Newly opened Figaro in Sheung Wan – ambitious creative dishes but a mixed execution

Figaro, a newly opened wine bar off Aberdeen Street, is a quaint two-storey place, with the bar downstairs and dining room above. We quite like the bathroom doors that look like old school vending machines or jukeboxes, one for men and one for women.

On the menu are some ambitiously creative-sounding dishes, though the execution sometimes is a let-down.

First was the selection of bruschetta (HK$75). There were six pieces, two each of pesto, tapenade and aubergine. We liked the tapenade, but the aubergine was on the bland side, and surprisingly, so was the pesto.

Another starter was the goat cheese salad (HK$115) with roasted beetroot, Iberico ham and puffed quinoa topped with red-veined sorrel leaves. It was nice presentation and the flavours were quite enjoyable with the toasted quinoa adding crunchiness.

The crispy pea and mint ravioli with Parmesan foam and smoked salmon (HK$95) sounded intriguing. While the filling of peas and mint was delicate and refreshing, the flavours were lost in the deep-fried wrappers. The foam was interesting, but overwhelmed by an accompanying tart lemony sauce.

For mains, the black Angus beef (HK$135) was juicy and tender, but the black garlic gnocchi seemed irrelevant, while the beef crackling didn’t have much taste.