Masseto ♥ ♥

After having missed the chance to dine with Chinkee at Masseto, then experiencing sharp pangs of jealousy each time I see her “dreaming about duck leg confit” status update on facebook, I know I have to make a trip to the restaurant before I go crazy.

A short exchange of SMS and we’re all set. 

  Nelson, me, Jeff, and Chiz. We conquer the big, bad, red M.

 

Salad, Anchovy and Garlic Dressing

The salad is just okay, not the best I’ve had. It feels like it’s lacking something. The Ooooomph Factor.

 

Bacalao fritters, Aiolo

It is pure fish inside these golden nuggets. Hooray to no scrimping on ingredients! Can definitely use more flavor though.

 

Crab Cakes, Red Pepper Sauce

The crab cakes, according to Chiz, are very crabby. Good crabby.

 

Mango Sorbet

If you like Gina mango juice frozen and shaped into a ball, you’ll love this. I love it. Everyone loves it.

 

Lamb Chops, Potato Gratin

Chiz complains that her lamb chops are hard, and that they are 40% fat. And seriously, what restaurant does not have mint jelly?

 

Tenderloin, Foie Gras, Potato Puree and Port Sauce

Jeff says the tenderloin is not bad, but the foie gras is not good.

 

Sole, Brown Butter Lemon Sauce, French Beans

I think sole fillets are plain and boring, but our server recommends it and since there really isn’t much choice for seafood on the menu, Nelson orders this. Butter lemon sauce is the best friend and savior of all Plain Jane dishes. This one has just a tad too much lemon in it. Tsk. The French beans are excellent though.

 

Crispy Duck Leg, Roasted Potatoes

The waiter has not yet set down the plate in front of me and I am already hating and wanting to punch myself in the face for ordering this. Chef Tippi Tambunting’s masterpiece, the dish every foodie in Manila is raving about, how can it look so dry and so… fugly??? I am so pissed. I start blaming and cursing myself inside my head. But not wanting to throw a tantrum in front of my friends and let them see the retard slash basket case that I really am,  I eat my food like an obedient child.

And WOW!!! <Insert fireworks here> One bite and I understand why Chinkee dreams about this. The meat is tender and flavorful and oh sooooooo good! The skin is crispy and fatty and oh sooooooo very goooooooood!!! I am humbled. And I surrender. My heart now belongs to a fugly crispy duck leg.

 

Pan Seared Foie Gras

And a fine dining meal is not a fine dining meal if you do not have good foie gras. Sadly, Masseto’s is not. Not even warm when served to us, the goose liver is also not the rich and buttery kind that I like. And the salad dressing is just too sour.

 

Warm Chocolate Cake, Honey Ice Cream

They say it is bitter. I say if we take out the burnt bits at the bottom, it is alright. I love chocolate and dark is my favorite. Keep away, sissies. Stick to the not-so-honey ice cream.

 

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

The chocolate-hazelnut combination is always a sure win. The dollop of whipped cream balances the sweetness. It’s simple. It satisfies.

 

Butter and Sugar Crepe, Praline Ice Cream

Do not let the ordinary and uninspired name stop you from ordering this dessert crepe. It is so simple yet so amazingly delicious that Chiz declares she can have another piece if she isn’t already so full. As for me, no matter how full, I can easily polish off two more of this.

Or three.

 

 

Masseto:  114 Valero Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City, Philippines.

+632-8103565, +632-3380929

Bonheur ♥ ♥

They give you a menu. You choose from a list of appetizers, soups, entrees and desserts. Three courses for HK$358+10%, four courses for HK$388+10%.

We choose the four-course, of course! And pick the no-brainers… foie gras, Iberico ham, rib-eye, lamb chop, chocolate lava, and mille-feuille.

Cheese bread is good especially when fresh out of the oven.

 

The set dinner, like most of the other restaurants’ in The Pemberton, is just so-so. It is the usual average fare, French cuisine that tastes a bit Hong Kong. Or Hong Kong food trying very hard to be French.

Spanish Iberico ham, melted raclette cheese… average.

