Impromptu dinner

L finally won his victory over Devil and got what he wanted - Dignity. I am very happy for him that he is finally coming out of the shadow and venturing into his next career. So last week, he generously treated me a dinner at the #1 French restaurant in HK, Joel Robuchon, for celebration. A very impromptu dinner that was requested at the last minute, so I didn't bring a proper camera to take pictures. I probably would need to get a cell phone with better camera just in case of any spontaneous needs.

Here is the rundown of the menu, a total of 8 courses per person..

L'Amuse - Bouche
Fresh crab meat with tomato jelly and avocado
Asparagus, parmasan cheese shavings and mushrooms
Seared scallops in butter sauce and truffles
Lobster with citrus polenta
Pan-fried foie gras with caramelized chickpeas and fresh mint oil
ME: Quail stuffed with foie gras with mustard mashed potato
L: Thick-sliced wagyu steak with iceberg lettuce
Pineapple with chantilly and coconut cream
Orange blossom flavored with champagne ice-cream

We enjoyed every bite of the dinner. The ambience echoes the one in France, the contrast of red and black resembles the bold and creative approach of the dishes, something that you cannot find elsewhere in HK. Nonetheless, I still believe the Paris shop is better than HK (of course, b/c J.R. stations in Paris), and L thinks the Tokyo shop wins with fresher ingredients.

When I first came back to HK, I asked around for recommendations for french/italian cuisine, and all I got were the old-fashioned Sabatini, Amigo, Petrus, Nicholini.. I am glad to see a handful of new and modern fine dining places opened in recent years b/c of the flourishing economy. Although they charge ridiculously prices, the new places simply put the old school restaurants to shame. Those are the places which charge market price yet haven't changed their menus for 30yrs, and you can never find younger generation people because we have fresher taste buds and demand for innovative adventure in flavors. I haven't been able to experienced all recommendations I received early on...but I don't think they deserve the fame.