Christmas is again just around the corner and we were itching for a nice meal just before the festival season. Picking out the restaurant initially gave me some headache but it didn't take long before we settled on The Principal on Star Street.
The Principal remains one of my favorite restaurants in town as Executive Chef Jonay Armas continues to dazzle with his innovative flair. I have to admit, this is my first experience with their dinner menu as I have only had the pleasure of enjoying a few lunch here with my previous visits.
A pretty quiet night with only a handful of diners on hand.
Kicking off the tasting menu for us was our amuse bouche. This consisted of a few snacks
including some passion campari, trapped inside a "ping pong ball" that pops in the mouth.
Followed by some mimetic peanut, sesame biscuits and pate bonbon. Pretty nice start.
Uni - Our night kicked off in style with an uni dish. The briny sea urchin was served on a bed of Japanese steamed egg custard (chawanmushi). It was wonderfully matched with a creamy emulsion made with sake and dates.
Egg - Next up, more eggs. Our second dish featured free range onsen egg, served with Iberico ham, parmentier and chanterelle. Very nice and clean flavors capped off by the savory kick of the Spanish ham.
Blue Lobster - The roasted blue lobster was stuck with a patch of gluey Béarnaise sauce, along with wild rice and tarragon. This was served with some butternut squash purée on the side. For me, one of the least satisfying dish of the night.
Cod - We got back on track with our fish course, a beautifully cooked cod fish paired with a "black and white" sauce.
Suckling pig - Equally successful was the superbly executed suckling pig, served with baby endives, lemon purée, cabbage and pomegranate. There was an incredible balance of flavors in the dish, from the bitterness of the endives, acidity from the lemon to of course, the savory flavors and richness of the pork.
Black tea - Black tea ice-cream on a disk of bergamot jelly with honey crumbs, lavender and cardamon. Not sure if this was a palate cleanser or our first dessert.
Gianduja - A final dessert of chocolate mousse, praline, sweet potato and brown butter ice-cream helped to send us home happy.
Some petite fours to end our night on a sweet note.
Food Rating: 7/10
Price: $$$
Address: 9 Star Street, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Wanchai
Tel: +852 2563-3444
Website: www.pressroomgroup.com
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