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

The more I go to Admiralty these days, the more I realize how sad the food scene around here is. This is a place that could definitely use a few new faces but until they do, I am going back to the usual suspect such as The Continental, whom has successfully won me over since my post Christmas dinner back in December. 



There are a number of reasons why I like The Continental and no, it's not entirely their food menu nor their service. Well, it has more to do with the ambiance and the fact that I know it's very easy to get a table even without reservation.



Beetroot cured salmon with dill and avocado - This dish has two of my favorite ingredients, beetroot and avocado so it was an obvious choice for me. The cured salmon was really nice and sweet. My only complaint came from the sauce (lemon?) which had a little too much acidity for my liking. 



Duck breast with cauliflower puree, leeks and turnip - They ran out of the duck leg confit so the menu was changed on the fly and in came the roasted duck breast. This was pretty decent stuff. The duck breast itself was slightly under-seasoned but the sauce did alright to make up for it. 



Baked raspberry chocolate tart with raspberry sorbet - If there's one thing from The Continental that has impressed me since Day One (I was there at the soft opening in Day 1), it's their dessert. Kudos to their pastry chef for the marvelous job so far and this raspberry chocolate tart was something to die for. Very rich and delicate.



I must confess that The Continental wasn't my first choice this afternoon. The honor should in fact go to the newly opened Plat du Jour at the same shopping complex, which also happened to be owned by Swire Group. But since it's fully booked, I have to come back tomorrow to check out their lunch menu.

Food Rating: 5/10
Price: $$$
Address: Unit 406, L4, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Admiralty
Tel: +852 2704-5211 
Website: thecontinentalhongkong.com