巴黎的 LA TOUR d'ARGENT 蔡瀾

2009年10月02日

說起世界上的名餐廳，總少不了巴黎的 LA TOUR d'ARGENT。譯為中文，是「銀塔」或「錢塔」的意思。
建於一五八二年，被譽為世界最古老和最出名的餐廳，自從開店以來，都是皇親國戚光顧的地方，更有當年的美術家及音樂家。到了一九一零年，被 TERRAIL家族買下，他們的產業還包括了喬治五世和聖利卻斯酒店。
走進這家餐廳，像走進一間博物館，裏面很多擺設都是從前留下，而其中最寶貴的，就是那兩個壓榨鴨子的機器，全銀製造，其中一個當今還用，壞了，才用另外那個，要修理，可得拿到 CHRISTOFLE原廠去。

是的，到這家餐廳，已經不必講別的，只談她們最著名的菜餚「壓鴨 ANETON」就夠了。
點了這道菜之後，侍者會推出那架壓鴨機，樣子極為古怪，像拷問犯人的機械，上面有個大螺絲鑽，愈轉動愈往下壓，壓至血漿流掉為止，下面有一個大銀盆盛着血。
做法是這樣的，把一隻肥鴨烤個半熟，肉全生，只有外表略焦。削下了鴨子皮，取出鴨胸和鴨腿，身放進榨壓機內，壓出血漿來。榨壓時，如果太乾，侍者會加一點上湯進機器內潤滑。
壓出來的漿，再加一杯香檳，用個漏斗過濾渣滓。另邊廂，把鴨胸再煎一煎，然後用曼蒂拉甜酒和白蘭地將血漿煮稠，淋在鴨胸上，大功告成。
鴨子由 NANTES地區的農場供應，河流和池塘受法律保護，絕不可被工業污染，養得像和野生的一樣，是這家餐廳專用的。

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好吃嗎？見仁見智，但是這是一個難得的飲食經驗，別的食肆也許有同樣做法，但「銀塔」的表演是最高峰的。
吃壓鴨，當今的價錢，一人份約一千港幣吧，當然不會只做給你一個人吃，一隻鴨分成四份。
歌星法蘭•辛納特拉試過之後，叫不出餐廳名，儘管叫她為「鴨店 THE DUCK JOINT」。當年的店主為第二代傳人 CLAUDE TERRAIL，是個花花公子，追求阿娃．嘉納時，她在半夜想吃，就專為她開店而親自做一餐，嘉納吃後說這是人生之中最難吃的。
一向是間三星餐廳，但店主年事高了，水準保持不了，被降為二星，甚至一星。店主在二零零六年死去，享年八十八，當今由他兒子 AHDRE TERRAIL接管。
星期天和星期一休息。

地址︰ 15, qusi de la Tournelle 75005 PARIS
電話︰ 01-47-54-23-31

Cepage: 3 reports

Ms. Y

Hello, just went to Cepage last Saturday. Here is my report after the
weekend lunch :>
There are 3 different types of lunch.
Set lunch: 2 courses $290 and 3 courses $390 (different choices vs the
gourmand lunch)
Gourmand lunch: $500 for 4 courses.
Went there with 3 gf. All 4 of us pick the Gourmand lunch (we only live
once ma!)
1st: Octopus Carpaccio. OK. Not very special. But the octopus is very
tender.
2nd: Soft boiled organic egg with chicken consomme jelly and ham / truffle
/ crouton on the top. VERY GOOD. We mix the whole thing into a mess before
eating. Both texture and taste are complicated, in a good way, definitely.
3rd: Venison loin with foi gras and fig. AGAIN VERY GOOD. Even the celeriac
mousse at the bottom is yummy. Finished the whole thing, not a single drip
of sauce left on the plate ;P
4th (dessert): chocolate creme brulee and raspberry sorbet and marinated
mango. Just ok to me.
The 2nd and 3rd courses definitely score highest.
Service: at first, the server is kind of cool, or even arrogant to me. But
after a while, I guess, all of us (both waitress and we) are relaxed. And
she is more friendly and talks more about the restaurant.
Bread: not hot really, but taste good. I have the Olive bread and my fd has
this raisin buns. She said it is excellent and she has 2.
OVERALL: VERY GOOD. NOW THINKING ABOUT THE NEXT VISIT.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Fat Boy Report:

