Source:
https://scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1637711/restaurant-review-bread-street-kitchen
Magazines/ 48 Hours

Restaurant review: Bread Street Kitchen, Lan Kwai Fong

Celebrity restaurant's mundane mains saved by show-stopping desserts

Alongside Jamie's Italian, Bread Street Kitchen was probably the most talked-about restaurant to open this year. Both are by British celebrity chefs, and both are hard to book; with Gordon Ramsay's BSK, we tried online, and gave up when we realised we couldn't get a table until 2015. So we went as walk-in customers.

The host said we could sit in the front area on backless stools at the communal table. We asked if we could sit at another table that had chairs with backs but were told no. Later, however, another group of walk-ins sat at our communal table, then moved to the more comfortable seats.

Pineapple carpaccio
Pineapple carpaccio

Tamarind spiced chicken wings (HK$128), coated with a well-balanced tart-sweet glaze, was a good starter. Flat bread with caramelised onions, taleggio cheese, cured pig's cheek and pesto (HK$118) was marred by the cracker-like base, which was tough, rather than crisp.

The best main was the traditional shepherd's pie with potato purée (HK$208). It looked homely but the mixture was rich (almost too rich), hearty and delicious. The short rib burger with Monterey Jack cheese and sriracha mayo (HK$168) had great flavour, but the meat — cooked to our requested medium-rare — was dense.

Banana sticky toffee pudding
Banana sticky toffee pudding

Fish and chips (HK$208) was made with barramundi, and both the fish and coating were too soft. Dingley Dell pork chop (HK$228) was the most disappointing. The meat wasn't overcooked (there was still some pink) but it was tough, dense and lacked flavour.

Desserts were easily the best part. Pineapple carpaccio with passion fruit and coconut sorbet (HK$78) was light and refreshing, banana sticky toffee pudding (HK$88) was warm, comforting and not too sweet, and chocolate tart with salted caramel ice cream (HK$98) was so intense and rich I could manage only one bite.

Bread Street Kitchen & Bar, M/F, LKF Hotel, 33 Wyndham Street, Central, tel: 2230 1800. Open: noon-3pm, 6pm-11pm. About HK$400 without drinks or the service charge