Hong Kong - Liberty Private Works

Cod and seafood dip

Snacks: Clam, Iberico 

Snacks: Quail Egg, Lamb

LPW Signature: Tuna, Sea Urchin, Espelette, Rice

Abalone, Butternut Squash, Risotto

Walu, Hearts of Palm, Celery, Apple

LPW Signature: Egg, Truffle, Parmesan, Caviar

Chicken, Foie Gras, Porcini, Crones, Black Truffle

Venison, Gingerbread, Cherry, Pumpkin

Banana, Chamomile, Fennel, Peach

Sea Salt, Caramel, Chocolate, Chili

Warm Madeleine

 Mochi, White Grape

Review: LPW is one of my favourite restaurants in Hong Kong. I think this actually might be my fifth visit! I still remember my first visit at its much smaller cash-only location on Wellington Street. The current Stanley Street location is dimly lit and boosts floor-length windows that show a great view of Central at night. The restaurant is one massive chef’s table that sits around 26 guests intimately. Throughout the 8-course meal you have a front row seat to watch Executive Chef Vicky Cheng and his team hard at work cooking and plating each dish. Vicky's creativity and passion shines through his visually stunning and equally delicious dishes. Congratulations on the engagement by the way! 

Yuls and V were my dinner dates for the night. We began our meal with a light cod fish dip and some finger snacks. We were then presented with a white tablet and a small test tube of rosewater. The white tablet was actually a compressed hand towel that reconstituted when I poured the rosewater over it. What a thoughtful way to begin our meal! We started with the signature spicy tuna, sea urchin and crispy rice.  I loved the contrasting texture of the tuna/sea urchin with the crispy popped rice. Definitely a decadent seafood party going on. Next up, the abalone was tender and sweet, almost earthy. The walu had a light crispy exterior and the apple-celery sauce brought a brightness to the dish. We also loved the signature egg and spinach raviolo nestled in parmesan cream and topped with caviar. This would have to be my favourite dish from LPW. Stuff of dreams! The egg oozed out perfectly when I cut into the raviolo and I mopped up all the egg/parmesan cream up with a freshly baked baguette. The caviar added a welcomed hint of umami. Did I mention that everything was perfectly seasoned? Next we had the foie gras wrapped in chicken with a generous shaving of black truffles. Our last savoury course was the venison, plated beautifully. Look at all the colours! At first I was a bit apprehensive of it but it was tender and slightly gamey in a good way. The cherry added a tartness to the meat and the gingerbread crumbs spiced it up. It was overall a well-executed dish because each bite brought something different to my taste buds. The desserts focused on contrasting textures and flavours. They weren't too sweet, which I appreciated. Don't leave LPW without trying a homemade mochi!  They're amaaaazing. We ended the meal with freshly baked madeleines straight out of the oven, and a mochi and a white grape test tube shot that looked identical to the rosewater napkin at the beginning of the meal. I love these fun little touches.

On a side note, Vicky's other restaurant Liberty Exchange (aka LEX, or happy hour invasion of that bit in between Exchange Square and IFC) serves up delicious and reasonably priced set lunches, small bites for dinner (think mini lobster rolls and salted caramel ice cream sandwiches) and brunch. I can’t wait to try the chicken and waffles!

Date of visit: January 10th 2015

Liberty Private Works
Address: 26/F, 11 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong
Phone: 5186-3282
Hours: Mon-Sat  7:30pm - 12:00am
Reservations open 4 weeks in advance

Hong Kong - RyuGin

Updated February 20th 2015

 Monkfish liver from Hokkaido and Aka clam with spring onion in mustard miso sauce

 Simmered abalone with winter vegetables served with grated radish sauce

 Shiitake mushroom egg custard topped with Matsubagani crab

 Poached Gillardeau oyster and mashed turnip soup in winter style

 Assortment of sashimi

 Charcoal grilled Alfonsino served with crispy scales

 Wagyu ribeye sukiyaki with onsen tamago

  Premium sea urchin on steamed rice with simmered fresh seaweed

 Bottarga grey mullet roe on steamed rice with simmered fresh seaweed (for Bf who can't eat sea urchin)

 RyuGin Specialty -196C pear candy and +99C pear jam

 Deep fried spring roll, sweet red beans, strawberry, shiratama mochi

Date of visit: January 16th 2015

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Watari crab salad under chrysanthemum flowers

Enter the Autumn Forest - Simmered abalone, mushrooms, pine nuts on hot egg custard

Poached Gillardeau oyster wrapped with shabu-shabu Wagyu beef and grated celeriac jelly

Flavor of autumn - Charcoal grilled Matsutake mushroom in Ichibandashi soup

Assortment of sashimi

Slow cooked blue lobster and selection of vegetables with Manganji pepper flavoured sauce

