CAFE GREY DELUXE

Hong Kong

Located in the ultra chic and stylish Upper House Hotel, Café Grey is a Hong Kong landmark for fine dining and some of the city's best panoramic views overlooking Victoria Harbour. With world-renowned formerly New York based Gray Kunz as the patron and head chef, expectations were very high and the hard-to-get reservations were made 2 weeks prior to my arrival in Hong Kong. The interior of the restaurant does nothing but raise the expectations even higher; the beautifully decorated dining room is in line with the modernist and simple theme of the hotel, adorned in dark timber tones that are elegantly lit up with bespoke light fittings that gild the dining room. Tables are arranged in an open yet cozy space, where our table was perfectly located in the centre and seats were in a comfortable and plush sofa/booth style. Everything from the sterling silver candle holder, to the high thread count napkins and fine bone china made us even more excited about our meal ahead, which lasted a solid three hours. 

The menu, presented in a leather bound book, made our mouths water and stomachs rumble. To start, we opted for the crab cakes that come served with a lime and mango salsa, the steak tartare with gaufrettes on a bed of beef carpaccio, and the yellow Hamachi carpaccio tartare. All were delicious and beautifully presented, with special mention to be made to the Hamachi which was just sublime; we had to order another one. For mains  I  requested to try the burger, which is not on their dinner menu, but allegedly the best burger in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia (unfortunately I forgot to take a picture before I  devoured it). Despite people giving me strange looks for having ordered a burger for dinner in such a place, it was definitely worth it. It was perfectly cooked and the beef was a fine mix of Australian beef and wagyu. My friends opted for more socially acceptable items of the dinner menu. The sea bass in a creamy white wine sauce with chives, topped with caviar was a rich and delicious choice, as well as the sea bass stew which came served in a lobster broth with mixed vegetables. To conclude our epic meal we ordered the deconstructed banoffee pie and the panna cotta, which were both prepared to perfection and perfectly capped our perfect dinner. The high quality of the food, the beautiful presentation, the exceptionally attentive staff and incredible vistas across Hong Kong, make Café Grey one of my favourite restaurants and worth every penny spent.

www.cafegrayhk.com

YAN TOH HEEN

Hong Kong

When it comes to fine Chinese dining in Hong Kong, it doesn’t get much better than Yan Toh Heen, located in the legendary Intercontinental Hotel on Kowloon Bay. With breath-taking panoramic vistas of Hong Kong Island, this two Michelin starred institution is globally revered for its cuisine and impeccable service. I dined at Yan Toh Heen on my very first night in Hong Kong as a way to kick-start what would be a very busy five-day break of non stop eating and partying. I am glad to say that even though Yan Toh Heen did not top my list of being the best in Hong Kong, it very much delivered and left a good impression. What disappointed me about Yan Toh Heen was not the food but the ambience. My friends and I were expecting a lively buzzing dining room with spectacular views, and what we found was a very quiet space with many business suits and an older crowd; the mood I have to admit was a bit of a buzz kill. Despite this, the food resurrected my impression of the place; it was just that good! Highlights from the dinner include the barbecued fresh water eel, which was prepared with an Osmanthus honey sauce, which is very fragrant and sweet, and worked perfectly with the eel; it was the best dish of the night. The crispy fresh water prawns with black truffle are definitely worth ordering, although the serving was a bit small and thus we had to order two more portions. A favourite of the night was also the wagyu beef with black peppercorn, which is not the most inventive dish, but the quality of the beef was terrific and just melted in my mouth. To balance out our meal with a vegetarian option, we ordered the very delicious and mouth watering wok fried white asparagus with bamboo pits and mushrooms. As an emblem of Hong Kong fine dining, I would definitely recommend Yan Toh Heen, but don’t go expecting a lively scene; at least not at dinner time. 

