A whole lot of seafood

A bunch of us foodies gathered at one of our favourite haunts tonight (On Lot 10, 34 Gough Street, Central, HK) to celebrate a couple of birthdays. Resident Chef David Lai (aka Boss Man) was MIA tonight, busy as he was with his new venture Bistronomique that has just opened a few days ago. As usual, we gave the kitchen carte blanche, and the fare tonight was definitely very seafood-y... I think we were all relieved that Chef David had left instructions to cut down on the quantities (as dinners here usually end up in gargantuan feasts), but somehow something more than just the chef was missing tonight, and I did not feel the same magic as on my previous visits... Overall, it was still an enjoyable dinner, but I felt the dishes were hit-and-miss, which I really wasn't expecting. I suspect the focus has now been diverted to Bistronomique, and will have to pay it a visit soon to find out...

Belon 000 and Gillardeau oysters

I was disappointed with my belon, which I found bitter. The Gillardeau was less briny and more creamy, and I enjoyed it a lot more. Goes without saying, both were extraordinarily fresh. 

Shrimps

When I saw the plates coming to our table, I thought Chef David might have surprised us with some bouquets from Brittany... turned out I had set my expectations too high and from close up, these looked nothing like bouquets. These were some pretty delicious shrimps though, very sweet and tasty.

Razor clams baked with herb butter

Simple and gorgeous.

Abalone

I have to admit a fondness for abalone. Back in europe, native ormeaux are now so rare they are never found on restaurant menus. Not sure how this one had been cooked, but it was a bit chewy, and came with a pretty good creamy butter sauce. This is also the first dish where I found the kitchen had had a bit of a heavy hand with the black pepper...



Omelette with sea urchin

The dish was welcome to our table with ooohs and aaahs... and turned out to be a disappointment as far as I am concerned. The omelette consistency was nicely done, even thought I might have liked it a bit more creamy, and the urchin was definitely not of the best quality. Of the couple of pieces I got (as this was a dish to share), one was very bitter and the other almost tasteless. None of the creamy sweetness I have come to acquire a taste for was present. The foam with piment d'Espelette flakes didn't manage to save the act...



Lobster risotto with morels and Vin Jaune

Now THAT was an awesome dish - each guest got a whole lobster topping its plate of risotto, and I couldn't help but admire what a nice job the kitchen had done with deshelling the claws. The risotto was packed with the flavours of the morels and the wine. The consistency of the risotto could have been a bit thicker, but the flavours were just gorgeous and paired perfectly - with the exception of an excess of black pepper...

Pigeon en crépinette (pigeon breast with foie gras wrapped in caul fat)

The only non-seafood dish of the night! I was so full at this point I left most of the dish untouched and had it packed away... I nibbled on the leg - the meat was delicious but I would have liked the skin to be crispy, I just don't dig poultry skin much otherwise... The jus was divine and the jardinière de légumes under the meat tasted very much home-cooked. The centre of the crépinette was stuffed with foie gras. Overall a very good dish but the choice of the veggie somehow seemed a bit odd - this called for a good old-fashioned carb in my opinion, if only to mop up the juices...

Cheese - Saint Marcellin

This was clearly over-ripe, and the rind could no longer be eaten, The center of the cheese was fine, but the more gooey layer just beneath the rind had started to develop this soapy taste that tells you a cheese is definitely over the hill. It was also served with the wrong crackers - sweet buttery types like these don't pair well with strong, aged cheese. Bread would have been better, or a simple "table water" if you want to go the cracker route...

Opera from the Mandarin cake shop

An intersting twist on this timeless classic - one of the layers of biscuit had been replaced with crunchy meringue bits, and the cake contained a few more layers than usual. A very good cake overall.