Even better with the new Head Chef @ The Press Room

I always envy those who live in Hollywood Road as not only can they enjoy some fascinating antique shops nearby but also most of my favourite restaurants. Pressroom is just one of them. I was told that a new chef, who had served in Hong Kong Club, has become the head chef of Pressroom. Now that is something!

At the beginning, I was lavishly treated with three salad dishes: Seared scallop salad, Nicoise salad, and Salade de Roquette au Chèvre, which was actually arugula and goat cheese salad. Many people may think that no special skills are required in preparing salads. This is cannot be more wrong.  The quality of the chemmendable. What impressed me most were the homemade dressings. The Beurre blanc (buttered white wine vinaigrette) of the seared scallop salad, the artichoke and green vinaigrette of tese was so high and the sear of scallop and tuna so beautiful that they were certainly cohe Salade de Roquette au Chèvre, and the pommery mustard vinaigrette of the Nicoise were all nothing but spectacular. Not many chefs take the extra mile to make a good salad dressing, and the one in Pressroom has nailed it. After trying these salads, I had full confidence in the coming dishes.

Seared scallop salad

Seared scallop salad

Salade de Roquette au Chèvre

We also had Black mussel meunière and truffle asparagus when the salads were being served. The perfectly cooked mussels were elevated by a cream sauce that was really a gem. There was yet another example to show the chef's attention to detail and his expert handling of sauce. The aromatic and crunchy truffle asparagus was really brought to a new level by the herb sauce that went with it. You do not want to miss it, I assure you. 

How could I miss confit duck in May, Le French GourMay? The Pressroom’s version came with sliced duck breast. Covered by the crispy duck skin, the duck meat was lean and quite tender, but it was slightly overcooked and under-seasoned to my taste.

The catch of the day was sea bream. It was covered with sea salt and baked, and then with olive oil drizzled on top. It is a common cooking method that keeps the moisture and taste of a good catch, but it is not widely used in Hong Kong. I once had it at 10 Greek Street in London and was happy to see this again here. I liked the use of lemon juice and fennel salad that kept the dish light and inviting. It seems that the chef understood that simple ingredients such as sea salt, olive oil and lemon juice, if competently handled, would be suffice. Only if the fish was tenderer, the dish would be wonderful.

I was lucky enough to have several awesome veal dishes (including at Pressroom) before turning to green diet (just for several weeks, though). The veal tenderloin was tender and juicy. A little sea salt would make it a good main course, but the chef offered an even better option - a rich mushroom and pommery sauce. 

With much expectation, I was excited to see the orange red lobster risotto. The presentation, with a lobster lying in a bed of risotto, made me mouth-watering. The lobster and sauce were so delicious that you would like to have a bowl of lobster bisque as well. Like many other restaurants in HK, the chef deliberately cooked the risotto for a longer time to suit the taste of HK people. I wish he had given me a chewier one, though. If you prefer chewier risotto, remember to make a request upon ordering. 

Among the five main dishes we had, the Dover Sole Grenobloise was my favourite. The fish was common in Britain, but the chef sautéed it with meunière sauce, a classic cooking method in French Bistros. I find that making fun with the old Anglo-French rivalry is superfluous here as the method worked so well... I loved the great balance of butter and lemon juice and enjoyed the firm and flavourful flesh of the fish. I alone ate one-third of it.

 

While keeping the already-popular dishes, the new head chef also introduced some new ones. The pistachio crème brulee and Tarte Tartin were both renowned desserts in Pressroom; there was nothing to complain about their taste and flavour, but both of them could be softer in texture, especially the pear.

 

As for the new creations, the chocolate trio was a near miss. The white chocolate mousse was too watery; the hot chocolate latte was okay but blend; the salted dark chocolate truffle was overwhelmingly sweet. I missed the rich and smooth Chocolate Marquise very much, though. 

However, the chef still convinced me that he could make good desserts. Another new creation, with the long-winded title of Verrine Mascarpone au Sorbet de fruit de la Passion, was successful. It was somehow similar to an Eton Mess, but richer in taste. A banana cake and walnut topped with mascarpone, homemade berries compote, and a scoop of ice-cream was definitely a good combination for summer. I put my spoon from the ice-cream deep down to the bottom, so that I could have all the layers in a bite. As expected, all the ingredients worked like a well-organized and expertly-led orchestra. I could not help but finishing it spoon after spoon. 

Pressroom has been offering decent food with a consistent quality and a reasonable price. It is even better with the new head chef, who has introduced several impressive dishes. Overall, I particularly liked his handling of sauces. I certainly look forward to seeing more stunning dishes designed by him.

The Press Room

108 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan

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