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2025-04-12
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This French restaurant is located at K11 MUSEA, at the corner of the shopping mall facing the harbor front. When we arrived, the staff greeted me by name, a pleasant surprise. Apparently, they had checked beforehand the guests who were coming on the night.The front part of the restaurant was a bar and moving in was the dining area with also a section that could convert to a private room. Seated at a table facing the balcony, with Victoria Harbour in front, the décor had plenty of warm greens and
This French restaurant is located at K11 MUSEA, at the corner of the shopping mall facing the harbor front. When we arrived, the staff greeted me by name, a pleasant surprise. Apparently, they had checked beforehand the guests who were coming on the night.
The front part of the restaurant was a bar and moving in was the dining area with also a section that could convert to a private room. Seated at a table facing the balcony, with Victoria Harbour in front, the décor had plenty of warm greens and bronze gold.
We had the Tirpse’s Tasting Menu ($1,388 each) and I also went for wine-pairing ($728). The Amuse Bouche included Squid, lightly grilled and served in skewer with Radish, plus some Smoked Pike Roe on top. The other one was Uni Macadamia Tart, with Carrot puree at the bottom and a Consomme Jelly on top. A pleasant start.
For the first starter, instead of the oyster on the menu, the manager told us they had to change because the oyster was not available. Replaced by a delicate dish comprised of soft Burrata Cheese and sweet Japanese Fruit Tomato, along with 40-months Parma Ham, Mango and Kumquat, it had a nice balance of taste and texture but was rather simple.
The first wine paired was an easy drinking German Riesling from Mosel, Raimund Prum Essence, with an off-dry palate, floral and fruity, white peach and apricot, plus good minerality. A nice match with the fruit in the first course.
The second starter was Silver Anchovy Tagliatelle. The homemade pasta had nice al dente texture, while the silver anchovy provided some umami flavors, together with Garlic, Parsley, and Cheese it was good in taste. But again, like the first starter, it might be too simple to feature in the tasting menu.
The second wine paired was L’Ecole No. 41 Semillon 2022 from Columbia Valley in the United States. It had a richer aroma, showing green apple and melon, with a taste of pear and stone fruit. A decent pairing with the tagliatelle, especially because of its fuller body and intensity in flavors.
The third course was Hokkaido Scallop, served in Saffron Soup with Cabbage. The scallop was poached in chicken stock briefly before searing on the surface, sweet in taste, caramelized slightly on surface but still raw and moist in the center. The broth and cabbage were quite nice, but the presentation and combination of ingredients was a bit lackluster.
The third wine paired was Bellingham The Bernard Series Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2022. A wine from South Africa, it had nice citrus and tropical fruit, along with apricot, together with a bit of waxy minerality. A nice wine and my favorite in the evening.
Coming to the main course, Ivy had chosen Charcoal-grilled French Lamb. Cooked to medium level, the lamb was tender and delicious, finishing with Sauce Piquante, a spicy tomato-based sauce, as well as confit Onion with Truffle, which were stuffed with pulled meat. The quality of the lamb was good, and on the two I would prefer this even over the wagyu.
I had taken Charcoal-grilled A4 Omi Wagyu Sirloin ($288 supplement), with the prized Japanese beef first slow-cooked and then grilled, to a beautiful pink with good fattiness. On the side there were Grilled Avocado, with some Chili Powder to season, and finishing with Raspberry jam and dried blueberries. While many people would crave for the fattiness, personally the wagyu was a bit too heavy for me, but the taste was good nevertheless.
The fourth wine paired was Sarget de Gruaud Larose 2015. This was the second wine of Chateau Gruaud Larose, a nice Bordeaux blend with good intensity, with black fruit and a nice tobacco nose which paired well with the beef.
Coming to dessert, the first one was Fruit Compote. There were some fresh and dried Amaou Strawberry from Fukuoka, with a white chocolate sauce and an interesting Yomogi ice-cream to give aromatic and floral notes, plus some Lemon Verbena to increase the lemon scents. A refreshing and nice dessert.
For the main dessert, the Paris-Brest was a choux pastry, piped with Pistachio Custard Cream. On top there was a Kinako Ice Cream, made from roasted soybeans, with also Poppy Seeds. This one was also good, not too sweet, and the pistachio cream was rich in flavors.
The fifth and last wine paired was Chateau Roumieu Haut-Placey Sauternes 2020. The sweet wine was a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, rich and had plenty of honey, apricot, and tropical fruit. Deliciously sweet but having a good balance from its acidity.
The Petits Fours included a Dark Chocolate Tart with taro puree, as well as a Nougat made from white chocolate, rice crisps, and dried fruit. The two small bites were also good, offering contrast in textures and flavors, and ideally would accompany with a cup of coffee. Surprisingly the staff did not ask whether we want to order one…
The bill on the night, with the Citi Mastercard discount, was $4,118. Service was good, with the staff friendly and helpful, introducing the menu upfront with further elaboration when the different courses were served. Food was not bad, but several of the dishes were presented without the necessary sophistication one would expect from French fine dining. Perhaps taking the effort to improve the presentation could help them go further.
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