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It's been a whole 5 months since Friday Lunch Club last had its gathering, so we finally got around to organizing lunch on a Saturday. One of us is a VIP at Cépage, and I was happy to finally have a chance to revisit the restaurant. A lot has happened since my initial visit almost 2 years ago, with new chef Sebastien Lepinoy (ex- L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon) at the helm and a macaron in the latest Red Guide.
Showing posts with label Lunch Club. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lunch Club. Show all posts
March 19, 2011
October 15, 2010
Another light lunch
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It's been almost 6 months since Lunch Club last met, and we finally got around to organizing another meeting...at Caprice of course! Lady Elf had put together some menu suggestions for a "light lunch", and I'd been getting a little self-conscious over the amount of my food intake recently. I decided against the wild duck tasting that others have chosen and was all set to do just a main course + cheese.
While we waited for everyone to arrive, the rest of us sat around, a little agitated that we hadn't been served with our beloved Bordier salted butter (and bread, of course). Finally I could hold it in no longer, and asked the staff to bring us the butter - and only the salted version. Four servings were subsequently placed on the table, but frankly that's nowhere near enough for the 6 of us. There were 5 of us who practically inhale this stuff... and Mrs. Dyson promptly squirreled one away as her own.
I looked at the lunch menu and decided that for an extra HKD 50 I might as well have an extra course... so guess what I did?
Our amuse bouche today was a single Royale Cabanon oyster with shallot cream and yuzu granité. The oyster itself was fat, creamy and slightly sweet - poached for two seconds. The yuzu (柚子) granité was awesome, and I didn't mind one bit that I no longer tasted the brine in the shell. What a way to kick off lunch!
Crab bisque, sudachi lime zest and shellfish roll - while the bisque is a French creation, this dish was all Japanese to me. My first whiff of the soup revealed an element I didn't expect - ammonia. The first thought which flashed through my mind was - heaven forbid - the crab wasn't fresh?! But I quickly realized that the smell probably came from something else - crab tomalley, or more specifically kanimiso (かに味噌). While crab roe in other cuisines smell rather mild, the Japanese tomalley - the green/grayish thick paste sometimes found on top of sushi - is actually pretty pungent and smells of ammonia. I happen to love this stuff, so I happily lapped away. In any case the sudachi (酢橘) zest helped offset some of the pungency. Absolutely loved the bisque. The crab meat sushi on the side looked interesting, and they were sweet and delicious with delicate flavors.
Braised wagyu beef shoulder, celery purée and seasonal vegetables in red wine sauce - I had a hard time choosing the main course, and asked Jeremy for help. This is a classic dish, and is just like beef cheek minus the collagen. My knife went through it like butter, and it pretty much melted in my mouth. Absolutely lovely, but not exactly light...
It's been way too long and there was no way I was gonna pass up the cheese. Jeremy was kind enough to present us with a generous selection (left to right, top to bottom):
Chèvre affiné au marc - like an Époisses but made with goat's milk. Light, creamy and nutty in flavor and a little thick and dense.
Pavé de la Ginestarié - very intense and salty, with a bit of ammonia. Soft and smooth in texture. Everyone liked this...
Sainte-Maure - the ash on the outside gave it a more smoky flavor. Rich and creamy and medium sweet.
Beaufort d’été - very sweet on the palate, although I could taste a little bit of the crystallized salt. Nutty with dried fruit flavors.
Persillé de la Tarentaise - probably the least favorite for the group including myself. Salty, pungent, kinda plasticky.
Coulommiers - certainly one of my favorite cheese in the world, and this one was really, really ripe and runny. Just look at this picture taken by someone else at the table... Is that amazing or what?!
Comté - Jeremy knows I never get tired of this... Just look at those salt crystals... Wonderful.
We finished with some petite madeleines, dipped in very yummy sauce...
Does it get better than a 3-hour lunch on a Friday?
It's been almost 6 months since Lunch Club last met, and we finally got around to organizing another meeting...at Caprice of course! Lady Elf had put together some menu suggestions for a "light lunch", and I'd been getting a little self-conscious over the amount of my food intake recently. I decided against the wild duck tasting that others have chosen and was all set to do just a main course + cheese.
While we waited for everyone to arrive, the rest of us sat around, a little agitated that we hadn't been served with our beloved Bordier salted butter (and bread, of course). Finally I could hold it in no longer, and asked the staff to bring us the butter - and only the salted version. Four servings were subsequently placed on the table, but frankly that's nowhere near enough for the 6 of us. There were 5 of us who practically inhale this stuff... and Mrs. Dyson promptly squirreled one away as her own.
I looked at the lunch menu and decided that for an extra HKD 50 I might as well have an extra course... so guess what I did?
Chèvre affiné au marc - like an Époisses but made with goat's milk. Light, creamy and nutty in flavor and a little thick and dense.
Pavé de la Ginestarié - very intense and salty, with a bit of ammonia. Soft and smooth in texture. Everyone liked this...
Sainte-Maure - the ash on the outside gave it a more smoky flavor. Rich and creamy and medium sweet.
Beaufort d’été - very sweet on the palate, although I could taste a little bit of the crystallized salt. Nutty with dried fruit flavors.
Persillé de la Tarentaise - probably the least favorite for the group including myself. Salty, pungent, kinda plasticky.
Does it get better than a 3-hour lunch on a Friday?
