Mandarin Grill + Bar@中環 - 慶祝神9升空

Mandarin Grill + Bar

地址 : 中環干諾道中5號香港文華東方酒店

電話 : 2825 4004
menu : http://www.mandarinoriental.com.hk/hongkong/dining/restaurants/mandarin_grill/
消費 : $1,418/head (ie total $11,340)
整體評價 : fair與good之間

2nd visit

jun 16, 12..........8人嚟食dinner...........叫咗 :

1) bread basket (免費)

-送來6款包,我哋每樣都試d,每款都好味

-不過refill嗰籃先最出色,因拿上手熱辣非常
-附上橄欖油..............很純很香............不過忘記了食友之前嘅食評............其實個橄欖油都應該有得揀............但當晚serve我哋嘅staff都無比到我哋揀

2) amuse bouche x 8 (免費)

i) 芝士puff

-初時以為每人1兜添.............真喺諗多咗.............hahaha
-外很酥鬆,又脆,裡面嘅溶開嘅cream芝士餡,鹹香味溫和
-好like呀~~~~
-食友想refill...........不過侍應已很得體的拒絕了.............hahahaha...........好pro呢~~~

ii) truffle蒸蛋

-很滑的蒸蛋,配上用truffle煮成嘅汁喺面
-所以很有truffle香嘅蛋

iii) cookies

-話就話喺曲奇,睇個樣並唔貼切

-面撒滿parmesan cheese碎,所以食時要成嗒擺入口
-下面才是曲奇,有2款味 - basil (綠色)/ olive(黑色).............不過每人只可食1個............唔喺以2款味都試晒............剛好我拿到的喺olive味...........很鬆,有olive味,不過唔喺好濃
-也ok的

iv) olive

-喺真嘅橄欖樹下,就伴來1粒橄欖啫喱
-咬破外層,就會爆出橄欖味液體
-喺4款amuse bouche中味道上最清寡的

3) special tasting menu x 8 (@hk$1,288)

i) garden

-organic, leaves, vegetable, cress, soil, earl grey

-這是要人手逐1將蔬菜1株1株插在火箭菜泥上
-呢道菜唔喺味道impress,而喺個presentation.........放好碟後,侍應就會拿來水壺將個earl grey dressing淋落個蔬菜上,很園藝
-很多冷門嘅蔬菜,見到有顆淡綠色嘅意大利西蘭花,都喺貴價超巿eg city suxxx見過的入口貨
-花泥喺火箭菜+咗coconut milk煮成嘅puree,所以很東南亞風情........又好有份量.........食晒佢都真喺幾飽架
-不過個dressing就食唔到咩earl grey味喇
-而個啡紅色嘅泥砂就唔記得咗用咩做成

ii) scallop

-french, diver caught, stones, lemon, sea grass, dashi

-個細casserole好靚............之後好大陣容..............很多侍應前來幫忙同時serve呢道菜

-將前面嘅昆布stock淋落個煲內燒熱咗嘅石卵上...........之後又蓋上..............輕輕焗1陣............目的喺將個上湯冒出嘅蒸氣燻1燻個帶子............但我哋都懷疑個作用有幾大

-之後就打番開個蓋............將前面杯仔內嘅花葉裝飾逐1放在上帶子上............足見誠意同細心
-帶子都幾大隻............煎得好靚..............不過最可惜鮮味無嘜兼表面overcook咗...............因為個煲內嘅溫度太高/焗耐咗...........就算用seaweed格住高熱嘅石卵都仲喺過熱
-墊底嘅seaweed雖然幾鹹,但很鮮很鮮味...........絶對不能錯過
-食完帶子同seaweed...........食友笑言煲內嘅石卵還頗熱..............可以用來熱敷穴位.............hahaha

iii) seabass

-french, line caught, salt baked, artichoke, pepper, lemon, saffron risotto

-原來個魚唔喺煎,而喺放喺粉紅鹽磚上焗出嚟
-魚好juicy,好嫩滑
-旁邊劃上檸檬醬,菠菜醬,黃椒醬,artichoke醬同紅椒醬
-個人覺得配檸檬醬很refreshing,最無搶到魚嘅味道之餘,仲突出到個魚味
-另有小兜菜同saffron飯
-個saffron幾唔錯,有溫溫嘅saffron味,個飯應用上龍蝦之類煮個汁,所以鮮味非常,只喺入口暖熱.............所以喺佢未凍之前食晒佢先食個魚

iv) beef calotte

-us, snake river farm, potato mille feuille, organic carrots, watercress, heirloom tomatoes, manni oil jus

