Don't you dare compare Oscar's with IKEA,' exclaimed Amanda Dick, the manager of this big restaurant complex in the World Trade Centre. 'It just isn't fair.' Okay, I won't say that Oscar's has clean lines, primary colours, and has minimal decoration but all in the right places (rows of translucent blue bottles, layer upon layer of neatly placed Spanish onions behind the cold-bar), that the design is immaculate. Maybe it is because IKEA in Europe and Australia serves food (as well as furniture). But if the comparison suggests it might be commonplace, that's wrong. Let's face it. Just the view from Oscar's, overlooking the Causeway Bay marina and its yachts, makes it worth a visit (although giving the whole window section to smokers is hardly fair). But there's not a hint of a view from its nondescript entrance, which gives way to a takeout counter ($38 sandwiches and salads, with a big selection of cakes), which leads to a bar and cafe, also with open seating plan. The cafe menu is predictable enough - antipasto, whitebait, focaccia sandwiches, burgers, pastas - but those eating at this indoor setting with an outdoor feel can order from the entirely different restaurant menu. As you enter the restaurant, which seats about 120, you finally catch a glimpse of the picture window, though no one would know it from the entrance. And for Oscar's first five months of existence, the majority of visitors probably didn't get past the bar. Comfort is the key: in service that's friendly in an Australian-Californian style, in decor (those rows of colours, separated by the clean white walls), and in the compact healthy-looking menu. Dick described the food as 'Mediterranean-New World', but Californians would recognise it right away. Under other names, one can find California roll, gazpacho and pastas. Nothing is extreme in taste, but one is supposed to admire the looks of the food. And this is very Californian indeed. Diners can gaze with delight at a beautiful chunk of seared tuna under a huge breadloaf, mounted like bison horns. Or wonder at the shades of yellow of pastas in a yellowish cream sauce and yellow prawns with a yellow gratin. Each dish looks absolutely splendid. This, alas, can be an optical illusion. The tastes can sometimes be disappointing. The Mexican Tomato Soup, for instance, looked like a thick tomato puree with avocado and sour cream. It was thick, healthy and dominated by pepper. What it lacked was flavour. We had to add dollops of salt. Next came the Prawn, Asparagus and Sesame wrapped in Nori seaweed, your basic California roll or your even more basic sushi. The two cone-shaped pieces were surrounded by lettuce, with the tiniest dab of wasabi. There wasn't enough wasabi for a single bite, and no soy sauce handy. That soon came, though, and the cones were pleasant enough, but the $80 price was a bit outrageous. No problems with the Warm Goat's Cheese Salad. Again, at $80, this wasn't cheap. Still, the chervil cheese was soft enough to be spread on bread, the salad was fresh and the taste was lovely. One other salad was without fault: the Grilled Lamb Fillet Salad had New Zealand lamb grilled, then put in the oven for tenderness. The lettuce, pistachio pesto and soft bell pepper slices gave it a flavourful bed. Of several pastas, we chose the ceppa, not especially interesting tubular pieces. Very interesting were the grilled shrimps, with a sauce of sage, cream, Parmesan cheese and (probably) pimento. The favourite main course was the misnamed Tuna Steak Grilled Rare. Seared on the outside and uncooked inside, it was close to raw. It came lukewarm to the table with lettuce, new potatoes and anchovy mayonnaise. Since nothing is more tiresome than dry tuna, this 'wet' tuna, virtually a sashimi, is simply one of the best I have ever tasted in this town. The dessert list is a heavy one. The pudding, made with walnuts and dates, covered with cream, with caramel and vanilla ice cream on the side, was exceptional. But I was unfair in ordering the lemon cheesecake. Being a New Yorker, I regard cheesecake as unalterable. I suppose it was good cheesecake, but it wasn't New York cheesecake. The bill for this, and four glasses of wine, came to almost $1,200, but we did eat a lot that lunch. One would imagine that with dinner overlooking the harbour and a few bottles of wine, Oscar's can be almost a romantic experience. OSCAR'S BAR-CAFE-RESTAURANT Third Floor Podium, World Trade Centre, 280 Gloucester Road; Tel: 2861-1511. Hours: 11am-11pm (approx, restaurant), 8.30am-5pm (takeaway) Overall: *** Value: ***