April 23, 2010
Precious French ingredients
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It's been a while since our last Lunch Club meeting, and we decided to revisit Caprice. The volcano eruption in Iceland has made its effect felt throughout the world. As a consequence of the disruption to air traffic in Europe, it meant that the supply of European and French ingredients was temporarily cut off. We made the lunch reservation early in the week, and had to rely on our contacts in the kitchen to ensure that some of the items in stock would be reserved for our little gathering.
The amuse bouche was refreshingly delightful. Parma ham and tomato concassé with mozzarella on top. The saltiness of the Parma ham dominated, somewhat tempered by the tomatoes - which were cold and refreshing on a warm day. The mozzarella was liquid and cream-like with a very grainy texture, and the basil coulis on top completed the insalata Caprese.
Langoustine ravioli, veal sweetbreads, chanterelle mushrooms in shellfish bisque emulsion - I loved this dish the first time I had it, and apparently this is the dish which earned Caprice its third Michelin star. The fat and juicy langoustine was very delish, and the sweetbread was nice and creamy. The shellfish bisque was so good that I actually told my fellow diners that I was thinking about licking the bowl...without using the bread to soak it up as I didn't want anything to detract from the taste.
Challans duck fillet cuit au plat, duck leg pastilla, young carrot and aromatic pearl barley - I shared the duck with the male elf, and it was such a pretty dish! The duck was so pink and juicy...with some jus on the side, and sat on top of carrot purée. The pearl barley was firm and bouncy to the bite, with candied cherries and orange peel (or was it clementine?) which made the whole thing almost a little sweet. Yum!
The other part of the dish was the pastilla - very mini and cute, yet delivers so much! The moment I cut it open, the aroma of the spices emerged to greet me. The shredded duck confit was really nice with a touch of mint. I told Chef Vincent that next time I'd like him to make me a giant version...
I also had a bite of the Racan pigeon en croûte, nori seaweed, foie gras, broad bean and artichoke fricassée, which I'd really enjoyed on my last visit. I still think this is an awesome dish...
I brought a bottle of 2002 Kistler Pinot Noir Kistler Vineyard to match the birds. Bernard the sommelier was smart enough to suggest chilling the decanter, which brought the wine to its ideal serving temperature. It drank beautifully. The nose was very open, gorgeous, fruity, a little bit sweet at first, with caramel, mint, Asian spices and pine needle. As time went on the sweetness became more and more prominent. I must savor my remaining bottles...
Next came the cheese...since they know we all love it so much. A plate of seven was laid out in front of us, and we were in heaven. The resident Froggie even raised her arms and croaked "Yessss!!!"
Coulommiers - this cousin of Brie was salty, and smelled a little like green peas. The rind had a heavy taste of ammonia.
Abbaye de Cîteaux - made by the Trappist monks at the L'Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Cîteaux.
Laurentine - this goat cheese with bay leaves was very nutty, salty with slight acidity on the palate. Sooo creamy...
Bonde de Gâtine - I love this cheese...lots of ash on the outside, and the taste was acidic and salty at the same time, with creamy texture.
Comté, 4 years old - yummmmmmm...... pretty salty but there was still a hint of sweetness. Needless to say it paired incredibly well with the 1999 Château Chalon, which had a nose of straw, sweet grass and oxidation in general. The combination of the two in my mouth resulted in very pronounced flavors of sweet corn.
Cabri Ariégeois - one of the Froggie's favorite cheese... basically goat milk Mont d'Or... pretty stinky, runny and just totally awesome. Later in the evening, I found that one of my friends has a family retreat in Ariège... must. go. visit.
Fourme d'Ambert - this was such a nice blue... I could taste a touch of sweetness among the salty flavors.
When I arrived at the restaurant, I was devastated to find out that the remainder of their wild strawberries had spoiled, and that we wouldn't be able to have those wonderful berries. So I settled for the red berry and bourbon vanilla millefeuille, yoghurt and lemon sorbet. Berry millefeuille is always good here, and to avoid squeezing all the cream out I decided to use my knife and karate-chop the pastry... Haiiiii Yah!
I also had a bite of the tropical coconut tiramisu, exotic fruit minestrone and pabana sorbet. This was awesome. You get mango, pineapple and coconut all in one bite... kinda like a piña colada. Perfect for warm weather.
Finally, we got to the petits-fours...and my eyes opened wide at the sight of canelés. I loooooove these little things, and swallowed it in one bite. The orange and guava jelly was superb as usual.
It was a really awesome lunch, I'm glad we kept it "light" - I vetoed the addition of a pork belly course - since I still had a dinner to go to tonight!
It's been a while since our last Lunch Club meeting, and we decided to revisit Caprice. The volcano eruption in Iceland has made its effect felt throughout the world. As a consequence of the disruption to air traffic in Europe, it meant that the supply of European and French ingredients was temporarily cut off. We made the lunch reservation early in the week, and had to rely on our contacts in the kitchen to ensure that some of the items in stock would be reserved for our little gathering.
I brought a bottle of 2002 Kistler Pinot Noir Kistler Vineyard to match the birds. Bernard the sommelier was smart enough to suggest chilling the decanter, which brought the wine to its ideal serving temperature. It drank beautifully. The nose was very open, gorgeous, fruity, a little bit sweet at first, with caramel, mint, Asian spices and pine needle. As time went on the sweetness became more and more prominent. I must savor my remaining bottles...
Coulommiers - this cousin of Brie was salty, and smelled a little like green peas. The rind had a heavy taste of ammonia.
Abbaye de Cîteaux - made by the Trappist monks at the L'Abbaye de Notre-Dame de Cîteaux.
Laurentine - this goat cheese with bay leaves was very nutty, salty with slight acidity on the palate. Sooo creamy...
