[Hong Kong] Bibo - Art Tour & Champagne

The last birthday celebration for J was at Bibo where we had a tour of its art installations before our dinner! We had been to Bibo before when it first opened two years ago and decided to revisit after we had a great chat with the restaurant group's sommelier about champagne when we dined at The Ocean a few months ago. J wanted to try more kinds of champagne and his birthday coincided with the last week of the month which is when the Art Tours are offered, so we decided to sign up for it. The Art Tours occurs every last Thursday of the month at 6:30pm with no costs and it was definitely interesting to learn about the many different artists on display in the restaurant. It lasted about an hour and we walked all around the restaurant (even up to the private dining room) before making our way back to main dining for the start of our meal.

  

Coincidentally, we sat at the same table as last time right by the Invader wall.

The Bernardaud plates designed by Prune Nourry and JR are still a prominent part of the table decor at Bibo. 

After J chatted with the sommelier Wallace on what he was looking for, Wallace recommended the Franck Bonville Prestige Avize Grand Cru Brut NV Blanc de Blancs ($1370) for us to try. He recommended the use of wine glass instead of the usual champagne flute to maximize the aroma and taste of the champagne. 

Food-wise, Bibo offers a 5 course tasting menu for $1100 but we decided to order a la carte instead for more flexibility. After placing our orders, a refreshing amuse bouche with apricot jelly and almond mousse arrived along with bread and butter (one of which was a seaweed butter!). 

We were treated to this off-the-menu house smoked salmon which had a subtle smoky flavor and deliciously chewy texture to go with our champagne. 

For appetizers, J went for the Le Pate En Croute ($290) with homemade terrine, foie gras from Les Landes, pistachio and pork belly. As opposed to the soft pate spread, the pate is baked in a crust and is a very "French" dish that may not be for everyone (the people next to us only took a few bites). 

My Le Calamar ($250) with pan-fried squid, Hokkaido scallop, chorizo, bok choy and lemon dice was solid with very safe flavors but I thought the scallops could have been more raw while the dish could have used more acidity to make the tastes more interesting. 

Moving onto mains, the Le Bar ($480) with pan-fried sea bass, cherry tomatoes, white asparagus and Jerusalem artichoke puree was nicely executed but again the flavors were pretty safe and tasted as expected. 

I preferred the Le Homard Bleu Roti ($730) with roasted blue lobster and seaweed butter better which was served with seasonal vegetables, salted butter sauce and triple cooked fries as the flavors were on point and the portion can easily be shared between 2 people!

Lastly, we had the La Fraise ($180) with fresh berries, yuzu cream, strawberry and ginger sauce, sesame tuiles and lychee sorbet to round off our meal and birthday celebration for J!

Bibo

163 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan

Tel: +852 2956 3188
http://www.bibo.hk/#new-page




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