The succession of restaurants occupying the space at 19 Old Bailey Street, Central, seems to be schizophrenic. Previously, there was El Loco, which despite its Spanish-sounding name and international selection of tapas, specialised in delicious French bistro food served in casual surroundings. It is now La Terrasse Wine Bar & Restaurant, which recently held its grand opening even though it has been operating since before Christmas. From the informal setting and service, we thought the menu would be equally relaxed, so were surprised when we saw the high prices. The chef is Cedric Alexandra, who received a rarely bestowed five-star review when he was at the elegant one-thirtyone in Sai Kung. At La Terrasse he's again serving classical French cuisine, and at these prices it deserves top-quality service and ambience to match.
The menu is limited to about six starters and main courses, including foie gras, tuna tartare and scallops with Jerusalem artichokes; the chef, who is half Moroccan, shows his heritage with a lobster tagine on the specials menu. My companion started with a side-order portion of black truffle risotto ($65) before moving on to the pan-fried seabass with saffron sauce and potato gratin ($195). Both dishes saw a fussy diner clearing his plate. My starter of lobster salad with couscous ($145) was perfectly cooked and seasoned, while my main course of duck breast with black trumpet mushrooms and black truffle risotto ($238) featured thin slices of tender meat cooked to a requested medium-rare, complemented by the richness and earthiness of the two fungi. The chef's French background shows in his sauces - rich, intense reductions used sparingly to enhance the main component.
My biggest complaint about La Terrasse, and one I have about many restaurants, is the meagre selection of wine by-the-glass: only three whites and four reds. Food this good deserves to be savoured with wine, but if you're a couple of light drinkers who want to choose from the full wine list, you have to co-ordinate your order so one bottle of wine goes with both starters and both main courses - an exceedingly difficult task. The restaurant's wine consultants told me they plan to have a wider selection soon. Alexandra changes the main food menu every two to three months, and the specials change each week.
A two-course meal for two with one glass of wine cost $843.70. Call 2147 2225.
