Checking my records, the last time I visited this Michelin 2-star restaurant was back in Jan 2016. I cannot believe it is already 6.5 years since. Arriving at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental this evening, with the hotel now becoming a quarantine hotel, we have to take the elevator in the mall to go up to the restaurant.
Passing through the big sliding door, the staff shows us to our table, a spacious and comfortable curved booth seat, offering good intimacy for conversation while looking out to the windows to the dense building skyline. The décor is different from my last visit, with warmer and brighter lighting, a more approachable ambience. The iconic golden rods suspension from the ceiling is also replaced by bronze rings chandelier. Overall, I like this new design better than the previous one.
Starting with some aperitif, I have picked RL Legras Presidence Vieilles Vignes 2013 ($364), a grand cru Blanc de Blancs champagne, with wonderfully refreshing acidity and citrus notes, while my wife, on the recommendation from the sommelier, opted for Lyre’s Classico ($188), an interesting non-alcoholic sparkling from Australia.
We decide to go for the Full Amber Experience ($2,608), and I also asked the sommelier to pick a few wines to pair with the course. The amuse bouche consists of two items, the first being Butter Mushroom Panna Cotta. Some black truffle paste is hidden beneath the thickened cream of the panna cotta, with some thinly sliced crunchy celtuce on top to give a contrast in texture. The chef also adds some parsnip oil on top to increase the complexity in flavors. A good starter.
The other amuse bouche, Foie Gras Lollipop, is a signature of the restaurant. The creamy and tasty foie gras is wrapped with a layer of raspberry gel, to provide the perfect pairing between savory and sweetness. Decorated as two leaves are beetroot and gingerbread. The creative presentation as a lollipop is not just great on appearance, it is also good in taste. My pick among the two amuse bouche.
To start off with the first few courses, the sommelier recommends me to pair with a sake. From Saga, Nabeshima Junmai Ginjo 鍋島純米吟醸 きたしずく ($358) has a delicate, balanced sweetness and umami note, with a slight fizzy sensation, going well with the first couple of dishes featuring Japanese raw ingredients. This brewery has been getting a lot of attention and recently become one of the most sought-after sakes.
The first course is Yellow Tail, or Hamachi in Japanese. The chef has cut a few slices of the fish in sashimi style and cured in sake for 24 hours to soften the texture, and then served with sorrel to give a nice herbal fragrance with acidity. The green sauce is made from green apple, cucumber, and Jalapeno to give a bit of kick, together with also Colatura di Alici, a kind of Italian fish sauce made from anchovies, and monocultivar Frantoio extra virgin olive oil. Together with sliced tomatillo, the complexity of flavors brings extra dimensions to the sashimi, with vibrant acidity to appease the appetite. A great starter.
The second course is Aka Uni. The red sea urchin is from Hokkaido, and I still remember having this same signature dish many years ago. The chef created layers of cauliflower, lobster, with a nice dashi soy sauce jelly, with an unbelievably abundance of premium Daurenki Schrenki caviar on top with some gold flakes to decorate. Scooping all the way down, each spoon is a treat in pure luxurious enjoyment, with the umami notes of the caviar, the different sweetness of the lobster and sea urchin, the creamy texture of the cauliflower puree. There are also the crispy seaweed crackers to go on the side. No wonder this is still on the menu after all these years and remains diners’ favorite.
Moving on to the second wine, it is the one I like most in the evening, the quite rare Domaine A Lady A 2018 ($450), a Sauvignon Blanc from a tiny plot of 1 hectare in the famous winery in Tasmania. With lots of fruit including peach, gooseberry, and melon, plus also the signature and well-integrated grassy characters, it goes well with the peas coming next.
The third course is Duck Foie Gras with Sugar Snap Pea. The vibrant green pea shoots and pea flowers provided both a visual and sensory complement to the sweet peas with the nice poppy texture. On top of the foie gras is a jelly prepared with the Spanish white wine from Rias Baixas, together with some lemon verbena to give acidity and lemony taste in the sauce. On the side are some white onion crisps, with intense flavors that match the dish nicely.
