Hong Kong has long been known as the Riviera of the Orient. Typical tourist posters of the 1930s always boasted of the spectacular night view of the Victoria Harbour. One of the easiest ways for a gentleman to impress a lady is to bring her to a restaurant with a panoramic view of the Harbour. As a food blogger, I certainly need more. Only delicious and creative dishes, rather than Riviera this or that, can satisfy me (unless you actually bring me to Italy). Still, I had a wonderful experience in AVA that, I believe, most girls would enjoy as well.
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| Riviera of the Orient, 1935 Version |
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| Riviera of the Orient, 2013 Version: taken at the Sky Garden |
The view
of the restaurant was sublime. Happily I was given a wonderful glass of
beautiful prosecco to match it.
Though I usually focus on bread, the hearty butter had caught my attention this time. The “tri-colour” butter was infused with tomato (orange), pesto (green) and garlic (yellow). It was a joy to spread it on the warm bread provided.
I was told that the appetizer was a signature dish of AVA,
but was still pleasantly surprised by its taste and appearance. The colourful duo of crab salad was
put inside an ice-bell. It did look like a
magical ball that someone would make wishes or ask questions to. It did work
wonders as well. The crab salad, with mango and avocado bits, was filled in a macaroon crust. Macaroon is one of my
favourite, but I had not tried one with salad as fillings. I first had a small bite
and instantly found that the dish was unexpectedly good. The sweet macaroon matched the
salad perfectly. The Alaska crab meat was fresh and chewy and the avocado added some creamy texture to the lot. It was a complex dish
and a multi-dimensional experience. It was certainly a worthy signature.
The second dish was also a
duo. I always enjoyed watching the spectacle of hot soup being poured into an
empty bowl in front of me; it just stimulates my appetite. The cameras around
me were kept flashing when the waiter poured the pumpkin soup into the bowl
that contained a bit of concentrated foam of avocado and a piece of mint leaf. I then
stirred to mix everything together. The chef said that Australian pumpkins were used as they were less sweet than their Japanese
cousins. As coconut
milk was used instead of cream, the soup was creamy and rich in coconut flavour.
There were three main courses, including Butter Poached Lobster with Herbal Gnocchi, Lamb Rack with Mint Crust with Mashed Potato, and
Slow Cook Sea Bass with Chorizo Crust.
Gnocchi was chewy and tossed well with the lobster sauce. I seldom find pasta and gnocchi in non-Italian restaurants satisfactory.
The gnocchi, however, gave me much confidence to try its pasta
next time. Lamb rack was the best of the three. Its pink center was good enough; its
juiciness and rich flavour had me conquered. It was so good that even my favourite sea bass looked less
attractive.
Although carrot cake was one of my favourite desserts, I chose the signature raspberry and rose ice-cream like everyone else. We could watch the chef preparing the ice-cream with liquefied nitrogen. The presentation and appearance of the dessert were stunning. No wonder many used this “ice cream-making show” to propose. It is certainly romantic enough: dim lights, spectacular harbour view, mysterious smoke, red rose, and beautiful dessert. Cliché, cliché, cliché, but they worked just the same.
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After another barrage of camera flashes, we could finally taste the elegant-looking dessert. The ice-cream was quite light and aromatic with a touch of fruitiness from the berries. The smell of artificial rose oil, commonly used, was by no means pronounced. The tart was more like biscuit, but matched well with the ice-cream.
The whole experience was amazing! Romantic ambiance, decent dishes, great view, what else can I ask for more? All my senses were satisfied. If there is anything I want to complain, that would be the absence of my valentine that night… I seriously consider celebrating the Valentine’s Day at AVA this year.
AVA Restaurant Slash Bar
38/F, Hotel Panorama by Rhombus, 8A Hart Avenue,
Tsim Sha Tsui
Service:wwwwwww1/2w
Environment: wwwwwwwww
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