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

I have written many many times about The Principal and have never shied away from expressing my admiration for Chef Jonay Armas's contemporary Spanish cuisine. It's classic yet very modern. How can I resist?


 
I am still trying to get a feel for the restaurant's fan base. I've seen this place really packed with customers on many occasions but also many times I have seen it less than 20% full like today.


 

Two lovely nibbles were served prior to the start of my meal. First it was a melon sangria served on ice from their signature flower pot. That was quite a refreshing start.



Then a further nibble of parmesan cheese roll with basil came next. This wasn't the best set of amuse bouche I have had in my life but it was much better than what we had for amuse bouche at Caprice last Saturday (6.5/10)! 



Following amuse bouche was a bag of bread including a multi-grain one and a French baguette.  



As soon as bread arrived, scallop carpaccio also made its way to the table. I love the simple yet artisanal presentation. The garnish of turnip, pearl onions and wasabi ice-cream was quite adorable.

I thought the taste was excellent. If not for their glaring mistake of leaving large patches of sea salt at different parts of the carpaccio, it would have been perfect (6.5/10).



Pigeon with bomba rice and ceps was a surprising Chinese-inspired dish from a Spanish restaurant. It's almost like (Chinese style) home-cooking but in a good way. Pigeon was done two-ways here with the pigeon breast roasted and the leg braised.

Personally, I like the roasted part better (6/10).



Dessert was The Principal's signature PB&J combining peanut butter mousse and pain perdu with a black currant sorbet. It came in a small package but obviously size didn't matter at all. This little dessert comprised of a variety of contrasting flavors and textures which was quite an interesting experience to my taste buds (6.5/10).



Congratulations to Chef Jonay Armas and his team for capturing their second star for the first time this year! A well-deserved second star for sure.....

Food Rating: 6.5/10
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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