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2009-11-18
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On 1 August weekend...... Its an Omnimous Task: penning any experience about 2 Starred AMBER. Its one of the excuses why I had held back writing about longish fine-dining reviews... its daunting for both me nad you, a possible bore-fest! HAUTE-CUISINE put together by in-house headchef, Richard Ekkebus injects into his food an almagation of heart, soul and profound understanding of food chemistry. Its serious stuff, yet relentlessly playful - combined with a respectful approach to produce, A
Its an Omnimous Task: penning any experience about 2 Starred AMBER. Its one of the excuses why I had held back writing about longish fine-dining reviews... its daunting for both me nad you, a possible bore-fest! HAUTE-CUISINE put together by in-house headchef, Richard Ekkebus injects into his food an almagation of heart, soul and profound understanding of food chemistry. Its serious stuff, yet relentlessly playful - combined with a respectful approach to produce, AMBER was destine to create sparks and garner a local Cult Following. Its Motto has always involved the endless bombardment of a series of delightful dishes in quick succession, almost like Rambo firing from a 500 round machine-gun & sometimes involving far too much details than bargainable. Its designed to spoil! An re-enactment of each singular experience proves futille via anything short of a 2,000 word essay, or better still, go visit there yourself ! Nevertheless, here's an experience as brief as I could write it and hopefully remains concise enough for your future reference.
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BREAD BASKET-
French butter as served at HK Robuchon L'Atelier and this time also given Chateau d'Estoublon Olive Oil - the latter is for sale here exclusively in HK at roughly $850 per bottle? (CAPRICE carries the same oil but as well.) The no.1 or no.2 world famous Charente Poitou based French butter is good but seems to pale in comparison to Caprice or Pierre's Bretagne option this time, infact I've bought slightly better on the market. The famous French Olive Oil is great and of the 'robust rather aromatically light' spectrum but somehow I still prefer Spanish, Greek and even Australian or Italian. Brand names and reputations aren't guarantees by default!! But the seriousness evident in each nanometer of detail experienced @ AMBER as they strive to bring the best to the customer is respectable. The Olives Bread, Baguette and Scandanavian crisps were amazing. Encore !
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AMUSE BOUCHE-
DUCK FOIE GRAS LOLLIPOP WITH RASPBERRY COATING & BEETROOT -
Enjoyed this more than last time, somehow it had a strong Foie taste but balanced by sweet fruitiness from the Raspberry coating and red Beetroot chips! Chuppa-chups that won't break the front teeth!
MELON PUREE & FOAM -
3 months down the track, you tend to forget every last detail of each dish at Amber! But this was really refreshing and came with some Sodium-Alginate based 'molecular' caviars and Peach Foam on top of the Melon Puree?? Nice and not a bit pretentious, its what Amuse Bouche is all about.
IBERIAN HAM CROQUETTE with SPANISH PEPPERS and SPICE -
Great and bursting in the mouth, I finally realised this morsel encompasses some form of molecular formula within, it was also executed better than last time. Perhaps the fact the head chef was there ensured it was done to his intended effect.
Wine Pairing: Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Brut, NV.
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ENTREES -
DUNGENESE CRAB - in 5 TEXTURES & 4 TEMPERATURES:
Consisting of a 5 small dishes: Jello, Salad, Foam, Hot Bisque & Crab Ice-Cream, this had little Crab essence and somehow seemed messier than is integrally amazing! The potential execution wasn't there and it didn't satisfy the hype behind the experimental Signature entree! Enjoyable - but personally Dungeness crab is not my preferred crab, it lacks outright crab sweetness compared to non-frozen Red Alaskan.
DUCK FOIE GRAS - ARGELETTE CIDER & APRICOT BAR:
Topped with almonds and shaved Biscotti, the Foie Gras de Canard in Pate form is kind of more solid but way more pungent in flavours than a smoother, more sophisticated Goose foie gras. Its a tradeoff I'm prepared to take and is completely within expected scope. In France these days, most restaurants serve the stronger Duck rather than gavaged and more melty Goose Foie Gras. I like both: they simply require separate judging systems by the user! This was done quite well for what it is. The Argelette Cider jellies and the Apricotty jamminess is beating along the same groove as the foie... The almonds & biscotti were more ornamental than really necessary, yet, one must give kudos to the chef for even bothering to distract us!
