Bibo | Hong Kong - Tram Ride into Alice in Wonderland
Rating: ❤❤❤❤
All aboard! Step inside into this decadent tram that may be taking you to the past (or to the future) while indulging you with modern French cuisine and a wine list to boast. The entrance on Hollywood Road was obscure and discreet with only a gold and blue doorway and no signage at all. A gentleman was guarding the door and, with a slight eye contact, opened it for me. As soon as I stepped inside, I felt like I was descending into the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland.
I was surrounded by splendid and breathtaking art with every step I took and my eyes were overwhelmed trying to take all of the details in. I walked past the bar and lounge area to reach the main dining room where bam! I was immediately mesmerized by all of the different artwork that were jam-packed into every nook and cranny of this space. I'm not going to pretend that I know much about art but I heard that the installations are from renowned street artists with some familiar names like Banksy, KAWS, Invader, Takashi Murakami and more. I noticed that everyone dining around me couldn't help but peer around throughout their meal to admire the collection.
Even the tables were meticulously detailed from the intriguing charger plates to the slightly offsetting marble table tops. Bibo serves set lunches on weekdays for 2 courses at $238 and 3 courses at $288 - quite reasonable for this area in SoHo and with this level of decor. J and I each got 3 courses with an appetizer, main and dessert.
The bread and butter came first and the wheat sourdough bread turned out to be amazingly tasty with a distinct sourness in every bite. The butter was equally delightful with its flavors and creamy texture.
Le Crabe (4/5) - this crab appetizer was very refreshing to eat with its light and acidic flavors. Shreds of Nordic crab were surrounded with layers of tomato gelee and avocado mousse. It was almost like eating a liquid salad except that the crab didn't taste that fresh.
La Langoustine (3/5) - I wasn't a fan of this appetizer with seared langoustine over green pea and truffle emulsion. The texture of the langoustine was overly soft and really mushy which wasn't pleasant to eat. The flavors of the green pea and truffle emulsion was wonderful though.
Le St. Pierre (5/5) - I was impressed with this pan fried New Zealand John Dory with lemon grass and fresh melons. The fish was cooked perfectly while the flavors were subtle yet delicate. I usually don't like eating fish as the flavors can be rather light but I really liked this dish here at Bibo.
La Joue de Boeuf (5/5) - this was another thoroughly impressive dish with braised Wagyu beef cheek, celeriac mousse, bacon and onion. Usually braised beef tends to be just really soft and tender, but the beef cheek here was not only that but also managed to retain some of its bouncy texture - similar to what you'd expect from a beef tongue. I love the rich flavors and the pairings with the celeriac mousse and bacon was perfect.
La Fraise (4.5/5) - this dessert was gorgeous with its colorful presentation in a quaint-looking fish bowl. With yogurt panna cotta, strawberry & rhubarb sorbet and Mara des Bois strawberries, the dessert was sweet and tart to eat while the array of textures and flavors managed to come together to form a cohesive delight.
Le Riz au Lait (4/5) - the other dessert of French rice pudding with caramel center, red berries, mint, and vanilla ice cream was more subdued in its flavors but more balanced at the same time. The texture was soft and creamy while not too sweet - perfect for those who wants to satisfy their sweet tooth but prefer less in-your-face flavors.
Petite Fours - at the end of our meal, we also got some petit fours - madeleines and brownies. The brownie was probably my favorite out of the two as it was more flavorful with a moist and soft texture. We also ordered some coffee which was not included in the set lunch, but sadly it was pretty disappointing. J was not a fan as a serial coffee addict - in fact I've never seen him react so poorly to coffee before.
Verdict - the impressive decor at Bibo probably left a more memorable impression on me than the food but that's not to say that the food wasn't good. In fact, the quality of the dishes were in general pretty high and the value for lunch was outstanding. The service was quick and attentive while I love the retro train conductor uniforms the waiters were wearing. I think it's worthy to eat at Bibo just to check out the fantastic art installations and collections.
Do you have your tram ticket for Bibo yet?