Bonde de Gâtine - I love this cheese...lots of ash on the outside, and the taste was acidic and salty at the same time, with creamy texture.
Comté, 4 years old - yummmmmmm...... pretty salty but there was still a hint of sweetness. Needless to say it paired incredibly well with the 1999 Château Chalon, which had a nose of straw, sweet grass and oxidation in general. The combination of the two in my mouth resulted in very pronounced flavors of sweet corn.
Cabri Ariégeois - one of the Froggie's favorite cheese... basically goat milk Mont d'Or... pretty stinky, runny and just totally awesome. Later in the evening, I found that one of my friends has a family retreat in Ariège... must. go. visit.
Fourme d'Ambert - this was such a nice blue... I could taste a touch of sweetness among the salty flavors.
It was a really awesome lunch, I'm glad we kept it "light" - I vetoed the addition of a pork belly course - since I still had a dinner to go to tonight!
January 8, 2010
First long lunch of 2010
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It's the first Friday of 2010, and Lunch Club promptly organized a gathering at Amber to kick off the year. While I have always had reservations about this place, the gang - including myself - was pretty happy about our experience here.
The two amuse bouches were the foie gras Chupa Chups-style and a shot glass with 3 layers of flavors - almond panna cotta at the bottom, herring roe jelly in the middle, and cauliflower cream on top. While I detected the roasted nutty flavors of the bottom layer, it didn't taste anything like almonds. The cauliflower was pretty rich and yummy.
My first course was fresh anchovies: marinated, over aubergine caviar, with fine Champagne. I picked this because one rarely sees anchovies on the menu of fine dining restaurants. The presentation was very interesting, like a puzzle with little garnishes that look like mini-M&Ms on top. Beneath the anchovies was a layer of cucumber, with eggplant caviar sandwiched in-between. The dollop of foam on top was flavored with Champagne and eggplant.
There was also some thinly-sliced eggplant tempura which were really nice and delicious. The combination was great, but as the portion was a bit light this left me wanting...
I debated about which main course to take, and finally settled on the Iberian pork belly: lacquered with vintage Sherry vinegar-enhanced jus, kabocha pumpkin gnocchi and black trumpet mushrooms. As it turns out, this was the choice for all of us today - no originality here! The square block of pork belly arrived, looking very much like the braised versions in Chinese cuisine. Of course the fat and the skin on top had been caramelized somewhat, so it was extra yummy. The sweetness of the pumpkin gnocchi provided a strong contrast with the smoky and heavier flavors of the black trumpets - which were a good substitute to black truffles. All four plates were wiped clean in no time.
We shared a couple of portions of the golden brown "ratte" potato confit. Very nice. The plate in front of me emptied in record time, as if someone had inhaled all the potatoes...
The kitchen sent out some lollipops made from coconut sorbet coated with chocolate. Pretty nice and a good alternative to the "Oreos" they used to do.
For once I decided not to have something fruity and refreshing for dessert, choosing instead to go with the Jivara milk chocolate cream, condensed milk ice-cream and Gianduja foam. I was in heaven...all the combination of chocolate, milk and hazelnut - each with a slightly different texture - came together as something divine. A perfect way to end the meal.
This was a great way to relax on Friday, and we didn't leave the restaurant until sometime past 3pm... Hopefully we will have many more sessions like this!
It's the first Friday of 2010, and Lunch Club promptly organized a gathering at Amber to kick off the year. While I have always had reservations about this place, the gang - including myself - was pretty happy about our experience here.
This was a great way to relax on Friday, and we didn't leave the restaurant until sometime past 3pm... Hopefully we will have many more sessions like this!
October 30, 2009
Another 3-star day
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Today was another big day in terms of dining. Both my lunch and dinner appointments were at Michelin starred restaurants, and I was really looking forward to a great Friday.
Our Lunch Club has been kinda falling apart lately, and two of the four members didn't make it today. Nevertheless, the resident Froggie and I had an immensely enjoyable lunch at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon.
Our amuse bouche was a shot glass of foie gras and pumpkin custard with bacon foam. Maybe my taste buds were on strike today, but I really didn't taste much - if any - foie in the glass. The resident Froggie also declared that it was butternut squash, not pumpkin. The bacon foam on top was pretty nice, though...
The first course was le foie gras - which was 5 alternating layers of foie gras terrine and caramelized eel. The eel was definitely Japanese, and pretty much a cold version of 浦焼き. The dish fully showcased the creativity of Robuchon, as the flavors of both elements - which were simultaneously sweet and savory on their own - melded together perfectly. And there was even a bit of shichimi (七味) on the side. I was oohing and aahing by this point...
My main course was le canard - duck confit topped with buttered mash and Comté. How could I possibly resist both duck confit and Comté? I was already licking my lips in anticipation when the dish arrived in front of me. Unfortunately, this was not a perfect experience. The contents were lukewarm, and I was expecting things to be piping hot. Disregarding the serving temperature, the dish was a success. I was thinking that whoever invented duck confit should be given a place in the Légion d'honneur... and who could ever complain about the mash at Robuchon, especially when Comté is involved?
We decided to have a bit of wine, and I took a glass of 1998 Bacio Divino. This was pretty fruity and a little earthy. The Sangiovese was immediately apparent. Initially the nose was a little alcoholic, but this faded to reveal smoke, toasted nuts and sweet fruit. The tannins were soft and supple, with good concentration on the palate. A very nice wine to drink.
My dessert was le citron - lemon tart with coconut sorbet topped with raspberries. I love a good lemon tart, and the execution here was flawless. The sweet coconut sorbet softened the tartness of the lemon, and the dabs of gold foil and sprinkle of pistachio provided the finishing touches. Oh and the hazelnuts were a nice surprise.