Wine Pairing: Jurancon Noble Sweet, Manseng Grapes from Southern Rhone Valley
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MAIN COURSES -
US PRIME BEEF SIRLOIN - 72 HOURS BRAISED OXTAIL OVER MUSHROOM MOUSSELINE, CHICKPEA PONT NEUF:
This was done absolutely fabulously, better than seafood dishes I encountered last time. The Sirloin was just about perfect and floated in its stock sauce, the Girolles pairing well with the master. The slow braised Oxtail was 'utterly amazing' and full of naturally deduced gelatinous-gravy and even gamey flavour, the Mousseline below fitting in tremendously as a concept. The Chickpea battered 'chips' were surprisingly not made of chickpea internals like the ubiquitous chickpea chips but its mashed potatoes with a chickpea coating! THIS, I'm telling you, is definitely one of the best fries I've ever devoured. I still need to try Alain Ducasse Spoon's famous slow-cooked before frying Pont Neuf to compare though! All 3 components in the dish were great, but somehow they existed as separate elements rather than a sum of its parts, is that nickpicking.
Wine Pairing: Chateau d'Arlus, Braucol blend from AOC Gaillac.
MIERAL BRESSE DUCK - BREAST ROASTED, LEG MINCED & SERVED AS A PATE, BEETROOTS & BLACK PEPPERED CHERRIES:
This croise duck dish reminds me of Challans poultry. Bresse is more known for its chicken but its Duck receives lesser applause, whereas the opposite is true of Challanaise chicken products compared to the duck. Its funny sometimes, its all contrived by mankind ! This duck was cooked 90% perfectly - juicy, moist and pink with a slight blood presence. Its seasoned well and the skin even crisped. The stack of Beetroots topped with pickled Turnips really accentuates the duck breast experience, the Cherry being seasonal another smart addition. Just like the Steak, the separate auxilliary dish of Minced Duck Leg in the form of an inverted duck pate pie was gorgeous! Somehow, these 2 main course dishes were opposite of what I expected from Amber - nearly perfectly executed, but minus the fuss. On the negative side, they're slightly disintegrated and fell foul from having a strong core theme. Separated from 1 dish into 2, it also brings into question what exactly should a foodie ask for during a dine-out session: would you take 2 presents which one supplements the other, or would you rather receive 1 Grand Prize with an all conquering & integrated concept? I'm happy with both approaches, but true Michelin 3 Star restaurants might not agree. Nevertheless, this was the Dish of the Day for us.
Wine Pairing: Pinot Noir from Stefano Lubiana Primavera, Australia
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PRE DESSERT & 3 DESSERTS-:
PRE-DESSERT - STRAWBERRY IN JELLO with BALSAMIC & YOGHURT FOAM:
This was great, the Yoghurt lined with Aged Balsamic beneath and embellished by Flower Pedal, the Jello proved beautifully refreshening as palate cleanser!
WHITE PEACH POACHED IN LEMON VERBENA WITH GRANITE:
White Peach was in season and the poaching in Verbena solution with their respective julienned Herbal Leaves adorned the top, which makes it grassily aromatic yet tangy! The sorbet Granite on the other hand was a perfect summer dessert, supported by an unassuming but enjoyable flat Peach jello under. This tasted way better than it looks!
MACADAMIA CREME BRULEE & CARAMEL ICE CREAM:
This was good, the Roasted then Caramelised Macadamia nut was also coated with Fleur de Sale salt despite the lack of mentioning on menu. In fact - unlike many other restaurants, nearly ALL dishes in Amber have a tendency to surprise with additional steps and thoughfulness. One could miss them completely as its not revealed on fineprint - so you need to pay attention to the waitstaff as they describe to you each singular detail. I'm 100% certain I missed some details as I didn't jot notes, perhaps I should next time and treat it as another educational trip, but I'm too shy! Ice Cream was slightly melty here, but the Creme Brulee was excellent and suffered none of the hard crustiness sugar not gelatin-based 'hard' creme bases served at most HK shops. Here in the ramekin, they're steam-baked properly as per original recipe and slightly runny....