Tried the 4 course lunch tasting menu (Gourmand menu, $500).
- Appetizer: small portion of grilled fish (tuna?) in a very Jpn style
- Fish Tata with Caviar: this one I quite like thou.....
- Jpn poached egg + dried ham (in slice) + dried truffle (in slice) + jelly
(chicken consomme): taste like xxxt after blending
- Grill seafood plattar (Scallop + fish + in lobster bisque sauce): I think
the sauce is a bit 2 heavy for tis weather
- Cheese plattar (instead of dessert): quite ok

Bread: nice but not the best

Nice deco, high ceiling (my beloved) with natural light, well trained
attendants...... just a little bit over delicate for layman like me.

In short, if you like fusion, give it a try. If not, well well well.......
I personally prefer The Drawing Room......
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mr. K

Agree with your comment but I want to add two more:

1. Pls don't go on the weekend as xxx has an experience that the food
quality was worse than those in weekday (for the same dish).

2. Food quality is good (but not excellent) but attendant quality aren't
qualifed to charge $500 (they are better than normal western restaurant but
not as attentive as those in hotel (eg. Caprice)).

My experience of taking lunch in Cepage in Singapore is much better than
those in HK at least in term of food quality and in particular the quality
of attendant services. Our friends and I all certify that we won't
re-visit this restaurant.

Divo Wine& Dining

精品新派歐陸菜

2009年08月14日

銅鑼灣的食廈特別多，除了恆和鑽石、渣甸中心和亨利中心外，還有一幢鮮為人知、落成半年的 L'hart。
裏面開了一間水準不錯的新派歐陸餐廳 Divo Wine& Dining，店子地方不大，分上下兩層，裝潢高貴優雅。設計師巧妙地用了不少玻璃，令視覺增加空間感。

餐牌主打新派法國和意大利菜式，選擇不多，頭盤湯意粉主菜甜品一頁紙睇完。
價錢絕不便宜，頭盤散叫$200，意粉$200-$400，主菜$500-$600，拍得上五星級酒店。點 tasting menu（$680六道菜）更化算。
貴 還貴，吃得出用優質矜貴食材。大廚 Johnny曾在五星級酒店工作，九成食材從外國入口，像法國的 John Dory、波士頓龍蝦、日本鹿兒島 A4級幸福和牛，越南頂級大頭蝦。食法也有驚喜，頭盤的 Carpaccio from the sea，以日本的吞拿魚腩和油甘魚刺身來代替傳統生牛肉或三文魚。 Seafood lasagna，大廚以一層波士頓龍蝦配一層法國 John Dory魚，滿口都是海鮮的鮮甜。整體菜式有水準，用料靚，食材配搭有心思。近期恒指重上二萬點，投資有斬獲的，值得豪吃一頓。

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Carpaccio from the sea$288
吞拿魚腩和油甘魚切得如紙般薄，入口即溶，配芥末沙律醬汁可提升鮮味。

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Seafood Lasagna$388
招牌菜，千層麵上面的日本帶子大大粒，下面以一層法國 John Dory魚和一層波士頓龍蝦相間着，食時蘸點龍蝦醬汁，鮮味無窮。

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上層則以黑色為主，設有酒吧，感覺型格。

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入口處設有一條流線型的樓梯貫穿兩層。

Divo Wine& Dining

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地址：銅鑼灣駱克道 487-489號 L'hart 16-17樓
電話： 2836 6100
營業時間： 12nn-2:30pm， 6pm-11pm
平均消費：$750

