Grilled oysters with Shimonita onion soup, tree onion and black pepper powder. Photo: K.Y. Cheng
Source:
https://scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3036737/oysters-soup-and-horsehair-crab-pot-rice-us120-tasting-menu-mu Food & Drink
Oysters in soup and horsehair crab pot rice on US$120 tasting menu at Mu-ni by La Bombance in Central
- This newly opened Japanese restaurant offers set menus, which are not cheap
- Highlights were the oysters, sashimi, crab and sirloin, while the only letdown was the duck breast
Japanese pear semifreddo with blueberry sauce at Mu-ni by La Bombance in Central. Photo: K.Y. Cheng
When I reviewed La Bombance in 2016, when the Japanese restaurant was at V Point in Causeway Bay, I wrote that the 12-course set, priced at HK$1,280, and the sole option available at dinner, was a bargain for the quality of the food, which was creative, exquisitely presented and delicious. The setting, with a great view of the Hong Kong skyline, was a bonus.
La Bombance closed last year, and reopened recently in the IFC. It’s now called Mu-Ni by La Bombance, and it’s not just the name that is different. The space is far more humble and there’s no view; you can order à la carte at night; and if you want a set menu, it needs to be ordered at least a day in advance. And while the food is still good, it’s no longer a bargain, and it’s also more simple.
The dinner kaiseki is now only nine courses, and costs HK$1,680 plus 10 per cent, and there’s also a six-course mini kaiseki for HK$980, which is the menu we ordered.
Grilled oysters with Shimonita onion soup was a delicious appetiser. The soup was creamy, light and delicately flavoured, and hidden at the bottom of the dish were succulent pieces of gently poached oyster.
But the next dish was nothing special. Slightly gristly slices of duck breast were laid over thick pieces of daikon (my favourite part of the dish) in a yuzu scented broth. The sashimi course – substantial slices of fatty tuna belly and shima aji (striped jack) – got the meal back on track.
Horsehair crab pot rice. Photo: K.Y. Cheng
Charcoal grilled Miyazaki beef sirloin with egg yolk and truffle sauce was fantastic. The meat was cooked to close to medium, but it was still tender and moist. The sauce was amazing, with a wonderful consistency and flavour that went well with the meat and small chunks of taro.
We liked the last savoury dish of horsehair crab pot rice, although it had several pieces of shell and cartilage.
Japanese pear semifreddo with blueberry sauce. Photo: K.Y. Cheng
Dessert of Japanese pear semifreddo was refreshing, with a great mix of textures, flavours and temperatures in the creamy, “semi-frozen” pear part of the dish, along with fresh raspberries and blueberries, peeled grapes and a dusting of blueberry powder.
Mu-ni by La Bombance, Shop 2016, 2/F IFC, 1 Harbour View Street, Central, tel: 2338 8353. Kaiseki sets at HK$980 and HK$1,680 plus 10 per cent.