Yet another very satisfying lunch thanks to Joël...
For dinner we went back to Fook Lam Moon (福臨門) to celebrate a friend's birthday...belatedly. There were only five of us tonight, and we were trying to stay away from the usual selection of dishes.
We first had a couple of steamed xiaolongbao with crab roe (蟹粉小籠包). Initially I was a bit skeptical just looking at the skin. It looked a little overdone and not very appetizing. But the skin was actually reasonably thin and soft, although still not at the quality of the best xiaolongbao specialists. The flavor of the crab roe was a bit weak, though...
The one obligatory dish while dining at Fook Lam Moon must be the roast suckling pig (大紅片皮乳豬). It is without a doubt one of the best suckling pigs in Hong Kong. The crackling was just amazing, and I got a little taste of heaven while gnawing on one of the legs as the crispy skin gave way to semi-liquified fat underneath...
I brought a bottle of 1996 Troplong Mondot to go with the pig, which was drinking well. Nose of coffee and smoke, and a bit alcoholic at the beginning. Good concentration but very smooth on the palate. Pretty classic Bordeaux.
Then came a huge bowl of snake soup (菊花燴蛇羹). I wa shocked when the bowl was placed in front of me, as it could have easily served two people. It is beginning to be the season for snake soup, and this was pretty nice with the usual condiments of fritters, chrysanthemum petals, coriander and shredded kaffir lime leaves. The lime leaves along with citrus rind in the soup would provide a strong and refreshing taste.
I also brought along a bottle of the 2002 François et Antoine Jobard Meursault En La Barre. This turned out better than I expected, with ripe nose of sweet corn and butter that was pretty wonderful. Initially the finish was slightly acidic, but then turned into something that reminded me of the classic French candied soft citrus jelly.
I could have gone home after the soup...it was THAT filling. But we still had a couple of small dishes to come. The stir-fried prawns (油泡大蝦球) had a light starch coating with a nice garlic sauce and springy texture. The stir-fried beef cubes with garlic (蒜茸牛柳粒) were pretty decent, too.
It's hairy crab season and we had a plate of stir-fried pea shoots with crab roe (蟹粉扒豆苗). The pea shoots were young and tender, and the starchy crab roe sauce was pretty yummy. We finished with a simple bowl of noodles in superior broth (上湯生麵) to wish longevity to the birthday girl. The broth from Chinese ham was just awesome, and I would have drunk a large bowl of it if I wasn't already bursting.
The final touches came with fresh fruit and the steamed longevity buns (壽桃飽) - with a yummy filling of lotus seed paste and egg yolk. Needless to say I carried my stomach out of the restaurant, yet again...
Today was another big day in terms of dining. Both my lunch and dinner appointments were at Michelin starred restaurants, and I was really looking forward to a great Friday.
Our Lunch Club has been kinda falling apart lately, and two of the four members didn't make it today. Nevertheless, the resident Froggie and I had an immensely enjoyable lunch at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon.
We decided to have a bit of wine, and I took a glass of 1998 Bacio Divino. This was pretty fruity and a little earthy. The Sangiovese was immediately apparent. Initially the nose was a little alcoholic, but this faded to reveal smoke, toasted nuts and sweet fruit. The tannins were soft and supple, with good concentration on the palate. A very nice wine to drink.
Yet another very satisfying lunch thanks to Joël...
For dinner we went back to Fook Lam Moon (福臨門) to celebrate a friend's birthday...belatedly. There were only five of us tonight, and we were trying to stay away from the usual selection of dishes.
I brought a bottle of 1996 Troplong Mondot to go with the pig, which was drinking well. Nose of coffee and smoke, and a bit alcoholic at the beginning. Good concentration but very smooth on the palate. Pretty classic Bordeaux.
I also brought along a bottle of the 2002 François et Antoine Jobard Meursault En La Barre. This turned out better than I expected, with ripe nose of sweet corn and butter that was pretty wonderful. Initially the finish was slightly acidic, but then turned into something that reminded me of the classic French candied soft citrus jelly.
The final touches came with fresh fruit and the steamed longevity buns (壽桃飽) - with a yummy filling of lotus seed paste and egg yolk. Needless to say I carried my stomach out of the restaurant, yet again...
June 19, 2009
Another bull market lunch
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Another Lunch Club gathering and the second one this month. Somehow we ended up at Amber, where business continues to be good - at least during lunch. The set lunch here isn't exactly cheap, but every table was occupied today. I ran into a friend from Goldman who looked like he was interviewing someone...
The signature foie gras Chupa Chups-style, with an outer coating of raspberry sauce along with a sliver each of gingerbread and beet root, was presented and quickly gobbled up. The shot of cantaloupe soup topped with mint foam and port wine ravioli was refreshing, although I didn't quite appreciate the addition of the port wine molecular 'caviar' into the mix.
My starter was the langoustine seared with Iberian pork chin, summer roots raw and cooked, crustacean yuzu coulis with manni "per mio figlio" olive oil. Needless to say the langoustine was fresh, succulent and sweet. The pork was fatty and very yummy, with a thin, crispy layer of skin on top. But I thought the coulis was a bit strange - savory and a bit heavy with crustacean flavors, then suddenly you hit the acidity of the yuzu.
