I have been thinking about having a decent meal to wrap up the Year of the Rabbit (兔年) on a high note. With my recent hiatus from the city's fine-dining scene, it wasn't all that difficult to find a high-end restaurant that I have never visited before. Just out of curiosity, I decided to ring up the recently opened Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic at Gloucester Tower in Central and amazingly, they've got a table for me on the Eve of Chinese New Year.
Behind the closed doors was the culinary world of renowned chef Anne-Sophie Pic in an impressive Baccarat setting.
I had the pleasure of dining at the prestigious three-Michelin-starred Maison Pic in Valence back in 2016 and was really blown away by Chef Pic's innovative take on classic French fine-dining. Eight years later right here at Cristal Room, I am expecting the same finesse and creativity. Needless to say, I am just sitting back, relax and enjoy this ride.
Before the amuse bouche arrived, I took some time to check out the stunning view from forty-four floors up.
Not only from my seats but up against the window too.
Next up was homemade coffee and caraway seed bread served with pepper butter.
Hokkaido king crab, sobacha, geranium, tarragon – A refreshingly cold starter with floral notes sounded like the perfect way to kick off the meal on a chilly afternoon like this one. On the bottom of the dish was Hokkaido king crab meat seasoned with sobacha, or Japanese buckwheat tea, and accented with a touch of geranium. It was crowned nicely with a scoop of tarragon ice-cream. We have got some earthy notes from the tarragon, floral notes from geranium and sweetness of the crab meat. A really lovely mix of interesting flavors, I thought only some fruity acidity was missing here.
Les Berlingots ASP, Comté, truffle, pink pepper – The second dish of the lunch menu was Chef Pic's signature Berlingots, a goat cheese filled homemade triangle-shaped pasta served in a broth.
This version of the berlingots filled with 24 months aged Comté was served in an intense Roscoff onions consommé with Tuber Melanosporum truffle and pink pepper. A very nice, heart-warming dish for winter time.
Challans duck, eucalyptus, coffee, butternut squash, goji berries – My main course was thick-cut challans duck cooked with eucalyptus and coffee (can't recall having such thick-cut of Challan ducks before in my life. I need to go out more!). The duck itself wasn't bad but the sauce and condiments (i.e. goji berry chutney) were more on the sweet side. I was expecting something with acidity to help cut through the richness of the duck breast.
Le Millefeuille blanc, Tahitian vanilla, Jasmine jelly – Dessert was another signature dish from the highly decorated French chef who currently holds 10 Michelin stars.
The White millefeuille as she calls it, came in the shape of a perfectly seamless white cube.
Once I cracked the cube open, there were the layers of thin pastry interspersed with Jasmine jelly, vanilla cream and spiced with Madagascar pepper. So, it's got that savory-sweet flavor which I thought was always nice for a dessert.
chocolate tartlet with chocolate hojicha ganache. I don't think I can take on any more food. Not in a couple of hours.
I think that's more than a decent meal I just indulged myself in this afternoon. Largely considered one of the most successful female chefs in France, Chef Anne-Sophie Pic's cuisine is highlighted by its delicate elegance, striking a great balance between boldness and harmony. It's also very feminine, and appealing to both the eyes and the palate.
Food Rating: 7.5/10
Price: $$$$
Address: 44/F, Forty-Five, Gloucester Tower, Landmark Atrium, 15 Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Central
Tel: +852 3501-8580
Website: https://cristalroombyasp.com/
Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 2:00pm (Wed - Sat), 6:30am - 10:00pm (Mon - Sat)
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