Large eel grilled over Binchotan charcoal

Ikura salmon caviar and Kobashira on steamed rice

Tea before the dessert courses

RyuGin specialty -196C apple candy and +99C apple jam

Kyoho grapes and Nashi calpis jelly with sense of sudachi and shiso flower

Matcha to end the meal

RyuGin Hong Kong is the first overseas branch of RyuGin Japan. It offers only one menu, a kaiseki of ten courses that highlights fresh seasonal ingredients flown in from Japan daily. I enjoyed each delicious and unique dish, but I had a few favourites. One was the Gillardeau oyster wrapped in Wagyu beef (or Boyster, according to Bf). The “Boyster” was presented in its original shell and thoughtfully cut into two bite-sized pieces. The flavour of the sweet and tender beef was more pronounced in the beginning, while the brininess from the creamy oyster came after. The tangy celeriac added brightness, bringing the dish together. It was definitely a well-executed dish. I would’ve never thought beef and oyster could be eaten together, let alone be this delicious!

Another notable dish was the grilled eel. The skin was super crisp while the meat was kept soft and sweet, with a hint of smokiness. The glaze was not too sweet, which I liked. Hands down one of the best eel dishes I have ever had. I also loved the molecular gastronomy dessert, which was a candy “apple” filled with powdered liquid nitrogen apple ice cream and topped with piping hot apple jam. Hot, cold, crunchy and fluffy all at the same time!

A lot of fine-dining restaurants serve expensive ingredients, slap a hefty price tag on them, and leave it at that. At RyuGin, you are paying for the skill and technique, heart and soul the chef pours into executing each dish. He condenses and amplifies the flavours of the ingredients without overpowering your palate. The chef is able to create a symphony of flavours and textures that work so well together. This is the epitome of Japanese kaiseki.

Aside from the food, you get a stunning view of the harbour from 101/F while enjoying impeccable service. The dark decor and wooden panels that separate each table create an intimate dining experience. The staff was attentive and very knowledgeable about each dish, from the source of ingredients to cooking techniques. Portioning and timing were perfect. The dishes arrived at an appropriate speed and I didn't feel rushed or that they took too long. After the dessert courses I was perfectly satiated.

Note that the menu changes every few months, so some items pictured above may not be available. My visit was on October 3.

RyuGin
Address: 101/F, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Phone: 2302-0222
Hours: Mon-Sat 6pm-930pm, Sun 12pm-3pm, 6pm-930pm

Hong Kong - Tai Yuen Seafood Restaurant

It was a beautiful sunny day and we decided to go to Lamma Island for our seafood fix, away from the hustle and bustle. Tai Yuen is located in Sok Kwu Wan bay of Lamma Island. It is one of many seafood restaurants located on First Street near the ferry pier, and most of them have tanks full of fish and shellfish designed to attract customers. We chose Tai Yuen because Boyfriend's family has been coming here for years and they love the seafood here. The restaurant is outdoors but covered, and you can look out into the bay while you eat. It's quite a beautiful and calming scene. Before you sit down, you are invited to look at the fish tanks to see what fresh seafood they offter that day before ordering. Alternatively, you can just order the set menu (which includes a few signature seafood dishes, vegetables, fried rice and tofu pudding).

 Salt and Pepper Squid 椒鹽鮮魷: This is Tai Yuen's signature dish, and justly so. The batter was so crisp and had a nice kick from the black pepper. The squid inside was perfectly tender. A sweet and sour sauce was provided as a dipping sauce, but the squid was flavourful enough on its own.

Black Bean Razor Clams 豉椒蟶子: Normally I like my razor clams steamed with garlic, but black beans proved to be a worthy match. The deep, savoury and slightly bitter flavour of the black beans contrasted well with the sweet and fresh razor clams. I still prefer the garlic method though.

Steamed Abalone 蒸鮑魚: The mini abalone were steamed with ginger and spring onion to enhance their natural flavours. The abalone were very tender and easy to remove from their shells.

Their Steamed Fish is always perfectly cooked. The meat on the fish was firm and sweet, complemented well by the soy sauce and cilantro/green onion mixture.

Crisp and sweet Bak Choy

Sweet and Sour Pork 咕嚕肉: We get this every time. One of the best sweet and sour pork dishes I've had! The pork was encased in an incredibly crispy shell, tossed with pineapple and bell peppers in a sweet and sour sauce. The pork was lean and the shell didn't leave behind a greasy aftertaste.

Verdict: Tai Yuen serves up delicious and fresh seafood at its waterfront location. Service is prompt and attentive. The casual and lively environment is great for big groups and families. Afterwards, walk off the meal on easy hiking trails that snake through the island.

I recommend: Salt and Pepper Squid, Steamed Abalone, Sweet and Sour Pork

Tai Yuen Seafood Restaurant 泰苑魚翅海鮮酒家
Address: G/F, 15 First Street, Sok Kwu Wan, Lamma Island
Phone: 2982-8386
Hours: Mon-Sun 10:00am - 23:00pm