-呢度嘅牛好出名..............揀來這個signature喺我哋今晚嘅其1重點
-個presentation,喺扮本書咁上
-打開就喺牛扒...........喺ribeye部位中最靚的...........建議4成熟左右..........我哋當然無問題啦
-外喺很薄的燒焦,唔會有燶/焦味
-食友1望就知附上的喺有名刀具...........有隻蜜蜂icon..........咁啱我嗰把刀.............竟然喺無咗隻蜜蜂............陰謀論的我覺得有點被歧視...........有點hurt............hahaha..............喺後記先講點解我會有呢個陰謀論~~~~
-講番個味道先
-未淋個汁時,已見到牛扒很嫩紅,很juicy............好似好好樣咁
-切開牛扒時,已feel到好腍,入口好嫩,1點筋都食唔到,唔洗點大力咀嚼就吞得..............仲好有牛味添.............平時食到牛嘅嫩滑時............通常都唔夠牛味.............現在2者兼備,實是難得............可以講喺so far食過嘅牛扒中(不過我唔喺成日食牛扒)數1數2的好
-個外形有點似黃金糕嘅1000層薯磚.............都好食,佢外表好乾身,鬆,內裡的薯仔綿密.............仲有胡椒味

v) krug on the moon

-這是off menu的甜品.........要預先訂..........1定要每人1客............正價喺$288/人

-是我哋今晚的其2重點...........亦喺神9升空嘅歷史日子.................我哋就喺文華升空.............XDD

-不過我哋食完牛扒後等咗足足近1個鐘先開始有侍應來枱面setting.........真喺攪到大家想去瞓陣先
-之後就先做杯內的牛奶朱古力pudding............之後就撒上唔同嘅朱古力粉+朱古力粒 (oreo朱古力,dark chocolate,紫羅蘭粉等............),又有熱情果,raspberry1/2圓朱古力粒...........凍的碩石朱古力

-視覺重點喺熱朱古力淋落大朱古力球時............朱古力球就遇熱溶開個大洞來...........露出裡面嘅豐富組合..............有爆炸糖,生果,朱古力漿等
-之後大家就喺枱上直接"匹"嚟食
-這是1個徹頭徹尾嘅朱古力甜品...............我哋當然食唔晒啦
-我哋人多,枱很大............甜品chef只得站在1個位置發揮.............所以每每出手都喺大刀闊斧咁撒出去...............很粗枝大葉嘅塗鴉.............後來見佢為2人客做krug on the moon時............因為within arm's length............所以可以畫得精緻d...........可以拉吓curve.............點滴吓
-不過話時話............我哋8個人好應該有4個有餡嘅朱古力球先啱..............我哋有提出到點解少咗1個朱古力球時............甜品chef唔識答...........而我哋都無癮去追究..........因呢個喺tasting menu內的krug on the moon

vi) petit fours

-最後lady's嘅petit fours就有d別開生面.........好gimmick

-喺化桩盒+綿花球
-blush有2種色............分別喺檸檬粉同berry粉
-綿花球就喺入口即逝嘅綿花糖
-男士嘅petit fours就唔會咁fancy............我無影到相............又喺1堆朱古力製品

後記

1) 這餐喺1個gd嘅dining presentation experience多於味道..........喺同業fine dining競爭上,為咗differentiate到自己,presentation同process都喺1個出路...............見到好花心思去present個dish.............eg用水壺當淋花...........要個昆布上混蒸氣去燻吓粒帶子........化粧盒等.........全餐味道上好有驚喜嘅只喺得個beef calotte而已..........seabass味道也屬優質

2) 原來7人以上.............餐廳會當你攪party咁處理..............條件就多起上嚟............(i) 先要簽個authorization letter...........<48小時cancellation/ -少人數...........就會從credit card上收$650/人嘅penalty charge............好彩全部食友都好committed..........全體準時出席...............(ii) 另外仲要食佢嘅set dinner menu,無得a la carte.............我target要去嘅餐廳,就1定有想食嘅菜.............所以我即時有意見..............因為人多,佢嘅objective只喺想預先準備好食材.............所以我建議預早比個order list佢...........佢就好爽快咁即時答應可跟番食a la carte menu.............佢哋嘅經理都有致電brief我個menu signatures(我要求的,否則我都唔知有無miss咗d好嘢).............這點經理都介紹得幾詳細

