Mandarin Grill

Stephen

THE CHARCOAL IS imported from afar, the pianist tinkles almost non-stop and dinner-suited waiters swarm to serve you. Is the Mandarin Grill the world?s most expensive barbecue? Probably. For many people unused to do-it-yourself dining ? chargrilling over real wood in the backyard ? this place must be the ultimate cook-out. In glossy shades of green and brown and kitted with the richest of napery, cutlery and glassware, the Mandarin Grill provides a unique and hugely expensive experience. But it also offers a list of the oldest of favourites, from Scottish salmon to crepes suzette via beef stroganov.

The fried foie gras ($265) was good (how could it not be?), plated with a small slice of brilliant endive tart. Even after an attempt to balance it with acid, though, the sauce on the plate remained far too fatty, in my view. And although the meats in the mixed grill ($315) ? lamb, beef, pork, liver of various sorts, bacon and a good sausage ? were excellent and varied, it was not good enough, I thought, to offer only commercial mustards with them.

Reggie

THE DECOR HERE reminds me of the movie Tai Pan, or one of those cigar rooms for big boys in suits. It is old-fashioned without being over the top.

Stephen did not like my Dom Perignon 1980 vintage champagne, calling it ?dead?, but I felt it was a nice, smooth drink. The bubbles are still very lively, although, unlike with young champagne, the effervescence is not aggressive. The acidity is also rounded off, allowing the fruits and bouquet to come to the front. It is an acquired taste, I suppose, but at $480 a pop, a bit extravagant for an aperitif.