www.hongkong-ic.intercontinental.com

LUNG KING HEEN

Hong Kong

Lung King Heen, meaning “View of the Dragon” is a seafood and dim sum restaurant located in the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong. The View of the Dragon refers to the spectacular harbour views that this restaurant presents; and like with many Hong Kong dining spots, the view is amazing. What sets Lung King Heen apart from these is not only that it boasts the highly coveted three Michelin star rating; it is also the world’s first Chinese restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star. Suffice to say expectations were exceptionally high, and not only were they met, they were surpassed. Dining at Lung King Heen was a pleasure and just made me feel good. The combination of the attentive smiling staff, the stunning view, the great ambience and delicious food made this an unforgettable experience. I went to Lung King Heen during lunchtime on my final day in Hong Kong. I was saving it for the last meal, which I now regret as I would have liked to go multiple times. Since it was lunchtime most of the ordering concentrated on dim sum, which is what it is renowned for in any case. Highlights included the steamed lobster and scallop dumpling, which was sublime in every measure; the texture was spot-on and the flavours fresh and not overbearing. The mushroom, prawn and black truffle spring rolls were also an interesting option, although quite heavy on the truffle and oil and thus rank to be the least favourite item from what we had ordered. A delicious and very successful dish were the baked morel mushroom puffs with chicken; they were light, full of flavour and just begged us to order more, which we did. As the meal progressed, the food just kept getting better, with the scallop and prawn dumpling which not only looked perfect, but tasted perfect; it was a delight merely to look at it. The best of all however, goes to the Baked Toro Dumplings, which are essentially filled with lobster, black truffle and mushroom. These dumplings go down as being one of the most delicious things I have ever tried, the baked texture is so unique and the explosive flavour of the black truffle complimented both the steamed lobster and mushrooms; this is a must and I will gladly attest to it being one of the finest dishes there is. Superb! To conclude our light and quick lunch we ended on frog legs that were very delicious indeed, and finally lettuce wrapped vegetables in order to end the meal on a lighter note. There is not much more to be said about this excellent restaurant, except that it will go down as being one of the most memorable meals I have had, and not only do I recommend it, I insist that you visit it if and when in Hong Kong.

www.fourseasons.com

BEAST

London, UK

London’s latest arrival on the culinary scene comes courtesy of the team that have brought us the delicious Goodman Steakhouse and the London breakout, and now staple: Burger and Lobster. Suffice it to say expectations were high and our palettes restlessly eager to try what new offerings were to be bestowed upon us in this new mecca of meat and crab. Some important facts to know about Beast, firstly it offers a set menu consisting of beef as a first course and crab as the second, so if you’re a vegetarian this place is not for you. As a matter of fact considering how good it is, if you’re a vegetarian it’s about time to consider eating meat (no offence intended). Secondly, Beast accommodates its diners on communal dining tables in its candle lit dining room; three dining tables sculpted of heavy wood and set with candelabras, creating a medieval and equally mystical vibe to the restaurant, one of a wine cellar almost. One last and important detail to note is that dinner at Beast costs £75 a head excluding drink and dessert.

Now in terms of my experience at Beast; it was nothing short of sensational. Arriving at the restaurant, the ambience on its ground entrance floor is quite the antithesis to what was to come after. The entrance features an oversized beast (bear) sculpture in a triple height glazed and marble floored lobby, giving it a very corporate and sterile ambience. Once my reservation details were gathered by the maître-d, I was shown to the lift to take me down to the restaurant. In the basement, a waitress addressing me by my name (nice personal touch) was waiting and escorted my party and me to our side of the table. Moments after being seated, a smiling waiter briefed us on the concept of the restaurant, took our drink orders and prompted an oncoming waiter to serve us with the antipasti. The antipasti consisted of parmesan cheese (a whole wheel of parmesan was presented) with pickled onions, artichokes and olives. We nibbled on parmesan while sipping our wine until our first course arrived: the meat. The beef served at Beast is Nebraskan beef, served in a New Orleans style steak, which basically means one thing: it’s delicious. The meat was of an exceptionally high quality, which is to be expected from the patrons of Goodman steakhouse. Cooked to medium, it was tender, juicy and melted in my mouth. The steak was served with a side of a smoked tomato salad, green salad and asparagus as well as a delicious creamed truffle sauce to compliment the steak. The tomato salad was divine, and the truffle sauce heavenly although the steak was too good to have a sauce with it; instead I enjoyed it with the grilled asparagus. Upon completing our meat we were given at our request a 10-minute break until the crab arrived. The King Crab from Norway surpassed any crabmeat I have had (excluding a clambake in Cape Cod years ago), extra-large in size and rich in meat and just simply heavenly. Despite how full we already were we could not resist ordering dessert and opted for one of each type: the cheesecake and the lemon mousse. The lemon mousse had an excellent texture and a refreshing zest, and the cheesecake that was a deconstructed concoction of bliss just blew my mind. The whole experience at Beast was a triumph, and as it slowly garners attention it will undoubtedly become an ‘it’ place contending among the London heavy weights.

Update: Beast now also has an a la carte menu. 

www.beastrestaurant.co.uk

BERNERS TAVERN

London, UK

Living in a city like London, one is spoilt for choice from available brunch spots, and having been here for eight years, I can safely say a lot of the places opening tend to conform to a prototypical, prescribed vibe. The trend has succumbed to being all about the rustic and home cooked, which was fine at first but after the surplus in their emergence it's been quite some time since something new and energising has graced London. Enter Berners Tavern; a triple threat of an establishment, designed by the famous hotelier Ian Schrager, housed in London’s new and ultra hip Edition hotel, as well being led by the Michelin starred chef Jason Atherton (who’s restaurants Pollen Street Social and Little Social have been reviewed on the Food Grid). With such impressive credentials and a highly publicised opening, expectations were very high. I visited Berners Tavern for Sunday brunch, and with whatever preconceived notions of what a tavern should look like, this place puts all those ideas to rest; if only all Taverns were this beautiful.

