181 at Fortnum & Mason (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

When Fortnum & Mason first landed in Hong Kong's K11 Musea late last year, it became the 312-year-old British retailer's first store outside the UK.



We got the chance to check out their 7,000 square feet establishment last December. It certainly looks like they have brought everything from their Piccadilly Circus store along with them including their famous tea, biscuits and sweets.



But we didn't have the opportunity to spend time at 181, the modern British restaurant on the top level of Fortnum & Mason with an uninterrupted view of Victoria Harbour.



Until this afternoon.......



Interesting graffiti they've got here on the wall. Not sure if it matches with the chandelier.



It's a totally different atmosphere once we walked into the dining area. First, a small cocktail bar.



Here's the breath-taking harbour view we've been hearing about. Unobstructed!



In practicing social distancing, I decided to stay away from the crowd and use the reflection from the drawing to admire the view.



Some sourdough bread to start off the meal. It's starting to feel a little weird with my back to the amazing view but too late (and lazy) to change now.



Black pudding Scotch egg with Piccalilli - A signature dish here. In fact, they supposedly invented the dish in the 18th century.



I don't mean they invented Scotch Egg but they refined the recipe replacing the traditional hard-boiled eggs with soft-boiled ones. This was surprisingly moist and tender with the runny egg yolk matched up well against the black pudding and coating of crisp breadcrumbs. Very unexpected nice start.



Short rib with crispy onions, braised baby leeks and horseradish - The melt-in-the-mouth slow-cooked short rib was another pleasant surprise.



It was complemented nicely by a very nice cast of crispy onion rings, baby leeks, horseradish cream, crispy shallots and mashed potatoes. Two out of two. Not bad.



Knickerbocker Glory - I was promised that this was going to be a miniature version of the restaurant signature ice-cream sundae. This doesn't look miniature to me!



Strawberry ice-cream with fresh pineapple and strawberry, raspberry coulis and meringue. It was first introduced in London back in 1955 and it's become a staple in their menu ever since. I'm totally stuffed now.



Some complimentary sweets including a small box of chocolate truffle to send me home a very happy camper.



These were really sweet like the ones they made in Sicily, Italy (but much tastier).



These truffles by Fortnum & Mason turned out to be seriously delicious thanks to the special kick from an intense centre of Marc de Champagne.

The set lunch comes at a bargain price of $288 for 3 courses. Shame that it's only available on weekdays.




Food Rating: 6/10
Price: $$$
Address: Shop 022, G/F K11 Atelier Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: East Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852 3916-8181
Website: www.181fortnums.com.hk
Opening Hours: 11:30am - 12:00am (Mon - Sat), 11:30am - 11:30pm (Sun)