The main course was something which I had tried last month - short rib braised in Gigondas, garden pea stuffed morels, white onion purée, "tartine de lard cul noire". The Rhone red-braised rib was sooo fatty and soft it was melting in my mouth. Actually it was a bit rich for me, considering this is lunch and not dinner. But I greedily shoved each mouthful in, and lapped up the very yummy onion mousseline. My see lai friend stared me down when she saw that I had left some of the potato mash unfinished, but I just didn't want to push myself over the edge today.
We each received a coconut ice cream "Oreo", which I promptly shoved whole into my mouth and munched on in slow motion, letting the ice cream melt and gradually coat my tongue.
Fresh wild strawberries over hibiscus jell-O, panna cotta & bourbon vanilla ice cream was my choice for dessert. It seems like this season all the fine restaurants in town got their hands on these wonderfully delicious berries. They were very yummy, and the combination with hibiscus was even better. There were bits of crumble everywhere and I made it into strawberry crumble as was suggested. Of course, strawberries and panna cotta is another classic combo that just can't go wrong.
I'm very full by now, and the short rib seemed to be comfortably settling into my stomach. This calls for a double espresso...
While the food was delicious, the air felt heavy at the table. None of us were particularly happy, as we were all preoccupied with issues at work. Hopefully our next meeting will be a happier one.
Another Lunch Club gathering and the second one this month. Somehow we ended up at Amber, where business continues to be good - at least during lunch. The set lunch here isn't exactly cheap, but every table was occupied today. I ran into a friend from Goldman who looked like he was interviewing someone...
The signature foie gras Chupa Chups-style, with an outer coating of raspberry sauce along with a sliver each of gingerbread and beet root, was presented and quickly gobbled up. The shot of cantaloupe soup topped with mint foam and port wine ravioli was refreshing, although I didn't quite appreciate the addition of the port wine molecular 'caviar' into the mix.
My starter was the langoustine seared with Iberian pork chin, summer roots raw and cooked, crustacean yuzu coulis with manni "per mio figlio" olive oil. Needless to say the langoustine was fresh, succulent and sweet. The pork was fatty and very yummy, with a thin, crispy layer of skin on top. But I thought the coulis was a bit strange - savory and a bit heavy with crustacean flavors, then suddenly you hit the acidity of the yuzu.
The main course was something which I had tried last month - short rib braised in Gigondas, garden pea stuffed morels, white onion purée, "tartine de lard cul noire". The Rhone red-braised rib was sooo fatty and soft it was melting in my mouth. Actually it was a bit rich for me, considering this is lunch and not dinner. But I greedily shoved each mouthful in, and lapped up the very yummy onion mousseline. My see lai friend stared me down when she saw that I had left some of the potato mash unfinished, but I just didn't want to push myself over the edge today.We each received a coconut ice cream "Oreo", which I promptly shoved whole into my mouth and munched on in slow motion, letting the ice cream melt and gradually coat my tongue.
Fresh wild strawberries over hibiscus jell-O, panna cotta & bourbon vanilla ice cream was my choice for dessert. It seems like this season all the fine restaurants in town got their hands on these wonderfully delicious berries. They were very yummy, and the combination with hibiscus was even better. There were bits of crumble everywhere and I made it into strawberry crumble as was suggested. Of course, strawberries and panna cotta is another classic combo that just can't go wrong.
I'm very full by now, and the short rib seemed to be comfortably settling into my stomach. This calls for a double espresso...
While the food was delicious, the air felt heavy at the table. None of us were particularly happy, as we were all preoccupied with issues at work. Hopefully our next meeting will be a happier one.
April 3, 2009
Farewell lunch
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It's my last good lunch before flying off to France tomorrow, and it just happened to be a Friday Lunch Club gathering at Caprice, one of my favorite restaurants in town. Our fake Indian has blown us off for some "work thing," so on this occasion a new member was inducted into the club. Another Froggie! The balance has now shifted...
We decided to have a glass of wine with lunch, much to my surprise. I guess I should have brought my own bottle... I picked the 2004 Rollan de By, the wine that was introduced to me last year by François Mauss of Grand Jury Europeen. I always thought that this wine made by Jean Guyon was delicious. Today it showed a nose of sous bois, brett, smoked meats and a hint of coffee. Classic Bordeaux that was smooth on the palate. Very nice.
I started with the Écaille d'Argent oysters with crème fraîche topped with yuzu granita and grapefruit marmalade as the amuse bouche. The oyster itself is nicely balanced between creamy and briney, and the combination with the slightly sour crème fraîche and yuzu granita as well as the sweet marmalade made for an interesting mouthful.
Next came the green asparagus soup with poached quail eggs and lemon Chantilly. The Vaucluse asparagus made for a very tasty soup with beautiful color. There were three soft poached quail eggs in the bowl, and there were cumin seeds sprinkled on top of the lemon Chantilly cream. An asparagus spear was sliced in half and made into a tempura on the side. Wonderful stuff but I'm starting to get full...
The lamb shoulder pastilla with sweet harissa and young green herbs was absolutely divine. The succulent braised lamb was wonderfully tasty, baked with oriental spices inside a phyllo pocket. The harissa - made from roasted peppers - worked well with the dish. One of my friends practically inhaled the whole dish...
Next comes my favorite part - the cheese! Jeremy gave us a sampling of four, and the original Froggie kept drooling while watching the preparations.
Saint Félicien from Burgundy was a bit nutty and not too salty. It's a very runny cheese, which prompted one of us to use her fingers to wipe the plate clean...
The Brin d'Amour was served on a piece of garlic toast, and Jeremy dripped olive oil all over the cheese. This cheese from Corsica is interesting in that the rind is covered with herbs like rosemary and thyme. With all those herbs plus lots of garlic and olive oil, how could this not be a delicious piece of cheese?!
