Shop OTG01, G/F Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: 2383 6600
Open: 11am-11pm
Cuisine: fusion (Thai and other Asian) and Western
Price: about HK$500 a head, not including drinks or service charge.
Ambience: the interior design is befitting a brand that branched into food from fashion. Simple but beguiling, large bare bulbs light some areas, and chairs are upholstered in fetching bright prints.
Pros: our waitress was gentle, even when delivering a message from the manager that she knew didn't make sense.
Cons: an abbreviated version of a bizarre episode had our waitress informing me that I could not have a lime soda without ice. 'You can have it with less ice,' she offered. The manager repeated the same, arguing that quality-control concerns made it impossible for lime soda to be served without ice. After many rounds of sparring, he relented, begrudgingly. It wasn't worth the wait: the drink was not 'fresh', as described, and it was sweet, although I had asked for no sugar. The light tom yum soup (HK$98) gave fusion a bad name. It lacked fire, was thin and low on flavour, and wasn't well paired with ravioli, which sat on the bottom. The glass of Chilean sauvignon blanc (HK$50) my guest ordered was 'barely a puddle'.
Recommended: the appetiser of 'yum Japanese seaweed with glass noodle' (HK$88) was light, healthy and perfect for a summer's evening. Wakame, topped with mint and mixed with celery and shallots, produced different shades of green, broken up by minced pork and boiled shrimp with a bit of chilli. What the grilled lamb chops with tamarind curry paste (HK$248) lacked in presentation they made up for with pleasant flavours. The sweet tanginess of the paste, served on the side, complemented the succulent lamb, which came with white rice and grilled vegetables. Best was the poached sable fish in sour and spicy sauce (HK$248). The fish was so flaky and moist, it didn't really matter what came with it.
