With the Omicron ravaging Hong Kong and the number of cases reaching record high every day, the local dining industry is in a very challenging period under the tightened social distance measures with no dinner service. One way out is to provide customers unique cuisine. In many ways, the recently opened Mora delivered that successfully in my opinion.
Located in Upper Lascar Row, the small street famous for antiques shops, the restaurant blended in with the neighbourhood well. The clever use of lighting to create a warm ambience, with the beige-coloured walls, dark wooden framed furniture and green velvet seats, certainly was cozy and relaxing. We liked the atmosphere which reminded me of Tate Dining Room, the acclaimed Michelin 2-star restaurant under the same chef-proprietor Vicky Lau.
Currently the restaurant only offers a single menu Characters of Soy ($880 each), featuring soy in every dish, starting with Homemade Soft Tofu with Ossetra Caviar and Condiments. The tofu was rich in soy flavours, very soft and delicate, with the caviar providing some savoury notes, a good match. Then I tried the three condiments, including thousand years egg paste, dried radish, and shredded Nanyang BBQ pork. While all were good with the tofu, the thousand years egg paste was the best match with its unique tastes. The chef also thoughtfully provided some pickles, with cucumber, daikon, radish and shallot, to accompany for appetizer. The sourness was appealing while the crunchy texture offered a good contrast to the silky tofu.
The second dish was Shima-Aji Tartare with ‘Thousand’ Tofu Sheet. The fish was cut into small cubes, with also some tofu skin cut into equally small pieces. The citrus added to the fish highlighted the sweetness of the raw fish, and the tofu skin underneath was silken and again exhibiting a delicate yet flavourful supplement to the fish.
The third dish was Brioche Cube with Whipped Soy Cream. The brioche had a buttery note and fluffy texture, already great on its own. But the spread brought it to another level. Apart from the soy cream, it also contained fermented tofu and olive oil, a creative and delicious combination that we would like to try it out at home.
The fourth dish was Salad of Pickled Wood-Ear with Seasonal Mushrooms. The salad dressing was very good, refreshing and appetizing with the acidity. The crunchy texture of the wood-ear, with the nice earthy notes from the mushroom, together with the drunken tofu, was another thoughtful combination demonstrating how the chef could combine different ingredients to complement and maximize their characters, blending into a great culinary delight.
The fifth dish was the last on the first part of the menu focusing on silken. The Stir-fried Soy Milk with Hokkaido Scallop reminded me of a similar Shunde dish, with the chef putting a twist using soy milk instead of buffalo milk. There were also some deep-fried whitebaits on top to provide a contrast in texture as well. A tasty and tribute to traditional cuisine which we both liked.
Coming to the second part of the meal featuring crisp, the sixth dish was One-sided Crispy Threadfin with Tofu Skin Fish Fumet. The threadfin fish was seasoned beautifully, with the skin grilled to nice crispiness while the flesh remained juicy and soft. Underneath the fish was some tofu skin, with the chef pouring in a milky, tasty fish broth added with some Sakura shrimps and pickled mustard to further enhance the umami flavours. My favourite in the course.
The seventh dish was Cold Chicken Soy Milk Bouillon Noodle with Bean Paste. The rich, intense flavours of the chicken soy milk broth was tasty, with the thin Inaniwa udon having a great bite. The slightly spicy bean paste, when mixed with the udon and broth, gave an extra dimension to the whole dish. The finely chopped deep-fried chicken skin added a bit of nice crunchiness to the dish.
The eighth dish was Stinky Red Tofu Marinated Crispy Three Yellow Chicken. The domestic chicken was de-boned, then marinated with the red tofu, before coating with a batter and pieces of crispy tofu skin before deep-frying. Paired with egg yolk mayonnaise seasoned with some paprika, it was apparently inspired by the Korean fried chicken but I liked the twist here. Plentiful in flavours.
The ninth dish was Mora Tofu Stew of the Day – Lobster. Served in a sizzling hot stone bowl and reminiscent of the Chinese dish Mapo Tofu, the chef had used two different types of tofu here, including the soft and dried one, giving different texture on the bite. The sauce was slightly spicy and with appealing savoury taste. On its own the dish could be a bit too salty, so there was a bowl of rice to come with, making it perfect and fulfilling.
The tenth and last dish was Sweet Potato Brulee with Soy Milk Vanilla Ice-Cream. The sweet potato was baked, before dusting with sugar to torch and caramelized. True to the challenge, even for the dessert, the soy was highlighted in the soy milk ice-cream, which was not too sweet and having nice vanilla taste. A complete ending for a wonderful meal.
Service was good, with the staff attentive and friendly. While for each dish there was some explanations it was a bit superficial and I felt customers would be interested to know more the ingredients and the concept behind the dishes. This hopefully would improve in future. Together with beverages and coffee, the bill was $2,143. With the unique concept of soy, I believe this restaurant would very soon become a hotspot in town.
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