Restaurant review: Feather & Bone in Sai Ying Pun – a meat-lover’s menu with mixed results
The generous portion of grass-fed tenderloin in the beef tartare was delicious, while the dry-aged, grain-fed sirloin was cooked to perfection, but some dishes weren’t served hot enough
It seems logical that our favourite dishes at Feather & Bone are meaty ones, given that the company got its start as a retail shop with an excellent meat selection (although we also like their other products). They've since expanded into restaurants (with a grocery selection) in Happy Valley and the newest in Sai Ying Pun, which is the one we visited.
The space was buzzing when we arrived – almost all the seats were filled. My guest's fish cake starter (HK$120) came with a herb salad and a delicious saffron-infused rouille. The fish cake itself was disappointing because it had too much potato and not enough fish, and was served tepid, not hot.
My starter of beef tartare (HK$110) was much better. The generous portion of grass-fed tenderloin had a very clean, not too heavy taste. It was coarsely chopped and flavoured with horseradish, a nice alternative to the more usual mustard.
We had opposite luck with our mains. The restaurant offers a choose-your-own-meat option where you go to the butcher counter, pick the meat (different cuts of beef and lamb are on offer), tell them how you want it cooked, and choose a sauce and side. My guest chose a dry-aged, grain-fed sirloin (HK$78.20 per 100 grams; his steak was HK$263.30). It was nicely charred and cooked to a perfect medium-rare, and came with fries that we liked so much we considered ordering more.