The restaurant is housed in one huge and majestic open space. Upon entering the restaurant my eyes twinkled looking straight at the chandelier suspended from the adorned high ceilings, while the walls are covered in paintings and photographs from the Renaissance to the post modern. Despite the grandiose features of the space, it does not make you uncomfortable, in fact the warm tones and palettes lend it to feel like what a tavern would indeed feel like: relaxed and actually cozy. This reminds me of Fitzgerald quote from the Great Gatsby: “I like large parties. They’re so intimate. At small parties there isn’t any privacy”. This was very true to what we were experiencing in this place, where despite the largeness of the space and how busy it was it felt very intimate and not at all loud, which can usually expected in such a setting. 

When it came to the food, it was nothing short of extraordinary. Prior to the arrival of our orders we were served with the customary bread and butter, and the bread was so fresh and delicious that we knew we were in for a treat; the bread is usually a sign into the quality of the food. To start we sampled the poached eggs with avocado on toast, which was sublime. The eggs were perfectly cooked, the avocado was zesty and refreshing and the toast provided that ideal crispiness to accommodate the eruption of flavours in my mouth. For my main dish, I could not resist ordering the cheeseburger (call me crazy but I am always compelled to order one when I go to a new place), and my friend ordered the Sunday roast. Both orders were complimented with a side of duck fat chips and steamed broccoli with roasted almonds. Both the burger and the roast were to die for, and the portions were very generous, which left us both giddy with joy and satisfaction. The steamed broccoli is a must, its lemony flavours matched with the roasted almonds made it the ideal side dish. Accompanying our meal was the Dill or no Dill cocktail that was so good we each had two. For dessert we sampled the chocolate filled doughnut and the caramel apple éclair with cream and salted caramel ice cream. Both were very good and were a sweet conclusion to our very successful meal at my now new favourite dining spot: Berners Tavern.

10 Berners Street, London, W1T 3NP

www.bernerstavern.com

POLLEN STREET SOCIAL 

With one Michelin Star, Pollen Street Social is the brainchild of Jason Atherton, a Gordon Ramsay veteran and quite interestingly the first Brit to cook at the former El Buli. Since its inception in 2011, Pollen Street Social has steadily been one of the hottest and trendiest spots in London, if not Europe, attracting food connoisseurs through its glass doors located off the cosy and charming Pollen Street in the heart of Mayfair. I visited Pollen Street Social on a Thursday evening, and when I stepped into the restaurant I was instantly greeted by the very friendly maître-d who quickly showed me to the bar as I waited for the rest of my party to arrive. The drinks menu is extensive, varied and mouthwatering; the Fizzy Pink Lemonade is what caught my attention. Presented on the menu as a non-alcoholic cocktail, the waiter jazzed it up with three types of rum. The drink was delicious although a bit too heavy on the rum that disguised the pink grapefruit, and grape flavours of the lemonade. Once my party arrived, we were promptly escorted to our table in the adjacent dining room. The layout and interior of the restaurant is in fact quite simple, where the restaurant is split into two separate rooms. The main dining room features the iconic dessert bar, which allows diners to watch the pastry chefs prepare the desserts; it’s quite the spectacle! Once seated, we rushed to look at the menu, as we were very hangry. To start with, I ordered the Orkney Sea Scallop Carpaccio served with frozen pink grapefruit, lemon skin puree and black olives. My friends ordered the Irish deer tartare which comes served smoked beetroot. Both options were delicious; the sea scallop carpaccio was sheer perfection with a unique flavour and texture, and the deer tartare was rich and decadent. 

For my main I ordered the rack of lamb with a tomato chutney and artichokes. My friend ordered the sea bass with parsley mousseline (essentially a foamed texture of parsley) that is served with cockles and winkles; which sound disgusting but they are actually really delicious little clams and snails. The lamb was delectable. It was perfectly cooked to medium and it melted in my mouth. My only complaint would be that there was not enough of it, in fact for the price tag of £40 a plate, the portion was extremely small and left me quite disappointed; unnecessarily pretentious if you ask me. The sea bass on the other hand was generously portioned and was divine, the parsley mousseline in particular was nothing like what I’ve tasted before, the texture and the taste ignited fireworks in my mouth; this is gastronomy at its finest. 

 

As a conclusion to our delicious meal we ordered the PBJ: A Peanut Parfait with a cherry yuzu sorbet and nitro peanut (liquid nitrogen frozen peanut butter ice cream). It was nothing short of heavenly. We also ordered the chocolate ganache with banana ice cream, which was not as good as the PBJ but was nevertheless yummy. Pollen Street Social is definitely a destination for any true foodie. My visit left me very happy and satisfied and it comes as no surprise that it’s one of the most sought after dining destinations in London.

8 - 10 Pollen Street, London W1S 1NQ