Amuse Bouche | Hong Kong

Rating: ❤❤❤1/2

Amuse Bouche is a restaurant that focuses on traditional French cooking in Wan Chai. I was here for lunch with 3 other people, and as someone else had made the reservation, I didn't know what to expect at first. Upon getting off the elevator, I was greeted with a sleek and modern black & white decor along with views of the city from the floor-to-ceiling windows. The decor kind of reminded me of L'altro where the designs are just meant to be upscale but without any meaningful concept. 

The service was prompt and quick because as soon as we sat down, the set lunch menu was handed to us with explanations of each dish. The set lunch costs $258 with choice of appetizer or soup and main course or all 3 at $298 per person. Dessert and coffee/tea are included as well. 

The bread arrived warm but the quality was just average at best. They didn't have much structure or flavor to them. 

The appetizers then came out quickly and luckily they were much better. The seared goose liver and smoked duck breast with mashed potato and sauteed wild mushroom were rich and flavorful while the delicate ingredients were cooked just right. [4/5]

The cold linguine pasta with shrimp, clam, salmon roe and sesame soya was a bit limp in flavors while the seafood were fresh enough. [3.5/5]

The rock fish soup with saffron garlic toast was surprisingly the best dish of our meal! The flavors were delicate and exquisite - quite possible the best we've had in HK. [5/5]

Moving on to the main course, we ended up trying all 4 since there was 4 of us. The roasted French duck breast with figs marmalade and au jus was above average in terms of flavors, but the texture of the duck was a tad tough and chewy. [4/5]

The oven baked fresh eel on potato tart with chicken mousse was another surprisingly impressive dish as the eel was wrapped in between delicate layers of crispy potato shreds. Both the flavors and textures were satisfyingly delightful! [4.5/5] 

The pork Cordon Bleu with chick beans and chorizo sausage was just average though as the pork was tough while the entire dish was just too heavy with the amount of cheese and meat. It would be better if the ratio was adjusted to be more balanced. [3/5] 

The pan fried US Halibut fish with seasonal vegetable, butter lettuce and meuniere sauce was disappointingly bland and flavorless. The texture was overcooked as well. [2/5]

Lastly, the daily dessert was serradura (also referred to as the sawdust pudding). The dessert was gorgeous to look at through the glass container as we can see the alternating layers of cream and crumbs. The serradura was light yet pleasurable to eat. Even J who is not a fan of serradura in general gave this a thumbs up. [4/5]

Verdict - the food was a bit mixed but we were delightfully surprised with a few impressive dishes. The prices were reasonable and comparable to other French restaurants for lunch. It can be a good choice for lunch given the great service and sleek decor, but if I am looking to eat French in Wan Chai, I'd probably go to Serge et le Phoque instead.

Amuse Bouche
22/F, The Hennessy, 256 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai 
2891 3666

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