6/F Tiffan Tower, 197-199 Wan Chai Road, Wan Chai Tel: 2573 7288 Open: Mon-Sat, 6pm-10.30pm
Cuisine: French
Price: the Mirror 'signature menu' is HK$498 plus 10 per cent for four courses and HK$598 for six; the degustation menu is HK$898 for six courses and HK$1,198 for eight.
Ambience: casual, intimate and friendly. Tables are well spaced with comfortable chairs. There's a small open kitchen crowded with a chef and four cooks (right).
Pros: there were at least as many waiters as cooks, so service was attentive and eager to please. When our waiter noticed that my guest hadn't finished one of his courses, he asked if there was anything wrong, and then told us the chef could adapt the dishes if there was something we disliked. The wine list is very short, but beautifully selected to match the food, and fairly priced. The menu prices are also fair, especially considering the quality of cooking and ingredients.
Cons: the executive chef, Jeremy Biasiol, worked with top chefs, including Alain Ducasse and Paul Bocuse. He is obviously very talented and his dishes have a lovely lightness, despite being served in large portions. But some of the dishes lacked spark, and this avid food lover wishes the chef would just relax and let his creativity rise to the level of his superb technique. The two soups we tasted - Jerusalem artichoke veloute with eel and ricotta (from the signature menu) and mussels bouchot soup (from the degustation menu) were smooth and ethereal in texture, but lacked flavour.
