Michelin Medley Hong Kong 1: Amber, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental

Having done some background research on the few Michelin-starred restaurants in Hong Kong, we decided to give Amber's lunch set a try as it was quite reasonable price-wise (3-course: HKD 548/pax, 4-course: HKD 748/pax) and seemed to offer a good selection for each course. 

We were presented with an assortment of bread, from which I had the sour dough and some crispy bread. The thin slice of bread was rather distinctive as I had not come across such a finely sliced, biscuit-like type of bread before. Its crunchiness and slightly acidulated flavour was well complemented with a smear of unsalted butter, while its sour dough cousin also impressed with its fluffy and airy interior.

Bread

For the amuse bouche, a "troika" of treats were served. Arranged neatly in a row were tuna rolls constituting paper-thin skin with tuna filling, followed by a uniquely inventive foie gras sphere coated with cherry glaze and topped with some vegetable elements. To be consumed last was a warm cheese-ball-esque amuse bouche that tasted as though it consisted of a clam chowder-like soup. 

Amuse bouche

For the starters, we ordered the aubergine (eggplant puree) with caviar scented with cumin, bell jell-O tomato confit, pickled onions, brined lemon and micro sorrel. We were instantly wowed by the intricate, artistic and vivid presentation of the dish - one can only imagine the level of care in executing and perfecting the arrangement of the myriad elements in this starter. Other than the dish's sheer pulchritude, the flavours were complexed and nuanced, with the delightful tanginess of the onions and lemon complementing the light and fresh taste of the pureed eggplant. In addition, the bell jell-O tomato confit was applied as a layer of gelatinous foundation at the bottom of the dish, donning the dish in yet another tier of exquisite relish. 

A tulle dress of flavours

The other starter that one of us had was the raw amber jack that came marinated with crispy cereals and gooseberry green vegetable gazpacho with jalapeno chilli. While the dish had some texture to it, it was of a rather high acridity and was too sour for our liking. Perhaps, if there had been an element of sweetness in it, this would have enabled the dish to pirouette to the zenith of balance. 

Amber jack

For the mains, a few of us opted for lamb on the pyrenees, a name suggestive of the animals' origins up in the mountain ranges that form the border between France and Spain. The lamb was braised, pulled and prepared with bayaldi vegetables in a crepinette. Here, "bayaldi" refers to a French adaptation of "Imam bayaldi", a traditional Turkish dish that consists of eggplant, zucchini and tomato, and "crepinette", a name redolent of Marie Antoinette (which should hint at its origin), aptly refers to a sausage parcel. While the lamb was rather tender, it lacked an inexplicable "wow" factor which I tend to call the "X-factor", that is, although I wouldn't hesitate to term it "nice", I would definitely refrain from ascribing words of superlative degrees to such a dish. Interestingly (or perhaps, ironically), the most enjoyable part of the dish were the sides, which consisted of aubergine coiled up and topped with extra virgin olive oil caviar, black garlic and a wholesome tomato puree. As much as the sides play an instrumental role in every dish, I maintain that the focus of the main course should lie in the meat. Afterall, of what use would it be if the supporting actresses were stunning but if the lead actress was not up to par?

Lamb on the Pyrenees

Other than the lamb, some of us also opted for the corn-fed challan chicken breast and upper leg served with charred leeks, morels, potatoes mousseline and "vin jaune" (literally, "yellow wine", a type of white wine made in the Jura region of France)  juice. This dish was truly exceptional as the chicken breast had a tinge of rose pink and was inordinately tender, not to mention that the side of mashed potatoes also possessed a whorl of creaminess and was the best that we had tasted thus far. 

Corn-fed Challan Chicken

Indeed, what I enjoy most about top restaurants is their dedication to ensuring that painstakingly crafted dishes are maximally enjoyed. One of the common measures that such establishments take involves cleansing the diners' palates after certain courses so as to allow them to savour the next course with untainted tastebuds. In this case, Amber served up a simple yet interesting palate cleanser consisting of coconut ice cream on a stick dipped with frozen chocolate and rice krispies. While this was an uncomplicated pre-dessert dish, the coconut's unadulterated freshness served its purpose and paved the way for a wonderfully executed finish to our meal. 

Pre-dessert Palate Cleanser

One of the desserts we had was a lychee sorbet with opalis white chocolate ganache over strawberry jell-O, seasonal berries, violets and macaroon fragments. This dish was probably the most beautifully garnished of the desserts we had, and was also prepared with unparalleled finesse taste-wise. Unlike many lychee sorbets which are often haphazardly made out of sugary paste, one can taste the essence of newly prepared lychee within. In addition, the plethora of elements in this dessert was akin to a maestro having composed a culinary concerto - something like the Bolero whereby each constituent adds to the whole and yet, stands out in its own right. 

Berry bolero

Aside from the lychee sorbet, we also sampled Amber's jivara, a chocolate cremeux (dense, soft pudding) that came with cacao glaze and coconut ice cream. While the bitter chocolate was undeniably of a high quality, the dessert was overly heavy for our liking, such that our appetite was sated after only a few mouthfuls. 

Jivara

Lastly, we opted for the passe crassan pear poached in fragrant spiced shiraz red wine, black current sorbet and extra virgin olive oil caviar.While the pear was skilfully cored and presented in a hemispherical manner, in terms of taste, this dish would have brought up the bottom of the leaderboard for dessert as it lacked flair. For instance, the spiced shiraz wine was not fragrant as promised and the extra virgin olive oil caviar stuck out like a sore thumb. 

Passe Crassan Pear

After dessert, we had our tea/coffee, and were also delightfully surprised with a three-tiered silver rotating drawer filled with six types of pastries and pralines. However, presentation-wise, the servers should have ensured that the silver drawer was free of grubby stain marks. While I run the risk of being called out for nitpicking, the fact is that Michelin-starred restaurants should aim for perfection - any obvious blemishes like these only threaten to leave blackmarks on an otherwise glistening escutcheon. 

One note of caution though, would be the lacklustre service standards at Amber. Having dined at a range of restaurants, I can fairly say that I have experienced better treatment even at mid-level restaurants. The huge blip in service occurred when a server knocked over my glass of water. Instead of apologising, she shrugged it off with an air of flagrant nonchalance and went about arranging other items on the table before returning with a cloth after a few minutes to soak up the mess. This left me deeply disappointed, and my dismay with the subpar service grew due to the lack of attention given to details, e.g. not helping customers with removing their chairs when they made a trip to the washroom. In addition, the treatment we received was cold and forced instead of warm and genuine, leaving me doubtful about how the restaurant earned its two Michelin-star accolade.

Ambience-wise, the high ceiling and beige-brown decor of the interior makes it suitable for a range of occasions, from time-to-time personal treats to celebratory meals and business lunches. 

To sum it up, lunch at Amber was an enjoyable getaway from the frazzling frenzy and hectoring honks of the taxis that make up the sights and sounds in the Central district. Although its food was good, it falls behind Robuchon au Dome and Caprice, the two other restaurants which will be reviewed in further posts. In addition, it would do Amber some good to review their staff training programme and work on providing better service, as diners who pay top dollar expect nothing less than perfection and a transcendental dining experience.