The 4-year Comté was wonderful as usual... and this particular wheel was made from the October milk of the cow, said to be the last and the richest.
Finally, the Cabri Ariégeois from Pyrénées was pure liquid like a Mont d'Or. Pretty salty, but very yummy. I actually needed a bit of bread to go along with this.
For dessert there was the salted caramel macaroon with marinated blood orange and carambar ice cream. I loved the "mini-burger" with the blood orange, and the caramel ice cream with caramel sauce was just awesome.
We were all extremely full but everyone was happy. All the troubles seem to have melted away after the meal... and I have my friends at Caprice to thank for.
It's my last good lunch before flying off to France tomorrow, and it just happened to be a Friday Lunch Club gathering at Caprice, one of my favorite restaurants in town. Our fake Indian has blown us off for some "work thing," so on this occasion a new member was inducted into the club. Another Froggie! The balance has now shifted...
We decided to have a glass of wine with lunch, much to my surprise. I guess I should have brought my own bottle... I picked the 2004 Rollan de By, the wine that was introduced to me last year by François Mauss of Grand Jury Europeen. I always thought that this wine made by Jean Guyon was delicious. Today it showed a nose of sous bois, brett, smoked meats and a hint of coffee. Classic Bordeaux that was smooth on the palate. Very nice.
The Brin d'Amour was served on a piece of garlic toast, and Jeremy dripped olive oil all over the cheese. This cheese from Corsica is interesting in that the rind is covered with herbs like rosemary and thyme. With all those herbs plus lots of garlic and olive oil, how could this not be a delicious piece of cheese?!
The 4-year Comté was wonderful as usual... and this particular wheel was made from the October milk of the cow, said to be the last and the richest.
Finally, the Cabri Ariégeois from Pyrénées was pure liquid like a Mont d'Or. Pretty salty, but very yummy. I actually needed a bit of bread to go along with this.
February 27, 2009
You're fired!
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Four weeks after the last Lunch Club meeting, we reconvene for our first Indian food outing. I would have never thought about going to Jashan, since at first glance the sign downstairs doesn't look that impressive. But our fake Indian member insisted that they serve good food. And the place did garner a Bib Gourmand rating from the people at Michelin...although I have to say that a couple of places on that list looked dubious.
We forgo the economical lunch buffet and order a la carte instead. Before he started ordering , we specifically told our fake Indian friend that he should order well, and that he'd be fired from Lunch Club if he ended up ordering the same dishes that tourists like us would. Well, out of the five dishes he rattled off I could have ordered three of them in my sleep...
Murgh tikka - HELLO?! Any bozo can order this dish on their own including me. But all kidding aside, it's classic because it is just so good. Tender chicken marinated in spices and yogurt, then stuck in a tandoori oven and served on a hot plate. Yum!
Goan fish curry - this was one of the winners. I normally don't have fish curries at Indian restaurants, but I must admit that this was pretty good. Maybe it is because the sweetness on the palate.
Dhansak - another pleasant discovery, this is chicken cooked in lentils and pumpkin. The texture is pretty interesting, and one of the few times I actually liked something cooked with lentils.
Palak paneer - the typical cottage cheese cooked in spinach. I love the way spinach is cooked in Indian cuisine into a soft paste.
Together with the basmati rice and a garlic naan, the food was pretty filling. We had to have dessert, of course. We order the gulab jamun, ras malal and kesari kulfi. I'm only somewhat happy with the sweet gulab jamun...
I have to say that the food was pretty decent. It's been a while since I've had Indian, and I'm happy to have found another restaurant I can go to.
By the way Mr. Fake Indian, you're sooooo fired from Lunch Club... Just kidding.
Four weeks after the last Lunch Club meeting, we reconvene for our first Indian food outing. I would have never thought about going to Jashan, since at first glance the sign downstairs doesn't look that impressive. But our fake Indian member insisted that they serve good food. And the place did garner a Bib Gourmand rating from the people at Michelin...although I have to say that a couple of places on that list looked dubious.
We forgo the economical lunch buffet and order a la carte instead. Before he started ordering , we specifically told our fake Indian friend that he should order well, and that he'd be fired from Lunch Club if he ended up ordering the same dishes that tourists like us would. Well, out of the five dishes he rattled off I could have ordered three of them in my sleep...
Murgh tikka - HELLO?! Any bozo can order this dish on their own including me. But all kidding aside, it's classic because it is just so good. Tender chicken marinated in spices and yogurt, then stuck in a tandoori oven and served on a hot plate. Yum!
Goan fish curry - this was one of the winners. I normally don't have fish curries at Indian restaurants, but I must admit that this was pretty good. Maybe it is because the sweetness on the palate.
Dhansak - another pleasant discovery, this is chicken cooked in lentils and pumpkin. The texture is pretty interesting, and one of the few times I actually liked something cooked with lentils.
Palak paneer - the typical cottage cheese cooked in spinach. I love the way spinach is cooked in Indian cuisine into a soft paste.
Together with the basmati rice and a garlic naan, the food was pretty filling. We had to have dessert, of course. We order the gulab jamun, ras malal and kesari kulfi. I'm only somewhat happy with the sweet gulab jamun...
I have to say that the food was pretty decent. It's been a while since I've had Indian, and I'm happy to have found another restaurant I can go to.
By the way Mr. Fake Indian, you're sooooo fired from Lunch Club... Just kidding.
