Circa 1913’s elegance provides welcome hideaway in Lan Kwai Fong
Guests can come in for a meal or sit at the bar for a drink at French-Japanese restaurant on the first floor of the Fringe Club
French-Japanese restaurant Circa 1913 is the latest to join Lan Kwai Fong’s dining scene. Conveniently located at the junction between Wyndham Street and the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, the restaurant on the first floor of the Fringe Club seems to purposely hide from the madding crowd. Thedining areacurves around the long bar. Guests can come in for a meal or sit at the bar for a drink.
Dark walls and furniture with chrome or copper details make for a simple, elegant affair. The eye-catching bar offers a good range of classic cocktails, mocktails and wines.
You can opt for the Circa Tasting Set at HK$880 per person or HK$1,180 with wine pairing. We choose to go à la carte. The Circa 1913 Appetizer Platter (HK$248) can be shared by two with fresh scallops, Waou beef tartare and asparagus purée.
The good-sized Mizuna Kumomoto beef roll starter is tender with Goma tofu dressing (HK$188), and can be shared. For mains, we couldn’t resist Circa 1913’s take on ratatouille, with Kumamoto wagyu beef (HK$308). Chunky, stewed vegetables are no longer part of the dish. The sauce is topped with legumes and decorated with toasted baguette - an entirely different look from conventional ratatouille. We also tried French blue lobster with e-fu noodles (HK$368 for half a lobster/HK$588 for a full one). Gold leaves were sprinkled on the nicely cooked lobster, which balances out the noodles.
Overall, the place offers a nice hideaway.