CulinArt 1862 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Our morning meeting overran a little and by the time I got the chance to sit down for lunch, it was almost 2pm. Of course, I could have taken the easy way out by getting take-away lunch but I was feeling a little adventurous today.

CulinArt 1862, a collaboration between Towngas and Chef Stanley Wong, has been on my mind for a couple of weeks since it's been mentioned everywhere as "one of the new restaurants to try in October". As my adventurous self has gotten the best of me, I decided to venture over for a look.

This newest opening in Causeway Bay offers two culinary experiences – a Lounge & Kitchen for casual dining and a chef's table serving a more sophisticated multi-course menu. It was the casual lounge that I decided to enjoy my late lunch at.

Like many restaurants these days, CulinArt 1862 delivers their set lunch menu on a QR code.

Three types of bread to start off the meal which I thought was just OK.

Orange-marinated salmon – This dish had a lot of promise on paper but it didn't live up to its hype. The orange-marinated (and the red ones beetroot-marinated?) salmon came with really nice citrusy flavors (which was nice) but slicing them into 50-cent-coin sizes certainly didn't help the mouthfeel. Personally, I have fallen in love with thick-cut cured salmon cuz of its rich and velvety texture. So, you know how I felt about this dish.

On the bright side, the bed of almond cream, with a sprinkle of tempura flakes did help the mouthfeel a little.

Harissa chicken – When you already have orange-marinated salmon on the menu as a starter, I am not sure if you want another dish with orange again. But they decided to go with an orange cous cous on this one.

The Harissa chicken certainly wasn't bad. A bit of spicy kick and the various types of beans and potatoes, always good to go with rice or in this case, orange cous cous.

There were a number of things I didn't like about this place but one thing I do like is their touch-less sensors. And they've got them everywhere in the corridor and toilets.

I thought today's meal didn't really justify its price tag at all (especially its small portion). For $300, I have a lot of better choices to spend it in Causeway Bay.

Food Rating: 5/10

Price: $$$

Address: 1/F, Chinacham Leighton Plaza, 29 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Causeway Bay

Tel: +852 2884-2603

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 3:00pm, 6:00pm - 9:30pm (Tue - Sat)