[Hong Kong] The Ocean - 4 Hands Dinner with Cuisines Michel Troisgros
Over the weekend, I was back at The Ocean for their 4-hands collaboration dinner with 2 Michelin star Cuisines Michel Troisgros from Tokyo! The exclusive pop-up dinner only lasted for 2 days from June 24-25 where the chefs from both restaurants came together to create an 8-course menu for $1,488 per person. I've only been to The Ocean before during daytime (check my previous post for more pictures of the beautiful venue), so I got to experience a different side of the restaurant this time and watched a beautiful sunset over Repulse Bay with J while we wined and dined through the night.
The Ocean has an extensive wine list which had been picked out by the restaurant group's sommelier and since we were primarily eating seafood, we chose champagne to be paired with our food.
We kicked off the meal with a series of amuse bouche including an eggshell of Parmesan mousse with lobster confit, clam with green apple and celery jelly, clam ceviche, black truffle cream puff and deep-fried cod's throat on a stick.
The onion bread was irresistibly aromatic while the pairing with a whipped sea salt and honey butter was heavenly as well.
Our first course was a Smooth Tofu and Sea Urchin topped with Oscietra caviar and creme fraiche. I liked the contrasting textures between the creamy sea urchin and the crunchy green peas underneath the tofu layer while the flavors were refreshingly light overall.
The next course was a Smoked Scallop with salicornia texture and girolle mushroom which arrived with a maple leaf shaped crisp on top. The hickory smoked scallops were cooked just right with a perfectly browned edge and slightly raw center but the mushroom sauce was a bit sour and didn't really add to the flavors of the scallops.
The Lobster refreshed with anise flavors was our favorite dish of the night as it was cooked perfectly with a super tender texture! I felt that the sauce could have been richer to enhance the flavors of the lobster but I did like the apple and cucumber slices which added refreshing textures to the dish.
The Grey Sea Bream was beautifully plated on a spiral onion puree with a braid of allium, morel mushrooms and edamame on the side. The sea bream had a really crispy skin but unfortunately it was a bit overcooked as well.
I loved this gorgeous palate cleanser which came as a pearl on a shell with lemon sorbet, strawberry foam and crumble! The pearl had a beautiful translucent shell which broke easily with a gentle tap of a spoon.
Lastly, our mignardises of the night with chocolate-covered mushrooms and biscuits with peanut cream filling. The peanut biscuits were a bit too sweet but the chocolate mushrooms were more successful with a well-balanced taste.
Verdict - I thought that the food we had this time was better than our previous visit which I felt was a bit too safe, and with its gorgeous venue and impeccable service, The Ocean definitely has the potential to be one of the top fine dining spots in Hong Kong if the chef can find the right balance in combining flavors and ingredients with seafood.
The Ocean
Shop 303-304, 3/F, The Pulse,
28 Beach Road, Repulse Bay
Tel: +852 2889 5939http://www.theocean.hk/#home
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