The Principal (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

You will be surprised how few numbers of acclaimed restaurants you would decide to come back after the first visit. For me, the statistics were not good. But this one, I have always wanted to come back.

The Principal was not entirely billed as a fine dining restaurant. The contemporary decor, Spanish connection and most importantly, the quality of food had always tempted me to come back for more.

After receiving its first Michelin star late last year, the restaurant has pretty much kept everything intact, even the prices. A 2-course lunch at $250 with this caliber of food? No, we are not dreaming.....




Tequila shot for amuse bouche? Well, it's in fact a foie gras cappuccino. It's a shame that the cappuccino was a bit too bitter for the foie gras to handle (2/10).



Our first starter was a hamachi carpaccio with cucumber, seaweed and onions as garnish.
The carpaccio was slightly marinated and accompanied by a wasabi ice cream which has almost completely melted by the time we finished our photo session.

That was refreshing (7/10).



The other starter, a pan seared foie gras was a little bit less successful. I blamed it on the fact that the thick slab of foie gras was only seared on one side and as a result, creating a somewhat "unbalanced" effect. Unbalanced in the sense that it's harder on top but way too "smushy" on the bottom (5/10).

Nevertheless, I did enjoy the coco beans, watercress purée and balsamic vinegar that went along with the foie gras.



The main courses certainly lived up to expectation starting with a grilled quail on a bed of pearl barley and cabbage. The caramelized apple bits on top and leek flan on the side were also nice additions to the dish (7.5/10). 



The other main course, a braised wagyu cheek, was also equal to the task. The ultra rich flavor of the wagyu was perfectly complemented by a celeriac puree, asparagus and shaved pistachio (7.5/10).



Our dessert, Nutella, not to be confused with the brand name of hazelnut chocolate spread, was a collection of shaved vanilla shortbread, banana and coconut sorbet. The combination of various flavors and textures provided a stimulating effect to our taste buds. 




Food Rating: 7/10
Price: $$$
Address: 9 Star Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Admiralty
Tel: +852 2563-3444
Website: www.theprincipal.com.hk



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