Casual Friday

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It has been a LONG time since the Specialist and I last dined together, and since we would be at the Penfolds Re-corking Clinic tonight, we figured we should catch up over dinner. We would also crack open a pair of decent wines, naturally.

I could not have been more surprised when she suggested that we go to Yong Fu (甬府), since all of her friends know she doesn't spend money on high-end Chinese food. Fortunately the restaurant has been doing set lunches and set dinners since earlier this year, and this provided me with the perfect opportunity to try out the set dinner for the very first time.

Gemma remembered how much I loved their mahua (麻花) on my first visit earlier this year, so she made sure I got a plate of it before our food arrived. And just like last time, I had difficulty stopping myself from reaching for it again and again...

Pickled cauliflower (泡製菜梗) - this is always a good idea. I love how they jazz up cauliflower with a little vinegar and a mild level of chili.

Health check for wines

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I had long heard about the re-corking events held by Penfolds, where customers bring in older bottles of wine to be checked and re-corked, but I guess I never thought I needed to do something like that. I love drinking old wines and I'm used to seeing old corks, and also used to the mature profile of older wines. Recorking would, in general, involve topping up the bottle with a new vintage - which would damage the purity of the original wine... so I haven't been too eager to do something like that.

This time, though, one of the sessions was for clients of Christies, so the Specialist invited me to the session. She knew, of course, that I do have a small collection of old Grange that may fit the bill. After giving it due consideration, I figured I would see what this was all about.

I haven't stepped foot inside The Upper House for a few years, and certainly have not been to the top floor where the restaurant is located. As soon as the elevator doors opened, there was a full frontal assault by the intense perfume that permeates the room. Not sure who picked the space for this event, but there was no way I could smell anything from a wine glass...

So when I was poured a glass of Penfolds Champagne Cuvée Brut as a welcome drink, I very quickly gave up on trying to enjoy the nose. It was all perfume.

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Penfolds Chief Winemaker Peter Gago presides over these clinics, and he started by explaining how the process works, and the different treatment they give to bottles judged to be in various conditions. They first check the level and see whether it is low enough to warrant re-corking - something Peter described as a "last resort" - as it is preferable not to interfere with the wine.

A Cristal clear evening

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It has been months since that relaxing Friday lunch at Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic, and once again an invitation came from B Bestie - for dinner this time. The vibe would be totally different at night, and with memories of how the room is decorated, I worried whether my camera would get enough light in the romantic setting to deliver good photos.

I need not have worried. The restaurant has these light stands ready to make sure diners can see what they're eating, and for anyone wanting to showcase the dishes on social media to have all the help they need.

Different kind of Night Vibes

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Monsieur Jamin has been talking about doing a massive Champagne night, which he decided to call 夜檳紛 after the laughable campaign Night Vibes Hong Kong (香港夜繽紛) by the Hong Kong government. Our friend had amassed a collection of Champagne which are rare by virtue of their small productions, and being the teetotaler that he is, needed a few more mouths to be able to taste through the collection. I requested Mrs Film Buff's attendance so that Foursheets would have someone to talk to during the long session, and eventually we grew to a group of 13.

Dinner arrangements were made at Tempura Tenon (天ぷら 天穩), a place whose cuisine a few friends had praised for some time. I have been really curious, as Chef Wing's work at his former establishment also got great reviews from friends. There is, of course, a dearth of decent tempura restaurants in Hong Kong, and I have long given up hope of having nice tempura in town. So I was kinda excited about the food at dinner.

Cold chawanmushi (冷やし茶碗蒸し) - the custard was actually made with corn, together with both white and yellow corn on top. Very sweet and refreshing.

The preview

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I had been helping Ms. Hurricane plan her big party, as she needed an "in" with Restaurant Petrus. Well... The Chef Who Tries to Kill Me always whines that I don't love him, that I only love Hairy Legs... blah blah... so I took the opportunity to introduce Ms. Hurricane to him. It is totally reasonable that my friend needed a "taste test" before committing to hosting her big party at the restaurant, so we came for a preview tonight.

I was the first to be seated, and since my lunch wasn't that filling, I had arrived with stomach growling. I mentioned to The Chef Who Tries to Kill Me that "I hesitate to tell you that I'm hungry..." because, well, saying those things in his presence has consequences. I also advised him to keep things reasonable on account of my friend, and he promised to "let us off easy."

I was pleasantly surprised to see Nicolas in the house, as he had just joined the team mere weeks earlier. I felt instantly at ease having a familiar face look after us.

Most of the dishes tonight would come from the current "Summer Dinner" menu, with the addition of a special dish designed to match the wines which would be opened at the upcoming party. I was brimming with excitement and couldn't wait for the food to arrive.

We started with a series of nibbles:

Truffle and beef tartare tart - we've got some acidity with the tartare along with some crunchy shallots. I could taste the umami and flavors of the sea from the tart shell thanks to the presence of kelp.