Redefining sublime

I have said it many times, I love Caprice, and Chef Vincent never fails to tickle my G(reed) spot and amaze my jaded tastebuds... and tonight again I sat back and let the magic operate. The food was perfect beyond sublime and each dish was delivered to our table in a carafully choregraphied ballet of faultless service. After raving about the place to her for so long, tonight I finally took patient Em out for dinner at Caprice (6/F Four Seasons Hotel, Central, Hong Kong). We were joined by Lady Dyson 2000 (as these 2 have become FB buddies but had never met) and later by Mr Dyson 3000, who ducked out of a work do to join us for cheese.

Amuse-bouche: mini-brioches with garlic & spinach and cauliflower mousse.

No matter how hard you tried, these were pretty much a one bite affair... Lady Dyson complained that the brioches should have been toasted, which IMHO would have changed the flavour and texture. I liked them just as they were...

Beurre Bordier - always a winner!

Aaaah, the baguette!! Crunchy and fluffy, as it should be. The perfect tool to scoop out that butter...

Amuse-bouche: bouillabaisse jelly, codfish brandade mousse, seasonal vegetables, shellfish coulis

Lots of marine flavours here, all brought together by a delicate spice touch and rounded up by cream. What a start!

Obsiblue Prawn Carpaccio with Sour Cucumber, Wasabi Jelly and Osetra Caviar

An exercise in finesse, all in delicate and refined flavours. The super-fresh prawn was extremely sweet and the firm flesh tasted like it had still been swimming not so long ago... The crisp flavour of the cucumber was somewhat toned down by the pickling without becoming too sour, and the wasabi jelly was flavourful without being overpowering. The caviar was obviously the real deal (read: not from China) and a few sprigs of chives finished the dish. Brilliant flavour pairing, very harmonious and balanced, and masterfully executed. Wow.

Melba toast for the prawn carpaccio

Périgord Milk-Fed Veal with Grenaille Potatoes, Green Peas and Sucrine Salad in Natural Jus

Rib for 2 

Périgord Milk-Fed Veal with Grenaille Potatoes, Green Peas and Sucrine Salad in Natural Jus

Carved table-side...

Périgord Milk-Fed Veal with Grenaille Potatoes, Green Peas and Sucrine Salad in Natural Jus

Tadaa!!

Rib bone, (very) thick cut fry, jus

Lady Dyson 2000 took care of this Flintstone-style (grunts included...)

Périgord Milk-Fed Veal with Grenaille Potatoes, Green Peas and Sucrine Salad in Natural Jus

The veal (obviously sous-vide before being braised) was perfectly pink (we asked for medium) and extremely tender and delicate in flavour. The grenaille potatoes were sweet and fondant, and the green peas and crunchy salad offered some interesting texture contrast. The jus was absolutely delicious (as always). A truly delightful and gorgeous dish. 

The cheese board - always a feast for the eyes and the palate

My cheese selection - good I asked for small pieces!! O_O

Front to back, clockwise: Brin d'Amour, Coulommiers, Colombier, Mimolette 24 months, Comte 4 years, fourme d'Ambert, Roquefort

Some pairings for the cheese: Chateau-Chalon for the comte, and Hoegaarden for the mimolette (yes, you read well, beer with cheese. Do try it at home if you can't believe it works...)

Pre-dessert: panna cotta, citrus fruits, merlot wine coulis, crumble, peach mousse

An interesting flavour pairing. The wine coulis was deliciously fruity and the peach mousse just smelled heavenly.

Petits fours: salted butter caramels, carrot cake with cream cheese topping, red berry (?) macaroon, passionfruit tartlets

The passionfruit tartlets were on a chocolate rather than pastry base, which was kind of *yawn* even though the custard itself was deliciously acidic and creamy. The pretty macaroons did not have much flavour (and what's with the tasteless coloured white chocolate decorations!?) and the carrot cake was not particularly remarkable (or carotte-y, for that matter). I passed on the chocolates. Once in a while I would like to see a good old-fashioned classic on that dessert menu, like a baba au rhum or a chocolate eclair, a good financier... I would even settle for a decent madeleine! Something old school, something unfancy, no gimmicks, no pretty decorations, no gold foil... just something traditional. Seems even that might be a bit too much to ask.

A big thank you to Jeremy E., Ludovic G. and all the dining room staff at Caprice for their amazing service and reliable advice. See you soon, guys! :-)