Zest by Konishi (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

I took the afternoon off so I could go and pick little nugget up from the kindergarten. But with a few more hours to go, I thought why not treat myself to a decent meal first? While I was in Central, my first choice was naturally Chef Ricardo Chaneton's Mono but at 2pm, I knew my chance of getting a table without advance booking would be slimmer than winning the lottery. Lo and behold, I was ushered back to the elevator by the hostess almost immediately after I stepped out of the closing doors. I wasn't pressing the panic button though cuz I knew there are always Arcane and Zest by Konishi in the same building. 

It didn't take me long to go straight up to Zest. This was a place I know pretty well from the days of ON Dining. I still miss Chef Philippe Orrico, one of my favorite French chefs in town and its hearty cuisine (Sigh...). Anyways.....

Well, it was a little weird sitting near the restaurant entrance and directly facing the elevators. The sliding door would have helped a bit if it was closed.

Some sour dough bread and brioche to start things off. I like the butter which was blended with olive oil, matcha powder and soy bean milk.

Amuse bouche was Japanese rice cracker topped with lobster meat, asparagus, avocado, lobster jelly and dried flowers. A touch of paprika put the finishing touch on this very busy snack.

Next up was Hokkaido scallop which has been lightly cooked to bring out its natural sweetness. Interestingly, the scallop has been sliced in half and placed on top of a roasted eggplant from Toyama Prefecture (富山県). The eggplant has been chilled for 24 hours before having its skin peeled off so it was still moist and bursting with juice inside. The dish was finished off beautifully with dashi, salmon roes and green peas while a hint of ginger provided some extra heat.

This was a brilliantly executed dish with the contrasting temperature (dashi, scallop and eggplant), flavors and textures all coming together very nicely. I thought all along that the scallop would be the main focal point here but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise that it took more of a supporting role while the juicy eggplant quietly stole the limelight.

My warm appetizer was supposed to be green pea velouté served with langoustine and green pea tartare.

But I was later informed that they have finished their green pea velouté for the day. As a replacement, they are offering me soul-warming Jerusalem artichoke soup instead. Of course, I won't say no to this since I am a big Jerusalem artichoke fan!

The creamy Jerusalem artichoke soup served lukewarm was paired with the original supporting cast of langoustine, green peas, baby onion and feta cheese tuile. I won't say the Jerusalem artichoke soup was a better match to the langoustine than green pea velouté (flavor-wise, green pea would be a much better choice) but this was certainly another very good starter to get my palate ready for the main course.

And my main course, Kagoshima pork loin crusted with parsley viennoise, was matched with shiitake mushrooms, broccolini and pumpkin purée.

Of course, the chefs won't be doing their job if the pork loin isn't a little pink inside.

I wish they have their outdoor patio open for lunch so I can get some fresh air but like many facilities in Hong Kong, it remains closed during the pandemic.  

I thought it was a very good lunch today. Combining with the fact that they don't have any children's policy in the dining room, there's a very good chance that I'd be back for our wedding anniversary in a few weeks' time.

Food Rating: 7/10

Price: $$$$

Address: 28/F & 29/F, 18 On Lan Street, Central, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Central

Tel: +852 2715-0878

Website: www.zestbykonishihk.com

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 12:00am (Mon - Thu), 12:00pm - 1:00am (Fri - Sat)