[Hong Kong] Amber - Weekend Wine Lunch

Back at Amber for its Weekend Wine Lunch! I have been here for its weekday lunches, so I was excited to try its wine pairing which features boutique wines and exclusive vintages from around the world that are not normally available in Hong Kong. The cost of the weekend lunch is priced at $888 for 6 courses of food and 4 glasses of wine pairing which is guaranteed to be a feast. Oh and congratulations to Amber for making the World's 50 Best Restaurants list again at #38 this year!  

The first wine we received was Olivier - a light and nutty champagne from France which was great for freshening up our palate.

The fresh and warm bread basket arrived next with unsalted and salted butter. 

Since it was summer, we were served a series of amuse bouche around the theme of tomato and fennel. The first was a gorgeous cup that contained an appetizing tomato water which reminded me of the a similar dish at NUR. I loved the playful presentation of the tomato-shaped pita bread with fennel puree filling and seaweed stem on top of the cup.

 

Next up was a deep-fried ravioli with basil and fennel puree filling presented on a wooden bark and moss carpet.

 

The last of the trio was a fennel macaron with tomato puree filling and Bloody Mary tart in the shape of cherry tomato.

For our starters, we were served this 2013 Casa Marin Sauvignon Blanc from San Antonio Valley in Chile. It was very light in flavor which is best for pairing with food and not for consumption alone.

The Boops Boops Fish was light cured and smoked in watermelon juice and served with coriander puree. The texture of the fish was similar to regular smoked salmon while it had a smoky flavor that was nicely balanced by the acidic sauces.

Of course we had to order the ever classic Hokkaido Sea Urchin served in a lobster jello with cauliflower, caviar and crispy seaweed waffles.

For our middle course, we were served this 2012 Olivier Leflaive Chardonnay from Bourgogne, France. I like this more than the Sauvignon Blanc as it was more flavorful and aromatic. 

We then received a nice surprise - the Charred Langoustine with crispy chicken skin, mustard seed and chopped Granny Smith apple was compliments from the chef! 

The Australian Abalone was served with a black pepper and vinegar seasoned tomato compote along with braised then crisped oxtail and its jus. The abalone was very soft and tender but I felt that the sauce was a bit overwhelming.

Prized for its fruity and delicate flavors, the Girolles is a wild mushroom in season now and was simmered in 'vin jaune' with poached Taiyouran egg, green garden pea puree and charred onion shells.

Our last wine pairing of the meal was this 2012 Domaine Faiveley Pinot Noir from Burgundy, France. It was a medium-bodied Pinot Noir with a fruity aroma that went well with the main courses.

Served with roasted golden turnips puree, roasted figs in banyuls jus and baby daikon with torroro kombu, the Dupont Duck was rich and juicy while I wished the skin could have been crispier. 

The Line Caught Red Mullet was beautiful as it had been seared on the skin and served with its pan juices, semolina gnocchi, raw violin zucchini, orange dust and sea urchin rouille.

Before our dessert courses, we were served 5 types of French unpasteurized cheese with sourdough bread. 

 

The first of our dessert was this Yellow Peach which had been poached in sake, citrus, nectarine cream marigold petals while topped with sake lees ice cream and rice crispy. The dessert was refreshing to eat especially in this hot summer weather!

The decadent Raspberry sorbet with alpaco chocolate cremeux, hibiscus and black currant gel was very delightful to eat as the chocolate cream was quite light and not too sweet.

To wrap up our meal, we were served a 3-tier petit fours with coffee or tea of our choice. Similar to my last experience, this was the most disappointing aspect of our meal as the petit fours were too sweet and not impressive at all.

Verdict - Amber never fails to dazzle and with its outstanding food and wine, the Weekend Wine Lunch is a fabulous way to spend the weekend!

Amber
7/F, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental
15 Queen's Road East, Central
Tel: 2132 0066
http://www.amberhongkong.com/

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