Mandarin Grill at Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong

“Flower pot” salad

On my recent trip to Hong Kong, I had one of my best meals this year. I’ve heard about the restaurants at Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, but somehow, I didn’t get the chance to go there during my previous trips. Boy am I glad I finally had the chance to go Mandarin Grill. And I think you should make an reservation if you’re going to Hong Kong soon.

Mandarin Grill is an one Michelin Star restaurant at Mandarin Oriental, one of the best hotels in Hong Kong. The lunch that I had was amazing. A-m-a-z-i-n-g. Even though it’s only April, I can confidently say that this is definitely going into my list of Best Meals in 2012.

Having fun is an often over-looked part of fine dining. So it’s really nice to know that the chefs at Mandarin Grill are enjoying playing with their food, and at the same time, we get to have fun while we eat.

Dining at Mandarin Grill is not just about the food; it is the ambience, the service, the creativity – it is about the complete dining experience.

I was talking to Chloe – social media manager of Mandarin Oriental – as the staff served us the Garden (HKD$178 or SGD$28) I was speechless for about five seconds when I turned around and saw the flower pot on the table. “Is this a pot of plant? Is this a salad? Wow!”

I immediately knew that this was the start of a very good meal. And true enough, I was continuously surprised throughout the meal.

We also had the Forest Walk (HKD$308 or SGD$50) – an appetiser consisting of foie gras, truffle, and mushroom.

The Onion Soup (HKD$168 or SGD$27) was equally impressive. The server patiently explained the dish to me. Hot consomme was poured into a transparent teapot with a sachet inside. It was then transferred into a bowl which contained a perfectly poached egg, with bacon bits on top. I finished everything. Fantastic.

Next, we had the chef’s interpretation of Beef Wellington. The Venison – British, Puff Pastry, Mushroom, Jus – was visually stunning, but I thought that it was only decent.

The Lamb ($HKD$508 or SGD$82) came together, and it was really fun to see the preparation of the dish. It’s quite difficult to describe the process, so you really have to go there to experience it yourself. Anyway, both mains were good. Not life changing, but good.

I was happy with the meal up till this point, but the dessert completely blew me away.

Words failed me as the chefs came to our table to prepare the dessert – Krug on the moon (HKD$298/pax or SGD$48). Curious diners were equally stunned by the action. Reactions like “gasp” and “oh my god” were heard. It took them around 10-15 minutes to make our dessert, and by the time they were done, I felt like I was in outer-space.

WE ATE FROM THE TABLE!!!

This creation, is at a completely different level. There’s no way I can see desserts in the same light again. What am I supposed to do now that the bar has been raised so high?

If you were impressed by the photos, just imagine how mind blowing it was for me to witness it all unfold right in front of my eyes.

In case you are wondering, Krug on the moon is composed of Chocolate Dome, Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Pudding, Chocolate Sauce, Oreo Crumble, Brownies Crumble, Dried Coconut, Violet Sugar, Pops Rock Sugar, Raspberry Marinated in Raspberry Liquor, Coconut sauce, and Cassis sauce.

Note: it is not available on the ala carte menu, advance reservations are required.

Since going there, I’ve been telling my friends about Mandarin Grill at Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong. It is a place that I’d buy a ticket and fly off to Hong Kong just to eat there. But of course, it’s not quite possible to do that all the time since a meal there with wine is probably more expensive than an air ticket.

I’d definitely recommend Mandarin Grill if you want to splurge on a good meal in Hong Kong. Go for the Chef Tasting menu – HKD$1188 for 4 course, HKD$1588 for 5 course, and HKD$1888 for 8 course – and I am sure you will have a memorable experience.

Kudos to the team at Mandarin Grill. Well-deserved one Michelin Star.

Mandarin Grill
5 Connaught Road, Central
Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2522 0111

Note: This was an invited media tasting.