January 30, 2009
First piece of steak in the Year of the Ox
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Another Friday Lunch Club gathering - the first for the Year of the Ox. Appropriately a steakhouse was chosen as the venue, and we visited Dakota Prime for the first time. I had heard a lot of good things about this place, both from friends as well as some reviews on the internet, so I was pretty eager to try it for myself.
The 3-course set lunch was a real bargain, and I decided (for once) to go the cheap route and did not upgrade to a better cut of beef. All my research told me that the meat was good even with the cheap cuts...
I started with the mini lump crab cake crayfish remoulade. It is indeed very mini, but I thought it was pretty well done. It was mostly crab meat, and you can really taste it. There was a good amount of seasoning so the natural sweetness isn't as prominent. The capsicum purée around the crab cake provided the sweetness to balance the savory flavors of the crab. A good start to the meal.
The grilled USDA Prime flat iron steak - at 10oz a pretty decent size for lunch - was as good as other netizens claimed. Even though it's not a fillet, strip or ribeye, it's still marbled enough to be classified as USDA Prime. I asked for medium rare, and what I got was slightly more done than I wanted, but it was still very juicy and tender. In fact with every cut made by my Laguiole knife, more jus came running out of the steak... Surprisingly it was the center of the steak that was more done than the edges. But honestly, I'm not going to complain given the price that I'm paying here. The roasted potatoes were very good, as was the side of sautéed onions, tomato and red peppers. The tiny sauce pan came with (what else?) some sauce that seemed to be based on tomatoes and peppers, which was a lighter alternative to the classic Béarnaise.
I actually finished the steak without feeling stuffed, which was quite a surprise. Maybe all the eating I've done in the last 2 months has stretched my stomach? I was actually pretty eager to dig into the Anjou pear poached in red wine and raspberry sauce. Someone remarked that the pear slices - dyed red on the outer edge while the inner edge remained a little white - resembled slices of char siu (叉燒)... Well...they kinda do. Anyway the pear was delicious, with a bit of orange flavor on top of the obvious raspberry. It was gone in no time.
It was a really good lunch, and one that was extremely good value for money. I was completely satiated, not stuffed to the point of discomfort, and no "food coma" ensued - much to my amazement. I would definitely return very soon to try out the other cuts of beef, as well as the burger...drool...
Another Friday Lunch Club gathering - the first for the Year of the Ox. Appropriately a steakhouse was chosen as the venue, and we visited Dakota Prime for the first time. I had heard a lot of good things about this place, both from friends as well as some reviews on the internet, so I was pretty eager to try it for myself.
The 3-course set lunch was a real bargain, and I decided (for once) to go the cheap route and did not upgrade to a better cut of beef. All my research told me that the meat was good even with the cheap cuts...
I started with the mini lump crab cake crayfish remoulade. It is indeed very mini, but I thought it was pretty well done. It was mostly crab meat, and you can really taste it. There was a good amount of seasoning so the natural sweetness isn't as prominent. The capsicum purée around the crab cake provided the sweetness to balance the savory flavors of the crab. A good start to the meal.
The grilled USDA Prime flat iron steak - at 10oz a pretty decent size for lunch - was as good as other netizens claimed. Even though it's not a fillet, strip or ribeye, it's still marbled enough to be classified as USDA Prime. I asked for medium rare, and what I got was slightly more done than I wanted, but it was still very juicy and tender. In fact with every cut made by my Laguiole knife, more jus came running out of the steak... Surprisingly it was the center of the steak that was more done than the edges. But honestly, I'm not going to complain given the price that I'm paying here. The roasted potatoes were very good, as was the side of sautéed onions, tomato and red peppers. The tiny sauce pan came with (what else?) some sauce that seemed to be based on tomatoes and peppers, which was a lighter alternative to the classic Béarnaise.
I actually finished the steak without feeling stuffed, which was quite a surprise. Maybe all the eating I've done in the last 2 months has stretched my stomach? I was actually pretty eager to dig into the Anjou pear poached in red wine and raspberry sauce. Someone remarked that the pear slices - dyed red on the outer edge while the inner edge remained a little white - resembled slices of char siu (叉燒)... Well...they kinda do. Anyway the pear was delicious, with a bit of orange flavor on top of the obvious raspberry. It was gone in no time.
It was a really good lunch, and one that was extremely good value for money. I was completely satiated, not stuffed to the point of discomfort, and no "food coma" ensued - much to my amazement. I would definitely return very soon to try out the other cuts of beef, as well as the burger...drool...
January 2, 2009
First Friday Lunch Club of the year
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It's January 2 and a Friday, so of course my Friday Lunch Club - four people who used to work in the same bank - got together to do a proper kick-off of 2009. We decided to do this at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon. I haven't been back to L'Atelier since being on the receiving end of some ridiculous service 2 months ago, and it would be interesting to see how things would go today.
We sat at a bar table for the cheaper set lunch. Being a Friday when no one is in the mood for work, we decided to order up some alcohol. I chose of bottle of Billecart Salmon Rosé NV as a more interesting alternative to Dom Perignon, Krug or La Grande Dame. The wine was very smooth and round on the palate, but I found the nose wasn't as open as I had hoped, with some raspberry and toasty notes.
As the sommelier poured the wine into the Riedel Sommelier Vintage Champagne flute for me to taste, I jokingly said "Oh! This is terrible! Send it back!" without even having sipped the wine. My friends were cracking up, but unfortunately the Frenchman was either on another planet, or he was totally ignoring my prank. He apologized and claims that he didn't realize that he was being spoken to... I guess he didn't really appreciate our humor...