 

  Pan-seared foie gras, pink grapefruit sauce… average.

 

  Seafood soup… average.

 

  Mushroom soup… average.

 

Char-grilled US Prime Black Angus Rib-eye, béarnaise sauce… average.

 

Char-grilled premium lamb rack, pommery sauce… average.

 

Mille-feuille of mango… slightly above average.

A beautiful tower of fruits, cream, and flaky puff pastry. It looks like a lot but it is so light you feel 100% guilt-free even after polishing off the whole plate. It makes you feel you are now ready for the “real” dessert.

 

Chocolate fondant with ice cream… above average.

And no, it does not have anything to do with the fact that I am obsessed with anything chocolate. Or that chocolate is my first ever true love. Or that it will be my last. The cake is dark, rich and contains just a hint of sweetness. (Special thanks to Uncle R’s doctor for advising him to cut down on sugar, I have 95% of this all to myself! Mwahahaha!!!) 

 

Now this is why you should never ever be content with just whatever is on the menu. Always, always keep an eye on the food at neighboring tables, take notice of what the servers are carrying on their trays. Ask. Be curious. Be envious. Be greedy. Want them all. 

We see a waiter transporting this beautiful crustacean to another table. We stop him and subject him to intense interrogation. What is it? Why is it not on the menu? Why do they offer it to the other table and why not to us? Is this some kind of discrimination? (Ooops, got a bit carried away there. Tee hee!) We bully him until he finally offers to check if they have an extra one for us. Guys, if you plan to come to Bonheur, you MUST call to reserve this in advance. Very meaty, a bit spicy and extremely tasty, this crab is the highlight of my week. Seriously!

Envy. Greed. Gluttony. What the 3 Cardinal Sins can do to an otherwise average meal.

Oh yes, I am a sinner. So punish me!

 

 

Bonheur: 6/F, The Pemberton, 22-26 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. +852-2544-6333

Henry’s Kitchen ♥

  

Wilson Kwok. My college schoolmate. Everybody’s friend. I swear, everybody knows this guy. Deans, professors, batch mates, people from higher batch, lower batch, even random people in the streets of Hong Kong.

And even before we finish our dinner at Henry’s Kitchen, he has already become fast friends with Henry.

 

Breads

 

Lobster Bisque – toooooooooo salty!!!!!

 

Baked Escargot with Portobello Mushroom – ok good

 

Roasted Suckling Pig in French Style – the skin looks beautiful and crisp but it’s actually soggy and chewy, the meat dry and tasteless. A pretty-looking dish is all.

 

Roasted Short Ribs in French Style – now this is reason alone to come to the quiet Fortress Hill neighborhood. Tender and very flavorful. And HUGE. But worry not, our appetites are huge-r. We clean the plate in no time.

 

Chocolate Fudge Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream -  looks and tastes exactly like what I had in Fusion 5th Floor. Forgettable.

 

Henry is a big guy and he understands that not all people in Hong Kong eat like birds. There is the 0.000001% of the population that eats like there is no tomorrow. Ahem! Ahem! Henry serves this population. Wilson asks the waitress if other diners order the same as what we order and if they are able to finish all.

“Yes, sir, they order the same and they finish all,” she says.

“But they are usually a party of four,” she admits hesitantly, stifling a giggle.

Yikes.

 

Attention, girls! Wilson is single AND looking! :)

 

 

Henry’s Kitchen: Shop 9, 18 Wang On Road, North Point, Hong Kong.

+852-2980-4666

Whisk ♥ ♥ ♥

Because Jason says it is his favorite romantic restaurant for the month of November, I suggest Whisk, the famed Singaporean chef Justin Quek’s first restaurant in Hong Kong, for a not-really-so-romantic dinner with Nelson and his supplier/friend Newman.

  I love Whisk’s intergalactic interiors.

 

Bread basket. Nothing extraordinary.

 

Newman does not want to be bothered with too many choices, so he goes for the easiest option. Tonight’s set dinner:

King prawn salad with abalone

 

Wild mushroom ravioli with leek, saffron foam

 

Carrot ginger soup with lemongrass foam (sorry, no profile picture!)