ARAGUANI CHOCOLATE FONDANT, COLOMBIAN COFFEE ICE CREAM:
This is a flourless-fondant and should not be compared to the normal gateau-like fondants with molten centres. Here, its airy and fluffy, almost like a choco souffle. It was a lovely dessert with strong Valrhona chocolate influence. Again, ice cream slightly melted and almost tasted like a frozen Starbucks frappucino than a real Columbian coffee. Nevertheless..... all 4 desserts were more tastier than the photos can suggest but generally, not as inventive nor painstaking in preparation as last time.
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ANTHONY BERNARD CHEESES:
From memory, consisting of BRIE, CHAROLAIS, MUNSTER and FOURME D'AMBERT? It comes with an amazing passionfruit-mango chutney infused with seeded mustard ! The slightly runny Brie was a good cheese starting point and not too overwhelming, Charolais was refreshingly strong being majoritively sheep's milk in composition, Munster is smelly but not as pungent as when it reaches its worst potential when ripened to the max! I'm in my infancy stage learning about the hundreds of French cheeses but I happen to know this one - the cowy Blue Cheese really hasn't been a favourite but I wasn't allowed to choose - its mainly saltiness and creaminess, there're 2-3 other European Blue Cheeses I'd tried that has better sophistication & endlessly lingering sweetness and nuttiness. Nevertheless this was a good platter but its missing the awesome salad I had last time!
Wine Pairing: Passito Rosso from Luca Abrate Sognando, Italy & previous Jurancon Noble.
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HOT DRINKS:
CAPPUCINO - Made slightly better than the last trip, its quite old-school Italian or Hotel-like in technique! Not my drink today, I hate coffee .
TEA - An Orange Pekoe from memory, it was very good & better than the coffee. Mandarin Oriental teas are always exceptional.
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PETIT FOUR:
The Petit Four selections are nothing short of AMAZING. Even better than last time! The Strawberry tart with Raspberry jelly was pretty, the Turkish Coffee Macaron were perfectly crisp yet chewy, the inside filling grainy and carried that Turkish coffee 'Dates' like sweetness & spice, its addictive and innovative! Another side-plate of Marshmallows and Minty chocolates plus Salted Caramel praline were nearly as good as Valrhona or Jean Paul Hevin's versions. Amazing feat! One of the most perfectly executed Petit Four courses I've encountered but perhaps done and moulded so politically well, to the point it doesn't belong to a restaurant but a chocolate shop. Is that a praise? It depends on your intepretation.
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FOR ROUGHLY $750 AFTER 10%, INCLUDING ALL THE ABOVE AND 4 GLASSES OF WINE - AMBER SHOWS A LOT OF HEART AND PRIDE AND DARE I SAY BUSINESS ETHICS. THE SERVICE IS WARM AND FRIENDLY, STAFF 'WING' AND THE SOMMELIER KNEW EVERYTHING ABOUT HERE: THE ALOOF YET INTUITIVE, FRENCH-LIKE SERVICES AT CAPRICE AND PIERRE ARE MORE INTERNATIONAL BY STANDARDS... BUT AMBER IS WARMER AND ASIAN CUSTOMERS EXPECT TO BE PAMPERED ENDLESSLY: EACH TO THEIR OWN.
This time around, the food tasted better and with better execution with slightly less visual flair. Its spontaneously 'Theatrical' yet unpretentious, but somehow lacked that really strong theme involving centrally integrated core dishes as seen in 3 Star or even real 2 Star restaurants abroad and the reason I haven't brought myself to visit at night time as yet. Sometimes, the difference between 1 to 3 stars is not as big as gap as it seems, especially when it comes to Michelin's Rating standards: CAPRICE is slightly better 'positioned for upgrade' in my opinion but I'm sure the majority would disagree - but I obviously say that with my own reason and perhaps I'll explain more when the time comes... This meal was still funky and great, it did everything so well with few vices. Highly satisfying vs Price factor, but I have had better in other countries, the Experiences which mesmerize and completely encapsulate the audience with its ingenuity from the 1st to the End course. Here - it was more entertaining. Judging this as a singular experience rather than as a summary judgment of the restaurant, since it will fluctuate accordingly knowing that Haute Cuisine menus rotate on chef's innovation rather than only seasonality, unlike many Chinese food menus, I rate this Meal:
FOOD EXECUTION & PRODUCE: HIGH '4' to MID '5'
INTEGRATION OF THEMES : '3.0'
OVERALL: HIGH '4' - LOW '5'
Hopefully Get to Pen More Of Other Fine Dining Meals soon... when the Mood Suits!
张贴