Green Mouse

HK-Magazine

It’s not much to look at—Green Mouse is a small restaurant without any fancy French flourishes—but who’s looking at the décor when you’re busy chatting to the excellent maitre’d? His knowledgeable yet subtle serving style made us feel like we’d stepped into the kitchen of an old friend. The chef bustled out to tell us about what he had on fresh that day, and to offer us the $500 a head, five-course tasting menu. We started with pan-fried foie gras, which was lightly seasoned and perfectly crisped on the outside, but warm and rich on the inside. Second course was seared scallop and tiger prawn, served with a rich garlic butter sauce. One of us didn’t want the escargot (presented as a kind of deconstructed lasagna in a rich chicken broth), so they kindly offered a delicious watercress soup instead. The angus fillet and quail we chose for our mains kept up the high standard we’d now come to expect. But God, as they say, is in the details, and we were delighted with the mini portions of pumpkin mash, courgette, mushroom and potato, which were obviously created with as much love as the mains themselves. While Green Mouse was practically empty on the Thursday night we went, we expect it’ll fill up before long when word gets out about this wonderful yet reasonably priced restaurant.

EatDrinkHongKong
I stumbled onto The Green Mouse quite by accident. I’d turned into Peel Street with the intention of heading downhill from Hollywood Road back to Central and there it was.
Since it was almost dinner time anyway I didn’t need much convincing but being told that it was owned and operated by two former Chez Patrick staff was certainly encouraging.
The decor is simple but elegant, white walls punctuated with miniature paintings with crisp cheerful green table linen and napkins. A small chandelier tinkles gently in the breeze from the air conditioning unit. There were no other customers but it was still very early. I took a seat near the window. Net curtains hide Peel Street and, on my side of the door, reflect the restaurants logo; a green mouse.
It’s not a large menu, it doesn’t need to be. Quality rather than quantity seems to be the order of the day. There is a set dinner menu on the right which offers 3-course meals for $378 or 4-courses for $458.
There is a choice of three starters and three mains. The choices are changed every week except desserts which vary from day to day and are not listed. The 4th course, if I made it that far, was a cheese board.
For starters I went for the pan-fried fois gras with caramel sauce. While I was waiting for that I was served a, fresh from the oven, bread roll. It may not have been as enthusiastic a display as an Italian bread basket but it was luxurious in its simplicity. I was about to ask for another when I was presented with a small portion of quiche lorraine which took my mind off it.
I was just looking around for more quiche when the fois gras arrived. Two rather generous pieces, crisp and delicate on the outside deliciously creamy on the inside. It went pleasingly well with the house red wine.
I have to admit I’m a bit of a slacker when it comes to wine and I’d neglected to write the name down. It was quite a fruity tang and was comparably light for a red wine.
Timing of the dishes was near perfect with just the right space between them. But it was here that the background music came forward. For the most part it had been a selection of middle of the road 1960s and 70s pop. Fairly easy to ignore for the most part but there was the odd, annoyingly gimmicky, dance tune.
Fortunately it was over before the main course, pan-fried beef flank steak in port wine sauce, arrived. And a lovely piece of steak it was too. Cooked medium rare, it was lean, juicy and served with a selection of garden vegetables, mushrooms, cauliflower cheese and caramelised onions.
I think it was Oscar Wilde, or someone of that ilk, that once said that listening to music while eating is an insult to both chef and composer. I think that is a load of old rot. Good music complements a meal just a surely as a good wine and I thought this was worthy of a Thelonious Monk or Stephane Grappelli.
There were a number of desserts available including chocolate pudding and crepes but I plumped for the apple tart with cinnamon ice cream. Along with coffee it was an excellent way to round off a very pleasing meal. The cheese board, I’m afraid, will have to wait till next time.

喜歡法式牛肉料理 (李慧玲)

 

澳洲牛柳他他伴薯條 $120

• 扒澳洲牛柳伴炒馬鈴薯配香草汁 $328 / 500克
• 焗牛柳．森林菌釀酥皮配紅酒黑椒粒汁伴忌廉焗薯 $ 258

• 扒澳洲和牛肉眼配賓尼士汁伴忌廉焗薯 $ 998
• 烚牛脷．牛小腿．牛臉肉伴雜菜 $248

從前，我有一位朋友養過一隻名字叫「阿 Cow」的貓，是四肢粗壯、愛吃牛柳絲的虎斑大雄貓。當然不用說，每次到朋友家中，我看到肥肥笨笨的「阿Cow」時，就會很想食牛肉，真是很奇怪。不過，牛肉真是令人難以抗拒的食物，不是嗎？我身邊有些戒了吃牛肉的朋友，每次看到我吃牛扒、牛柳粒、牛肉乾…… 他們總不禁向我吃著的「牛」投以羡慕的目光說：「嘩！好好味啊！可惜，我戒了牛！」但，我卻不會因而不吃喔！事實我十分喜歡吃牛肉嘛！