 

Slow-cooked beef rossini on polenta cake, truffle jus

 

Hazelnut mousse with lime basil sorbet

 

The two fussier people order ala carte.

  Chef’s appetizer platter: tasting of Whisk’s four best creations. And true to its claims, these really are the best!

 

  Baked lobster bisque “herb soufflé.” Quite a creative twist to the traditional lobster bisque. This is good, but not fantastic.

 

  Roasted crispy suckling pig with truffle salad and red wine sauce. The skin is exaggeratedly crispy, and the meat exaggeratedly tender. I can’t say much for the taste though, it is a bit bland. Nothing can ever beat Cebu lechon. NOTHING.

 

US prime ribeye, 300 grams. I haven’t had US steak this good for the longest time. Very tender, very flavorful, and with the right amount of marbling. Even if served medium when I order medium rare, this is one of the better steaks I’ve had in Hong Kong.

 

  Flaky apple tart with roasted almond and vanilla ice cream. Don’t believe when the menu says this is good for two. I can easily polish off the whole thing by myself. In 3 minutes. Very, very easily. I just don’t want the two men to look like sissies.

 

The waiter hears my thoughts and brings me more sweets. Happy!

 

I, Blind Man Nelson and Newman thank you, Jason, for another great recommendation!

 

 

Whisk: 5/F, The Mira Hong Kong, 118-130 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. +852 2315-5111

One-ThirtyOne, Revisited ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Goodbyes. I am so not good at them. I hate to leave Hong Kong, the Clearwater Bay flat I’ve called home the last three years, my freedom, the wonderful friends I’ve made, the convenient and efficient MTR system, the shopping, the crazy sales, my freedom, the Hong Kong style milk tea in chachantengs, the many restaurants I’ve grown to love, and the many, many more still on my to-try list… and did I mention my freedom?

I refuse to leave Hong Kong without having another meal at my favorite restaurant. Cannot. Will not. Refuse to. 

And what better day to enjoy a leisurely lunch at One-ThirtyOne than on January 31?

The outdoor seating

 

The view

 

   The diners

 

Homemade breads. Garlic, olives, sundried tomatoes.

 

Carpaccio of Japanese scallop with orange, wild arugula & lobster vinaigrette topped with Yalla Valley salmon caviar

Arugula is my favorite salad vegetable. Its earthiness goes well with the light and delicate flavors of the scallops, and the salty, briny taste of the caviar. A very refreshing start.

 

Cappuccino soup of wild mushroom topped with Italian black truffles

The soup is a bit watery today compared to the last time, but still enjoyable.

 

  Calamansi sorbet

 

Trio of French mullard duck (foie gras, leg confit, seared duck breast) with honey-citrus sauce, baby carrot, porcini mushroom, caramelized fresh fig and “ratte” potato puree

The foie gras is pan seared to perfection and the fig is plump and sweet. However I taste bitterness in the liver, not the best of the best. Duck breast is tender but a bit bland by itself. The honey-orange sauce that accompanies it is genius.

I never liked duck confit before this day. But this super tasty duck meat on a bed of rich and creamy mashed potato creates miracles and warm and happy feelings in my mouth. How tragic that I am exposed to something so mind-blowing at such a young, tender age. (Hihihi!) Henceforth, every other duck confit I come across will be compared to One-ThirtyOne’s... and they are all doomed to fail in the aftermath of such perfection.

 

Cheese tray

 

  Gotta have a bit of everything!

 

Chocolate-raspberry soufflé with Madagascar vanilla ice-gelato

Dessert is the same as last time, still as good, although I would have loved to try another of Chef Gary’s delicious creations. We ask for an additional scoop of vanilla gelato, the waiter happily brings us two. With a smile.

This is the life. My Hong Kong life.

Oh One-ThirtyOne, this is not goodbye. It cannot be. Will never be.

I promise.

 

One-ThirtyOne: 131 Tseng Tau Village, Shap Sze Heung, Sai Kung.

+852-2791-2684