As it turned out, Chef Balbi was out for a meeting (Met him just outside the mall) so my dear life (and well-being of my taste buds) now rests in the very capable hands of Chef Luis, the long-time deputy and right-hand man to Chef Balbi.
We were first offered a couple of interesting nibbles to kick off the meal.
The first nibble was a crunchy dough made with corn which was topped with chicken salad and avocado.
That was followed by another cute little canapé with slices of smoked Spanish sardines and yuzu flavored caviar sitting comfortably on a small sheet of potato paper.
Lunch got off to a brilliant start with the first course of the set lunch menu, Japanese squid which has been cut into tiny noodles.
The slippery squid noodles really surprised me with its sharp sweetness and that was beautifully matched with small chunks of pork belly and lardo giving it some extra flavors and textures to work with.
They have also added some tuiles made with karasumi (salted mullet roes ) and what I thought was carrot on top for a strong finish.
The second course was French blue lobster served in an elegant glass with toppings of caviar and sweet corn foam.
Underneath that was creamy Lobster coral custard, cauliflower cream and some toasted croutons.
I loved the flavor and texture profiles in this dish. There’s the crunch from the croutons; there’s the smoothness of the coral custard and cauliflower cream, also the saltiness of the caviar and lightness of the sweet corn foam; all complementing the succulent lobster beautifully.
Next up was my main course, roasted dry aged Iberico pork served with braised cabbage and parsnip.
Slightly less impressive than the last two dishes but the tangy pork bone sauce and dab of mustard sauce did enough to add sharp and vibrant flavors to the pork.
Dessert was Fukuoka orange granita and compote with Hokkaido white chocolates and crumbs. A simple yet effective dessert to refresh our palates.
Finally, a small petite four made with vanilla jelly, red bean paste and rice crispies concluded another well-executed lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in town.
Despite the news about a possible change of philosophy shifting away from their usual Japanese-French fusion approach, there was no sign of that from today’s menu. But whether it’s happening soon or not, I couldn’t care less as long as the food continues to taste so good.
Food Rating: 7.5/10
Price: $$$$
Address: Shop OTG04, G/F Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, 3-27 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852 2115-9965
Website: www.haku.com.hk
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