Despite all the changes that have taken place at The Continental over the years (especially who's helming the kitchen), I never stopped giving myself excuses to go back for another meal. It's the same old story again; out goes the previous chef and in comes Chef Graham Long (I get that, chefs come and go, it happens in this business). I don't think Chef Long will be the resident chef here but the current menu is curated by him. The interior got a little refreshment too. They've thrown out the green and replaced it by brown and beige (yawn!). It seems to work like magic so far. The restaurant was a sell-out when I paid my visit this afternoon.
Some country bread to start things off. My server was nowhere to be found after he dropped off the lunch menu and others looked way too busy to care. Early signs suggested it was the same old nemesis which has haunted restaurants managed by the Swire Group for years - poor service (but decent food).
Pork Rillette – I was looking for a warm dish to start the meal with but both starters were served cold, except the soup of the day.
The pork rillette was served with piccalilli and sourdough crisps. Decent stuff.
Grilled Seabass – At this point, service was slow to a snail's pace. It's more than 30 minutes in between my two dishes. If my server was paying attention, he should have noticed that I have waited rather impatiently for my main dish.
This was slightly better than the starter. The grilled sea bass fillet was accompanied by parmesan polenta, rocket leaves and grilled courgettes, finished off with a hazelnut pesto.
While pacing has been a huge problem this afternoon, there was also a noticeable issue with the restaurant's table service, or the lack of it. I could see tables everywhere in the dining area not properly cleaned up after customers were long gone. This was the job for bus boys or junior waiting staff but I just didn't see enough of them around (It was a bit disgusting to see unfinished food sitting around next to me).
Food Rating: 4.5/10
Price: $$$
Address: Unit 406, L4, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Admiralty
Tel: +852 2704-5211
Website: www.thecontinentalhongkong.com
Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 11:00pm (Mon - Fri), 11:00am - 11:00pm (Sat - Sun)
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