Pierre @ Mandarin Oriental - (Hong Kong)

 

On one of the distributed issues of HK Magazine’s articles  (Link here) I was given a task to think of the best amuse-bouches in Hong Kong and my answer was Pierre of HK.  Here it is definitely quite Avant Garde in style especially coming at night time.   The amuse bouches at night are highly sophisticated,  but naturally the lunch appetizers less so when customers are paying at a fraction of the price.  Talk about business sense.   The Dinner main courses always come in sets of 5 dishes which makes me think I am entering myself into a multiple Japanese Kaiseki courses,  my last Pierre’s Bordeaux style Degustation meal (found over at this Review) was costing us thousands without making much lasting impression,  it carried great recipes but not so right executions.  Any new changes on the menu needs time to re-adjust by the kitchen is my feeling.   Coming for this lunch session by impromptu after aborting an effort at nearby Man Wah due to a lack of certain dishes available,  surprisingly Mr Pierre Gagnaire was once again in town and I even got to shook his hand twice...  I am such a big fan and felt again like a big kid today!  His presence certainly brings along a charisma if not some unpredictability for what we are about to see.  His charisma changes the world around him..

 

Chef Pierre is a True Artist with his food -
He has undergone many changes in his life,
it was glad to see him again during both of my last successive visits.








Cheese Biscuit Sticks -








Guacamole with Salmon Roe,  Cheese Crumble and Foie Gras with Beetroot Jelly -









Bread and Lunch session Butter -
Last time around we scammed to get a Bordier butter from enquiring about this discrepancy…   As even the Bordeaux Lunch Tasting Menu was about 3-4 times the nominal Lunch Price.  This time I just accepted it knowing the margins in business.  Let’s play fair!

Got a Sniff of the White Truffles -
Decided not to have this menu in the end.  Wasn’t prepared for it during lunch,  plus the lunch menu actually had a few things I wanted today.








Traditional Alsacian Presskopf ‘Heat Meat’ terrine -
With sliced radish, crème fraiche,  cauliflower and pumpkin mayo.   This was quite good and definitely has head meat taste but not too overly so.  ~  9/10

 

Jellified Jerusalem Artichoke water,  Roots Vegetables Cocktail with Hazelnut Oil -
The above dish had Jerusalem artichoke diced tubers and also puree,  quartered Artichokes and also the lovely Crosnes ‘worms’ Chinese artichokes.  Out of these 3,  one isn’t actually an artichoke despite the name!  Tossed with a bit of peanuts and a Thai-like sweetish sauce and herbs,  it was..  different.  The bottom dish had a consommé jelly and a watery Jerusalem artichoke jelly,  with shredded Chioggia beets which is rarer to find here.   ~  6.5/10

Cepes Mushroom Declination –  Royale Style,  Bordelaise Style fricassee,  Cepe Ice Cream
With a Cepe pudding of sorts beneath,  I think Pierre HK usually likes this style of layering food horizontally.   Nicely fried cepe fricassee and a bit of foam followed,  plus a contrast with the Cepe ice cream,  this was quite well received.   Who doesn’t like Porcini?   ~  9/10

 

 

Thinly-sliced Poultry ‘poule au pot’,  Fresh Pasta with Razor Clams and Red Almond tip, Clams -
Herbs and garlic flavours dominated,  also white wine.   It was a little too heavy as it sort of covered the chicken and shellfishes taste,  but the pasta was deemed quite al dente decent  ~  6.5/10

Comes with a side of Wilted Swiss Chards -

 

Wild Duck Pie with Duck, Veal meat and Foie Gras.   With Marco Polo Sauce -
This is such a Autumn falls dish as wild games start to come into play,  and this duck pie is so traditional and sometimes infused with truffle,  except the sauce here is actually Italian/Chinese inspired today.  This was lovely,  it was gamey,  well seasoned and not too dense in density.   Pastry was of the more crispier type instead of flaky.  Will come back just for this !!  Great.  A similar dish last year at Review:  Guy Savoy Singapore was also decent but much more dense with the meat packing,  though came with a better flaky pastry crust.  Both were kind of different.   ~  12/10

With a side of Crunchy Lettuce and Agrumes Citrus salad -
A strange pairing and reminds me of a Mexican Mandarin salad,  but it cuts back on the grease a little bit..

 

 

Dessert of Poached Pear in Spiced Chocolate Soup,
with Vanilla cream beneath & broken Macarons,  with Pear Ice Cream -
I really liked this, as it was vanilla-y and cinnamon-liked spiced and reminds me of the upcoming mulled wine season.  A lovely dessert with balance.  ~  9/10

 

Iced Hazelnut Mousse with Chocolate Coating,  Blackcurrant Sauce and Sea Buckthorn Coulis -
We ordered this mostly for the sea buckthorn which is rare to find in HK, and I had some chances to try out in Scandinavia recently.  The taste is different, something like a hybrid between a sour tomato and red currants.  This dessert was good in the taste and quite unique, although the chocolate skin outside the frozen mousse was thicker than the typical Magnum Ice Cream sticks with chopped almonds.  But still interesting with imported ingredients.   ~  7/10

 

 

 

Price:   $547 + 10%
Ease of Access:  4/5  (2 mins from Central MTR exit)
This Lunch:  ♕♕♕♕ 1/2 - ♕♕♕♕♕

Opening Hours -
Mon to Fri:  12:00am - 00:00am
Sat: 19:00pm - 00:00am

Address: 中環干諾道中5號香港文華東方酒店25樓
25/F, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road Central, Central
Ph: 2825 4001