fantastic, al dente, with the sauce not heavy, and the black truffle weaving its magic of fragrance to add to the enjoyment.
Coming to the main course, the wine paired is Chateau Bellefont-Belcier 2019, a classic St-Emilion with 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauivgnon. With intense black plums, blackberry and mocha, mineral notes of lead and some spiciness, nice match with the pork loin coming up.
There are two choices of the main, with me picking Iberico Pork while my wife has the Korean beef. The pork is juicy and tender, grilled perfectly, with a delicious jus. On the side is the Naju pear to give a bit of sweet and refreshing taste to balance. Very tasty. The beef on comparison is not as good in my opinion.
The Small Sweets consist of a few different dishes. First is Jasmine Sorbet and Lemon Rice Cake. The sorbet is made from yogurt, coconut, lime zest. Very refreshing and also helps to cleanse the palate. The rice cake is ‘stuffed’ to the poached lemon skin, which can be eaten together.
Next is Caramel Ice-Cream with ginger, and pineapple pieces on the bottom. The soft ice-cream is very pleasant on the texture, not too sweet, and the pineapple pieces have been cooked in rum to infuse with the characters, while boiling away the alcohol. The crisps on top provides a nice contrast on texture.
The final dessert is Dasima Cheese Cake. Dasima is the Korean word for kelp, and the chef has added that to the cheese cake to create a note of umami on top of the sweetness of the cake. With a cup of coffee, it is the perfect finale to the meal.
The Petits Fours is a delicate dessert made from rice flour and honey, with the crunchy skin and soft inside, which reminds me a bit of Canelés from Bordeaux region in France. Again, great together with the coffee.
The service is good, with the staff friendly and nice. The sommelier is knowledgeable and his wine pairing is very good. The staff can spend more time explaining each dish though. The total bill on the night is $6,527. Not cheap, but worth coming to explore how they combine Korea food with fine dining.
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