Bibo
163 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan
2956 3188
http://www.facebook.com/BiboHongKong
Follow me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/supertastermel
All aboard! Step inside into this decadent tram that may be taking you to the past (or to the future) while indulging you with modern French cuisine and a wine list to boast. The entrance on Hollywood Road was obscure and discreet with only a gold and blue doorway and no signage at all. A gentleman was guarding the door and, with a slight eye contact, opened it for me. As soon as I stepped inside, I felt like I was descending into the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland.
I was surrounded by splendid and breathtaking art with every step I took and my eyes were overwhelmed trying to take all of the details in. I walked past the bar and lounge area to reach the main dining room where bam! I was immediately mesmerized by all of the different artwork that were jam-packed into every nook and cranny of this space. I'm not going to pretend that I know much about art but I heard that the installations are from renowned street artists with some familiar names like Banksy, KAWS, Invader, Takashi Murakami and more. I noticed that everyone dining around me couldn't help but peer around throughout their meal to admire the collection.
Even the tables were meticulously detailed from the intriguing charger plates to the slightly offsetting marble table tops. Bibo serves set lunches on weekdays for 2 courses at $238 and 3 courses at $288 - quite reasonable for this area in SoHo and with this level of decor. J and I each got 3 courses with an appetizer, main and dessert.
The bread and butter came first and the wheat sourdough bread turned out to be amazingly tasty with a distinct sourness in every bite. The butter was equally delightful with its flavors and creamy texture.
Le Crabe (4/5) - this crab appetizer was very refreshing to eat with its light and acidic flavors. Shreds of Nordic crab were surrounded with layers of tomato gelee and avocado mousse. It was almost like eating a liquid salad except that the crab didn't taste that fresh.
La Langoustine (3/5) - I wasn't a fan of this appetizer with seared langoustine over green pea and truffle emulsion. The texture of the langoustine was overly soft and really mushy which wasn't pleasant to eat. The flavors of the green pea and truffle emulsion was wonderful though.
Le St. Pierre (5/5) - I was impressed with this pan fried New Zealand John Dory with lemon grass and fresh melons. The fish was cooked perfectly while the flavors were subtle yet delicate. I usually don't like eating fish as the flavors can be rather light but I really liked this dish here at Bibo.
La Joue de Boeuf (5/5) - this was another thoroughly impressive dish with braised Wagyu beef cheek, celeriac mousse, bacon and onion. Usually braised beef tends to be just really soft and tender, but the beef cheek here was not only that but also managed to retain some of its bouncy texture - similar to what you'd expect from a beef tongue. I love the rich flavors and the pairings with the celeriac mousse and bacon was perfect.
La Fraise (4.5/5) - this dessert was gorgeous with its colorful presentation in a quaint-looking fish bowl. With yogurt panna cotta, strawberry & rhubarb sorbet and Mara des Bois strawberries, the dessert was sweet and tart to eat while the array of textures and flavors managed to come together to form a cohesive delight.
Le Riz au Lait (4/5) - the other dessert of French rice pudding with caramel center, red berries, mint, and vanilla ice cream was more subdued in its flavors but more balanced at the same time. The texture was soft and creamy while not too sweet - perfect for those who wants to satisfy their sweet tooth but prefer less in-your-face flavors.
Petite Fours - at the end of our meal, we also got some petit fours - madeleines and brownies. The brownie was probably my favorite out of the two as it was more flavorful with a moist and soft texture. We also ordered some coffee which was not included in the set lunch, but sadly it was pretty disappointing. J was not a fan as a serial coffee addict - in fact I've never seen him react so poorly to coffee before.
Verdict - the impressive decor at Bibo probably left a more memorable impression on me than the food but that's not to say that the food wasn't good. In fact, the quality of the dishes were in general pretty high and the value for lunch was outstanding. The service was quick and attentive while I love the retro train conductor uniforms the waiters were wearing. I think it's worthy to eat at Bibo just to check out the fantastic art installations and collections.
Do you have your tram ticket for Bibo yet?
Bibo
163 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan
2956 3188
http://www.facebook.com/BiboHongKong
Follow me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/supertastermel
Follow me on Instagram @supertastermel 
Comments
Post a Comment