I thought Netflix's reality television series, 'The Final Table" really reminded us how fortunate we are to be surrounded by so many world class culinary stars here in Hong Kong. With the lights of Shane Osborn (who represented Hong Kong in "The Final Table"), Umberto Bombana, Alvin Leung and Nicolas Boutin, we don't have to travel all that far for a nice meal.
The other thing the reality show reminded me of, was how long I haven't visited Chef Osborn's Arcane. So, despite it was raining heavily out there, I decided to venture over to the quiet side of Central for a quick lunch.
Spice crusted cobia with broccoli, finger lime and toasted almond - A beautifully presented dish featuring thin slices of cobia perfectly crusted with spice and what I thought was sesame.
The buttery cobia was wonderfully decorated with broccoli and diced red bell peppers while the toasted almond and spice crust provided some nice crunchy texture to the mix.
One thing I really love about Chef Osborn's contemporary cuisine is how well he utilizes acidity in his dishes. This cobia dish provided a great example of that with the citrusy dressing elevating the fish fillet to a whole new level.
Seared king salmon with white asparagus, pea, lemon and chervil dressing - Another fish dish, this time with the king salmon fillet lightly seared (probably after sous-vide). It was served on a mixture of diced white asparagus, green pea and, a lemon and chervil dressing. A very satisfying dish again with some lovely acidity.
Hazelnut and chocolate filo mille feuille with salt ice-cream - Dessert was a relatively light mille feuille made with hazelnut and chocolate milo. Interestingly, it was paired with a salt flavored ice-cream and caramel sauce.
The same honest cooking as before but a slightly different clientele this time around. What used to be a favorite eatery for the business crowd in Central has now turned into a popular dining spot to see and to be seen. I guess that's what fame will do for you.
Food Rating: 7/10
Price: $$$
Address: 3/F, 18 On Lan Street, Central, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Central
Tel: +852 2728-0178
Website: www.arcane.hk
A traveling foodie's gastronomic diary on food, travel and lifestyle from Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and the rest of the world.
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