3) 原本諗住除咗krug on the moon之外,a la carte dishes全部只叫幾碟來share...............不過餐廳對這個全部share上枱嘅安排有點困難,因會有些dish會唔夠分............這點我覺得喺合理...........但我又諗到咁大張枱,又無轉盤..........我哋自己都幾難分.........所以考慮佢提議將想食嘅dish變成special tasting menu..............每人都有1份tasting portion,唔洗自己再分嚟分去............不過我對tasting menu嘅價$$$$好有意見..........original嘅tasting menu有多1道sirloin..........索價$1,398/人............因為職業病上身.............我好自然會去verify/ justify個價$$$$啱唔啱..............2來我都要對食友們有1個交待..............我有問過個tasting portion同個a la carte portion嘅比例關係..........eg tasting menu上的8碟garden+埋=幾多碟a la carte嘅garden呢?.........經理意思喺每碟都會唔同..............eg tasting menu上的8碟garden+埋,大約=3碟多a la carte嘅garden...............不過經理話唔可以咁睇..............個chef亦答唔實佢.............始終價位太高..............所以要-sirloin出嚟.............但個價位只喺每人-$100多d............當我睇番a la carte sirloin要幾多$$$$嘅時候($558/碟)...........就唔comfortable佢嘅tasting menu所開嘅$1,288/人.................無price breakdown啦..............-1道sirloin,每人只可以-到$100啦..........於是我做咗1個price scenario出嚟.............很豪的assume每個tasting portion=1/2份a la carte............用番佢個a la carte menu計.............come out出嚟都唔洗$1,288/人.............我就真的開始challenge佢tasting menu嘅收費.........有問過點解少咗道sirloin會-咁少.........亦有爭取過叫佢-番d............不過當然不得要領啦............佢以食材成本高昂為理由,價位企得好硬...........我只喺1個nobody..........而且只喺1餐8人嘅dinner event而已

有點要代餐廳講清楚.............經理都1直態度良好,有禮,無問題的..........只喺大家各有立場咁簡單啫............佢無局我1定要食tasting menu...........個決定權都喺番我哋度............如果我哋都喺覺得叫番a la carte好d.............佢都話好尊重我哋決定............只要盡快confirm a la carte嘅菜色同數量就可以.............喺食友們嘅體諒下.............我就代大家揀咗tasting menu(解決分嚟分去嘅麻煩)~~~~但坦白講我嘅感覺10分不良好............好似明知唔合理............都照樣"中"個頭埋去.............打開銀包比人搶咁~~~所以我喺有點不服氣同frustrate~~~~雖然喺咁,我都盡量好客觀去評嗰晚嘅dinner質素

4) 食完這頓tasting menu後..............老實講我都喺無法verify個收費是否合理.............因為我始終見唔到每道菜a la carte嘅份量有幾多.............但相信tasting menu total所用嘅garnishes/ side應該喺會用多咗.............不過最後我哋嘅krug on the moon似乎又被刻扣咗1個朱古力大球 (當時無求証到).............喺咁多樣唔sure嘅情況下,我個人心裡都喺覺得overpaid咗~~~~~

5) 我哋1就座,每人個位都有個大信封................餐廳很細心將當晚嘅menu印咗出嚟比大家.................其實個agreed special tasting menu已1早email咗比我............望到印出嚟嘅menu多咗杯飲品..............我無即時clarify..................天真嘅我以為餐廳最後豪杯飲品比大家..............sorry 4 being so naive XDD..............結果最後這個drink只喺打多咗.............我哋覺得餐廳有點少家............如果自己打多咗,好心都honor埋佢啦.............我哋張枱當晚消費咗1萬多d............咁嘅$$$$volume..............杯drink嘅cost相對都唔喺好高啫

6) 經過呢餐後..............陰謀論的我相信 (無事實根據) : 我已被餐廳唔black list都應該remark/label咗................hahahaha..............又煩,又cheap,重點喺又癲呀嘛~~~~3料集於1身.................你都唔好話唔得人驚呀~~~~~........................hahahaha.................邊有客癲到會challenge佢嘅價$$$$同要佢解釋先得架...............所以我把牛扒刀喺特別d...........無咗隻蜜蜂icon.............其實都幾難唔見咗隻蜜蜂架..............咁subtle都比我發現到.................XDD...............所以我日後要嚟餐廳食飯,都要麻煩友人出手訂位~~~~~唔該晒先~~~~~