Taste buds dance to The Tai Pan menu at The Murray, Hong Kong

The foie gras presse with toasted brioche, fleur de sel Camargue and Timut black pepper (HK$350) was appropriately served and enjoyable with a cherry reduction and a fig chutney. The Alaskan black cod (marinated in miso sauce for 48 hours, then slow-cooked and seared) with glazed seasonable vegetables and miso sauce (HK$490) had a smooth, cottony texture and the skin was nicely browned, but the sauce never hit a high note. Black Angus striploin 250 grams, served with buttered mashed potatoes, watercress and Café de Paris black garlic butter (HK$790), was the evening’s highlight: the butter slowly melted onto the perfectly medium rare steak from the top; the black garlic kicked in with a high note; and then the music became more mellow but complex, until every taste bud began to dance. The Argentinean malbec, recommended by the staff, had the perfect balance between body, fruit and tannin. The chocolate tart with berries and crispy chocolate nips was rich and textural, but the crust wasn’t as crumbly as we would have wanted it.