Twenty-Six by Liberty serves up creative and exotic international fare
Bjoern Alexander's multifaceted technique makes for a menu full of surprises
Liberty Private Works has changed its name Twenty-Six by Liberty and is now helmed by ex-Whisk chef Bjoern Alexander. There is an open kitchen in the middle of the restaurant with 26 seats around it.
Opened almost a month ago, adventurous diners come here to try the food at HK$900 a head that not only features creative dishes and exotic ingredients, but also interaction with Alexander as he presents each of the 10 courses from a menu that changes every two months.
The theme of the restaurant is “Tree of Life”, with the Taoist words “reality”, “universe” and “life” spelled out in neon letters above the lifts. The interior features hand-painted trees and the menu is in three sections, the young sprouts are starters, the branches signify the mains, followed by the roots, in the hopes that the culinary experience will help diners establish a friendship with the chef and come back again.
Going through the courses at a hosted dinner, it’s obvious Alexander is well travelled. We try exotic ingredients like manioc, a tapioca root from Peru that he has manipulated and deep-fried until crunchy and contains bits of mushroom and chilli for flavour.
Another curious dish is oysters with fresh seaweed that look like plants and flowers. One is a refreshing and crunchy blossom seaweed with a slight salty taste to season a freshly shucked oyster that’s been finished with a spray of pink pepper liquid.
Over-baked avocado is decorated with salmon roe and edible viola blossoms that have a hint of sweetness. This is combined with crunchiness from sweet millet.
We also enjoyed the langoustine, seared with a torch in front of us, and topped with pickled rose petals and anise blossom. It is a very light dish.
Alexander has also mastered Chinese-style roast suckling pig, presenting a slice of pork with a very crispy skin and tender meat underneath. It’s paired with pig’s ears, shiitake mushrooms and black garlic.
The final main is Kobe beef cheek that’s been slow-cooked for two days, melting in the mouth and accompanied with beetroot and lime green jalapeno jelly for a kick.
For desserts, the green apple cooked in limestone water is delicious, garnished with poppy seeds, ginger meringue and marshmallows, while krapfen is a traditional German doughnut dipped in rum and raisin sauce.
Dining here is definitely an adventure and Alexander is pushing the culinary boundaries. It’ll be interesting to see what other new flavours and textures he can create on the plate.
Twenty-Six by Liberty, 26/F, Stanley 11, 11 Stanley Street, Central, tel: 5186 3282