The amuse bouche sent by the chef was very interesting. It was a bowl of coriander and cream cheese soup with croutons. It was rich and delicious, and reminded me of the dip used to accompany Indian poppadoms - but without the spices.
My first course was the skewer of scallops and bacon. The scallops were pan-seared and decent, but slightly below my expectations. The bacon, however, was excellent as it was fatty and sandwiched between two thin slices of grilled red capsicum. I alternated between tasting these "as is", with the teriyaki sauce, and with a bit of the mixed herbs.
I continued the seafood theme by having cod fillet in seafood broth. I wanted to try to keep things "light", so I did not take the other heavier dishes which my friends ordered. The cod was indeed lighter and nicely done, although somehow today I felt that there was a little something missing. The broth, however, was really nice and full of flavor. I am sure they used prawn heads and shells to make the base. They also diced up broccoli, carrots, cucumbers and squash into tiny cubes for the broth, and placed thinly sliced cucumber "ravioli" inside.
The aforementioned Frenchman thought we were joking when we asked for more toast to accompany my friends' foie gras, only to realize his mistake and have to make an extra trip. When the main courses arrived, we jokingly asked for more of the wonderful mashed potatoes - something Joël Robuchon is known for. This time the Frenchman was determined not to slip up...so he quickly brought us another small Le Creuset pot of the delicious stuff. Of course this was quickly lapped up by the ladies...
The chocolate caramel tart with pear sorbet was wonderful. I had a caramel and pear dessert at the Salon de Thé downstairs earlier in the week, and this was on my mind as I did the ordering. The sorbet was so nice...like eating a fully ripe Anjou pear, and there were small chunks of caramelized pear in the tart. What a great way to finish!
It was a great lunch - good food, good wine, with entertainment provided by our Frenchman who really didn't have much of a sense of humor, much to the chagrin of his fellow countrywoman sitting next to me. I'd say that's a great start to 2009...
It's January 2 and a Friday, so of course my Friday Lunch Club - four people who used to work in the same bank - got together to do a proper kick-off of 2009. We decided to do this at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon. I haven't been back to L'Atelier since being on the receiving end of some ridiculous service 2 months ago, and it would be interesting to see how things would go today.
We sat at a bar table for the cheaper set lunch. Being a Friday when no one is in the mood for work, we decided to order up some alcohol. I chose of bottle of Billecart Salmon Rosé NV as a more interesting alternative to Dom Perignon, Krug or La Grande Dame. The wine was very smooth and round on the palate, but I found the nose wasn't as open as I had hoped, with some raspberry and toasty notes.
As the sommelier poured the wine into the Riedel Sommelier Vintage Champagne flute for me to taste, I jokingly said "Oh! This is terrible! Send it back!" without even having sipped the wine. My friends were cracking up, but unfortunately the Frenchman was either on another planet, or he was totally ignoring my prank. He apologized and claims that he didn't realize that he was being spoken to... I guess he didn't really appreciate our humor...
The aforementioned Frenchman thought we were joking when we asked for more toast to accompany my friends' foie gras, only to realize his mistake and have to make an extra trip. When the main courses arrived, we jokingly asked for more of the wonderful mashed potatoes - something Joël Robuchon is known for. This time the Frenchman was determined not to slip up...so he quickly brought us another small Le Creuset pot of the delicious stuff. Of course this was quickly lapped up by the ladies...
October 28, 2008
The $100 (plus) lunch
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Another day, another decadant lunch while the world around us falls apart. I met up with a few ex-colleagues - our Lunch Club - and once again ended up at Cipriani.
Today's mission was simple. It's white truffle season, and I'm there to enjoy the white truffle risotto parmingiano that I had last Thursday. There was no need to order anything else to distract me.
The risotto was exceptional. A perfect plate laid out before me, on top of which the waiter proceeded to deposit shavings of white truffle. The risotto was wet and sloppy, while the arborio rice grains were al dente. Of course the perfume of the white truffle made my day, although I really thought that there wasn't enough of it. At HKD 750 a plate - with supposedly 5g of truffles - one can understand my desire to get as much of the white gold as possible.
No meal at Cipriani is complete without some fabulous cake. Instead of my usual vanilla cream cake, I chose the zabaglione cake that I haven't had for some time. It was wonderful, with the distinctive taste of egg yolk and Marsala wine from the zabaglione. The bottom of the cake is made from flaky pastry like a mille-feuille, which made it all the better for me.
Another satisfying lunch at my favorite Italian restaurant. I'm looking to go back while the truffles are still in season.
Another day, another decadant lunch while the world around us falls apart. I met up with a few ex-colleagues - our Lunch Club - and once again ended up at Cipriani.
Today's mission was simple. It's white truffle season, and I'm there to enjoy the white truffle risotto parmingiano that I had last Thursday. There was no need to order anything else to distract me.
The risotto was exceptional. A perfect plate laid out before me, on top of which the waiter proceeded to deposit shavings of white truffle. The risotto was wet and sloppy, while the arborio rice grains were al dente. Of course the perfume of the white truffle made my day, although I really thought that there wasn't enough of it. At HKD 750 a plate - with supposedly 5g of truffles - one can understand my desire to get as much of the white gold as possible.
No meal at Cipriani is complete without some fabulous cake. Instead of my usual vanilla cream cake, I chose the zabaglione cake that I haven't had for some time. It was wonderful, with the distinctive taste of egg yolk and Marsala wine from the zabaglione. The bottom of the cake is made from flaky pastry like a mille-feuille, which made it all the better for me.
Another satisfying lunch at my favorite Italian restaurant. I'm looking to go back while the truffles are still in season.
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