Pass the pecan pudding, Lucy's business at last
LUCY Humbert finally bit the bullet. The restaurant that has been on her mind for five years finally opened.
The caterer-turned-restaurateur describes the food at Lucy's, in Stanley, 'as the kind I'd make for friends at home. Simple and fresh.' The 32-seat bistro on Stanley Main Street, she hopes, will fill the void in that area for mid-price restaurants, nothing as dramatic as Tables 88.
Lunch is basically salads, pasta and sandwiches. But for dinner and its more leisurely paced dining, the offerings will be more labour-intensive.
What's her trademark? Friends would probably identify her by the goat's cheese and red pepper salad, the pumpkin gnocci, the fillet of salmon with lemon grass and coriander. They would also blame her for the signature dessert that kept clients fat and happy - pecan and date pudding with warm toffee cream sauce.
The wine list (European and New World) has the kind of prices that encourage sipping and endear diners 'who like a bowl of spaghetti and a bottle of red.' Wines by the glass, $38; bottles range from $140 to $230.
'We're in the mid-range price bracket,' explained Ms Humbert. 'There's a need for it here.' Coming soon once she fine-tunes her four-week-old dream is afternoon tea.
Lucy's is at 64 Stanley Main Street, Stanley, tel: 813-9055. Hours: 11am to 10pm Monday-Friday; until 10.30pm on weekends. LADIES and gentlemen, grab your apron and notebook. Epicure's culinary master classes are being called to the range.
The sessions begin October 19 to 22, and feature five of Hong Kong's most able chefs. On the agenda are demonstration classes in Italian cuisine by Marcus Moore, of Sabatini's in the Royal Garden; Californian by Barry Schneider, of JW's California in the Marriott; French by Patrick Granito, of Excelsior Grill in the Excelsior Hotel; Chinese by Ip Chi Cheung, of Shang Palace in the Kowloon Shangri-La; and seafood by Donald Berger, of the Ritz Carlton. Each class costs $450 and reservations are necessary. For dates, time and menus, phone Sheung Dawson on 810-6078 or fax 530-1281 WANT to go to Napa Valley without the dreaded 13-hour flight and jet-lag? Head over to Bacchus where a culinary escapade to California's wine Mecca will cost you only $550. No airport departure tax either.
The food and wines of Napa Valley star this Sunday in their series of Sunday evening gourmet dinners. Chef Darren Wightman and crew will present dishes to complement wines selected by winemaker Tim Hanni of Beringer Napa Valley wines.
Selections include Knight's Valley Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, Semillion, Chardonay and north coast red zinfandel.
Bacchus Taverna is at 8-12 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai. Tel: 529-9032 or fax: 529-2711. DOES abalone congee taste better after midnight? Try it with some smooth moves on the dance-floor Friday and Saturday evenings at Quo quo.
Samba, rhythm and blues and rock are served along with champagne, oysters, lobster spring roll and shark's fin from 11pm to 3am. Quo quo is situated in Entertainment Building, 30 Queen's Road Central.
