Blue Butcher (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

This visit to Blue Butcher has been long overdue. For whatever reason, I didn't seem to get motivated to give it a try. Perhaps my lack of passion for steaks played a part in this.

But finally we made the decision to dine here this past weekend and we were glad we did.
The restaurant was fairly easy to find. It's right in between The Press Room and Classified. They have a bar on the ground floor that stretches out a bit onto the street. It was one of the quietest bars I have seen but nevertheless a good place to hang around while they get our dinner table ready. 

Up the rusty stairs we went and it was a totally different story. Dark, bustling and lively were just a few adjectives I could think of to describe the dining area on the first floor. This looked like a perfect place for group gathering.

The menu wasn't as sophisticated as we would like but there were still some nice selections out there apart from beef. The Norwegian salmon tartare, line-caught sea bass etc. would have been good choices for anyone who is not particularly into steaks.



Quail, smoked grapes, 7/10
We started dinner off with their chargrilled quail. Never imagined quail could work so well with grapes. I especially enjoyed the taste and temperature of these grapes which have been slightly smoked and probably sat in the frigate for a while. It posed a sharp contrasting flavor in comparison to the warm quail.  



Prime US Tenderloin, smoked mushroom ravioli, 6.5/10
Next up for us was our main course, prime US tenderloin topped with a smoked mushroom ravioli. The tenderloin was nicely complemented by a garlic puree and Béarnaise sauce.

I was quite pleased with this dish. The tenderloin tasted as if it's been slow-cooked for at least 48 hours as the meat was super tender and soft. I could feel that tenderness even from cutting through the meat. The only complaint I had was the lack of a natural heavy flavor one would find from a steak like a Wagyu beef.

The Béarnaise sauce was also a great choice to go with the tenderloin. It had that super cheesy texture from the butter, egg yolk and a little bit of white wine but yet not too overpowering.



Rare breed US Kurobuta pig belly and cheek, 6/10
Our final course, the US Kurobuta pig belly, looked a little bit like the braised pork belly (Dong Po Rou) from the Chinese cuisine. The seasoning was very light to allow the natural flavors to stand. It was served with a bed of lentils and some granny smith apple slaws atop.

It was again a lovely dish although I'd prefer a little bit more fat on that belly.



We were pleasantly surprised with the overall dining experience especially the atmosphere and quality of food. The service although friendly was however a bit too mechanical. 

Yes, we were very pleased to MEAT you too.




Food Rating: 6.5/10

Price: $$$

Address: 108 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Hong Kong Station
Website: http://bluebutcher.com/