I have always liked the contemporary décor of Whisk but it was their food and service which needed more consistency and creativity.
I am bringing mom along this time. She's always a little nervous when there's a big crowd but I told her not to worry. It's unlikely that the restaurant would be full.
As a hotel restaurant, Whisk does not overprice with their business lunch. The 2-course set is reasonably priced at $228, the 3-course at $288 and 4-course at $328. But on Saturdays, the restaurant only offers the 4-course set and that's what we would be having on this day.
Lunch started off nicely with a refreshing scallops tartare with fennel, pears and wasabi sauce. I liked this clever idea by the chef but the scallops could have been diced into slightly bigger pieces (5/10).
Mom didn't like to eat raw so she elected to have the porcini mushroom soup which was quite flavorful and intense (6/10).
Instead of a fish and a meat course, they were serving us two meat courses in this fixed menu. First up was a coq du vin, a French classic re-interpreted by Chef Bjoern Alexander Panek.
Thin slices of chicken fillets were wrapped around by a sheet of chicken skin before being braised in a red wine sauce. The meat was quite tender, the sauce not too dominant and overpowering.
That was a fairly interesting dish. They even put some thoughts into making this dish beautiful to watch. Just look at the 4 "candles" made with purple carrots and mandarin juice. Lovely piece of artwork there (6.5/10).
Our next dish was a glazed beef cheek with a rather complicated supporting cast of chocolate, fruity vinegar and black currants.
I liked the way they have taken a chance with this combination of contrasting flavors and although it's not perfect, the idea was quite refreshing. The beef cheek turned out to be very savory and enjoyable. It would have been even better if they have put less pepper on top and instead let the chocolate, fruity vinegar and black currants do all the work (6.5/10).
Finally, a chocolate nougat with blueberries, ginger and hazelnuts for dessert. Mom's happy (5/10).
This meal is full of innovative ideas. Speaking of innovative, check out this special tooth pick container.
Chef Bjoern Alexander Panek's innovative way of cooking has made quite an impression on us. Although the execution still requires more work, it has already provided quite a treat for us.
Food Rating: 6/10
Price: $$$
Address: 5/F The Mira, 118 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Tsim Sha Tsui
Website: www.themirahotel.com/en/dining/whisk.aspx
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