Our last visit to this Michelin one-star restaurant was back in 2021, and after five years, we return to Wellington Street in Central, to once again experience the culinary wonders created by Chef Agustin Balbi and his team, which combines the influences from Spain, Italy, Argentina and Japan.
The interior décor has not changed, with the open kitchen on one side, and the tables are nicely set to offer good privacy. We take the Experience Menu ($2,388 each) and I also go for Wine pairing ($1,150). Soon the staff shows us a tray holding the different fresh ingredients that will be used on the night, that are vibrant and colourful.
The welcome drink is a brewed tea, using Bai Hao Yin Zhen, a top-tier white tea known as one of top ten tea in China. Its name comes from its straight needle shape, plus some white hairs covering the tea leaves. With a touch of honey and ginger, it is refreshing and has good antioxidant effects.
The chef has prepared three Bocaditos, or canapes in Spain. Served on a crunchy tartlet shell are some very sweet, chopped Ama-Ebi. The Japanese sweet shrimp are served raw to preserve the great sweetness, and paired with some pumpkin spheres, together with blood orange puree to give a touch of acidity.
The second canape features Smoked Hamachi, with the Japanese yellowtail of good fattiness, rich in delicious fish oil. Prepared in a nori sheet, with long pepper, dashi jelly, and some deep-fried white kombu on top to give a contrast in texture, the umami of the kombu and yellowtail are highly complementary in taste.
The third canape is Wagyu Beef Tartare, nicely seasoned and chopped to small pieces, before placing on a biscuit and covered with transparent dashi gel. The flavours are wonderful, with the beef tender and rich in taste, balanced by the dashi gel to give a subtle layer of umami to the wagyu. All three starters are amazing.
The homemade Sourdough Bread has a crunchy crust and airy interior. The chef has added some raisins as well. To pair with the bread, there are two different olive oils served. One is Carmen del Poaig from Spain, blending three different kinds of olive, with more grassy notes. The other is Zuccardi from Argentina, fruity and nutty, of sharper taste.
The first wine pairing is Jiranjigyo Takju, a premium Korean rice wine, or makgeolli. The wine is made from traditional method to ferment rice for 100 days, followed by 90 days of ageing. With a thick and creamy texture, the wine has a nice combination of sweet, sour and fruity notes. An interesting and creative choice to pair tuna.
The first course features Spanish Tuna, with the chef using the lean cut of the flesh to prepare a tartare on the bottom, seasoned with a bit of smoked soy sauce. On top is smoked paprika espuma, with the foam bringing a tiny touch of spice and smoky note, finishing with Kristal caviar on top to provide a nice savoury touch premium.
With us going for an additional course of red prawn, there is also an additional wine to pair. Chateau de Pibaron Bandol 2023 is an iconic Provence rose, showing nice strawberry and cherries aromas, plus herbs and a saline palate. The slight tannin and minerality note is a good match with red prawn.
The second course features Carabinero Red Prawns from Spain ($540 per person). The prized red prawn is served semi-raw with a silky panna cotta, together with ossetra caviar on top. The sauce is made from Japanese mushroom and kasuzuke, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, plus another using the prawn head mixed with butter and citrus.
The third wine pairing is Valdespino Inocente Single Vineyard Fino Sherry. Using the traditional approach of making sherry, the wine has seen fermentation in large oak barrels, for the development of the flor, giving a rich nutty almond, olive, and yeasty characters, which goes well with the earthy tone of the mushroom soup coming up.
The third course features Yunnan Wild Mushroom, presented in a rich concentrated consommé soup style. The base broth is a flavourful shiitake dashi, with the dumpling having delicious fillings of maitake, morel and cordyceps freshly flown in Yunnan. Together with a piece of kinome leaf to give a peppery fragrance, it is healthy and hearty.
The fourth wine pairing is Andre et Michel Drappier Brut Nature Zero Dosage NV. The Blanc de Noirs champagne has delicious rich zesty, quince, and stone fruit notes, at the same time having subtle spicy characters. A very refreshing sparkling wine to enjoy, and good to match for seafood of lighter texture.
…which made it ideal for the fourth course, featuring Blue Lobster from Brittany, is the airy foam on top of the lobster tail, contrasting nicely with the bouncy lobster meat. The sauce is a rich lobster bisque prepared with saffron, coconut and shallot, which are served together with some nameko mushrooms as well.
The fifth wine pairing is Domaine Sylvain Cathiard & Fils Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits 2022. With the typical red fruit characters of raspberry and cherries dominating, there are some nice spiciness on the finish. Contrary to the typical pairing with full bodied red, this lighter wine is chosen to match with the leaner Angus beef for the main course.
The fifth course features Argentina Angus Beef, with the fillet slightly smoked and then seared to medium level, pink on the inside, juicy and tender. Served with the jus and chimichurri as condiment, on top of the beef are some deep-fried kales for its crisp texture. On the side is parsnip puree, with some bak choy and crosne.
The sixth wine paired is 7-year aged Dongqu, a traditional Chinese Shaoxing yellow wine that has been getting a lot of attention recently, as I have seen it featured in a lot of high-end restaurants in the last few months. The heritage savoury taste, with the familiar notes of almond and pickled plum is a perfect match for the next course.
The sixth course, Arroz Caldoso. The chef uses Yi O rice grown in Lantau, adding to a delicious broth made from chicken, dashi, and herbs including local turmeric. Together with king crab meat plus some kaffir lime leaves for its fragrance, a paste made from local herbs and chili is used to spice up the flavours.
To pair with the desserts, the seventh wine is Jean Vesselle Ratafia Champenois. A blend of grape musts with brandy, the liqueur has nice sweetness, supplemented with some spicy notes on top of the quince and candied fruit on the palate. A nice versatile wine to go with a variety of desserts.
The seventh course is Citrus Yogurt. Mixing with yogurt are segments of orange, grapefruit, and pomelo, where the citrus fruit provides a wonderful combination of sweetness and acidity. With drizzle of olive oil and honey lemon, this dessert is light and refreshing, also serves as a nice palate cleanser.
The eighth course features 62% Dark Chocolate. Anchoring is a chocolate dark rum sponge cake, with the cocoa nibs scattered on top, and covered by a beautiful caramel tuile. The sea salt and rooibos tea, having a nice blend of salty and sweetness, with a surprisingly matching touch with the chocolate.
The Mignardises is a series of small treats, including a creamy sweet potato ice-cream, crème brulee on macaron shell, miso caramel hazelnut cookie, and yuzu hawthorn truffle. Unique and creative till the very end, even this petits fours show how the chef has creatively made use of Japanese ingredients into his cuisine for best results.
Service is good, with the staff friendly and eager to explain the dishes and ingredients. For those who want more privacy, there is also a VIP room which can accommodate 8 to 10 people. The bill on the night is $7,850. Considering the overall dining experience, food quality and service, I would rate this restaurant an Excellent 80 points. Worth returning.