The third wine paired is Philippe Bouzereau Chateau de Citeaux Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pasquelles 2017 ($400). With refreshing acidity and nice minerality on the aftertaste, it goes well with the seafood dishes in the next two courses.
Before the next course we are served the sourdough, freshly baked from the oven, with a crunchy surface while soft in the body. The bread itself is very good, but even better is the French olive oil that comes with for dipping, having a nice nutty note, fresh and delicate.
The fourth course is Blue Lobster from Brittany, with the chef complementing the very sweet and tasty lobster meat with slices of kabu, or Japanese turnips, as well as salicornia, to have a contrast in texture from the vegetables. The sauce is probably the essence on this dish though, with Daurenki Tsar Imperial caviar and chives added to the cultured nut butter, seasoned with grilled almond oil and the pearl-like caviar lime for its acidity. Another great dish.
The fifth course is Arakabu Yaki or pan-seared scorpion fish. The thick piece of the fillet indicated the size of the fish, with the skin grilled nicely, crispy and aromatic, together with some premium extra virgin Manni olive oil ‘Per Me’. The fish however is very mild in taste, relying on the Bouillabaisse, the intense fish stew that is seasoned with Espelette pepper and Amalfi lemon, to infuse with flavors. On the side is an interesting and delicious dumpling, made with wonton skin and containing aromatic summer vegetable fillings, further dusted with some bottarga on top for its umami taste, and is wonderful in enjoying with the bouillabaisse.
The final wine to pair is Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou 2014 ($673), the renown Bordeaux second growth from Saint-Julien. Very aromatic, with smooth tannin, plenty of black fruit and hints of smoky and savory characters, it is of great match with the beef on the main course.
The sixth course is Arita ‘EMO’ Wagyu. The prized beef coming from Miyazaki Prefecture in Japan has been dried and aged in-house. On the nicely seared beef there are some wagyu beef katsuobushi, the dried beef shavings similar in the way with bonito, which goes well with the juicy, tender beef to enhance the flavors. On the side is a piece of ichijiku, or fig, with also some confit red onion. The tasty sauce is prepared with black garlic together with some pepper berry and aged Shanghai vinegar, providing the perfect complement to the beef. My favorite dish in the evening.
Coming to the dessert, the seventh course is Puffed Black Camargue Rice. Flavored with the inclusion of sake lees, the crunchy texture of the rice puff is memorable, and on top there is the rice milk ice-cream of delicate taste. The raspberry on the side has a nice acidity to freshen up the palate, further complemented with the raspberry vinegar. A good one.
The menu does include coffee or tea, and so I opted for a Double Espresso to go with the upcoming richer chocolate dessert.
The final course features the single origin Conspiracy Dak Lak 90% Bitter Chocolate from Vietnam. With some cacao nibs sprinkled on top, the crunchy flakes from silken tofu and cacao have a nice presentation and is perfect condiment for the sorbet made with fermented cacao mucilage and yuba. I found the chocolate having unique cherry and spicy characters, and while it is dark chocolate it is not as bitter as the other ones I have tried. No wonder this is the chef’s favorite dessert.
For Petits Fours, the first is the Fruit Platter with pineapples, Java apple, and rambutan. The fruit are not the usual ones but highlighted the more regional and seasonal picks which showcased another example of the chef’s philosophy to use local and regional ingredients for his dishes.
The second Petits Fours is Madeleine, the traditional French small sponge cake. The soft texture of the cake and the right level of sweetness is what I like for this one. While it might not look fancy, sometimes the original and simple version does offer the best experience.
The third Petits Fours is Chocolate Mousse, with a chocolate casing holding the smooth, creamy mousse rich in flavors. Decorated with some toasted almond pieces and chocolate shavings, it is the most indulgent of the four.
The last Petits Fours is the Seep Tea but unfortunately by that time I am a bit drunk and cannot remember what exactly it is made with.
Service is good, with the staff friendly and explaining each dish in detail. The sommelier is also professional and able to pair the wines well with the food. The bill on the night is $8,480 and obviously it is not cheap but on the complete dining experience AMBER continues to deliver its promise and justify the Michelin 2-star status. No wonder earning the award 14 years consecutively.
