Van Gogh Senses takes diners on a delightful adventure

The latest newcomer to open at Heritage 1881 is a concept store with a restaurant and cake shop attached. The store is like the gift shop section of an art museum filled with lifestyle products (teas, coffees, flowers) and artwork inspired by Vincent van Gogh.

Only tasting menus are offered. We chose the seasonal 5-course Almond Blossom tasting menu (HK$680 per person). A main of USDA beef tenderloin meant an extra HK$128. We ordered refreshing signature cocktails: Irises (HK$138) made with gin, blueberries, grapefruit, rosemary and tonic; and Van Gogh Portrait (HK$138) made with bourbon, elderflower, Lillet and dessert wine.

The dinner was a delightful adventure. Every dish was plated beautifully. We especially enjoyed the dishes directly inspired by van Gogh’s work. The open-faced ricotta ravioli with almond milk foam and toasted crispy almonds presented a single, large sheet of pasta decorated with turquoise stripes. It is meant to reference the pattern of the floorboards seen in Bedroom in Arles (1888).

Our main of miso cod fish with Dutch capsicum and romanesco broccoli was plated next to an intricate tri-colour “stream” that echoed the red, yellow and green found in van Gogh’s Japanese-inspired Flowering Plum Orchard (after Hiroshige) (1887). The only downside was the dessert of Dutch potato churros topped with 1888 Van Gogh extra dark chocolate sauce. It came with a sharp, tangy yoghurt that detracted from the sweetness of the churros. Service was top notch. We could have stayed for hours, drinking tea and chatting.