• 有指常吃牛肉的人，肌肉會很強健的啊！嗯，是否真的不得而知了，我只知每日進食適量的牛肉，的確有助補充鐵質的吸收，骨骼也自然強壯一點吧！其實，我也滿喜歡法式牛肉料理，聽到朋友說「今天晚上一起吃牛扒去」，就會心中樂透！這個晚上，我們來到尖沙咀海港城港威酒店，沿階梯往地庫層走，來到 LaBrasserie ( 林柏軒餐廳 )享用一頓正宗的「法式牛肉料理」，水準也真的相當高，在香港居然能吃到這麼地道的法國料理，我會覺得很佩服，而餐廳的法籍行政總廚 DidierRochat更設計了八款不同口味的牛肉菜式，推出一個月以來，已深受客人歡迎，所以他決定將推廣期順延一個月至四月底，讓更多客人可以品嚐這美味的法式牛肉滋味。
• 「法式牛肉料理」包括︰「澳洲牛柳他他伴薯條」、「扒澳洲和牛肉眼配賓尼士汁伴忌廉焗薯」、「焗牛柳．森林菌釀酥皮配紅酒黑椒粒汁伴忌廉焗薯」、「燴澳洲和牛臉肉配紅酒汁伴白甘筍及薯茸」、「烚牛脷．牛小腿．牛臉肉伴雜菜」、「香煎牛柳伴薯條配燒汁」、「肉眼扒伴牛骨髓及忌廉焗薯配紅酒汁」，還有「扒澳洲牛柳伴炒馬鈴薯配香草汁」。而我就比較喜歡帶點個性配搭的「澳洲牛柳他他伴薯條」了，因為總廚先將鮮嫩的生牛柳切粒，製成傳統的生牛肉韃靼 (Tartare ) 然後搓成小巧的圓餅狀上碟，大家可隨意按自己的個人口味，伴入蛋黃、銀魚柳、水瓜鈕、洋蔥碎、紅花粉、番茜、酸瓜鈕、辣椒仔汁 (Tabasco )及喼汁作配搭，愛辣的多加Tabasco；愛酸的多加酸瓜、水瓜鈕及喼汁，感覺很有趣，還以為自己化身成為大廚呢！那鮮甜的牛柳他他，嫩滑細緻，入口即溶，讓人回味，但記得要趁新鮮享用啊！置身於這濃濃樸實法國風味的的餐廳用餐，輕鬆愉快地喝著紅酒，佷快便渡過一個美好的晚上。
• 林柏軒 La Brasserie
• 地址：尖沙咀海港城港威酒店大堂下層
• 訂座電話：2113 7925
• 營業時間：星期一至日：6:30 pm ~ 11:30 pm
• -以恆生銀行或匯豐銀行之信用卡結帳，即可享8折餐飲優惠。
• -所有價目另設加一服務費，推廣期至 4 月 30 日
• -所有圖片只供參考
• Photo Courtesy By La Brasserie

The French Table - 飛人生活

完成兩星期FP Training那一晚，為了獎勵自己，同多謝一直支持我的人，雖然身體已經好疲倦，最想就係好好瞓返覺，但都決定出街食餐好既！
朋友早前帶我去過一間樓上法國餐廳，地方不大，沒有華麗裝修，只有一個比例上很大的開放式廚房！能夠吸引係如此重要的日子再次到訪，當然係因為她有不能忘記的美食！
餐牌只有一張紙，有Ａ前菜，Ｂ湯，Ｃ主菜，Ｄ甜品，E咖啡茶，可以自己選擇食晒全部，定要湯唔要前菜，怎至食兩個前菜！
由前菜到甜品，都係店主自己一個人一手一腳做的！這一點已經夠感動，最感動係由前菜到甜品都整得咁好味！
店主真是一個對煮食很有天份與熱誠的人，上去食飯的人客，只要你願意講，佢都願意聽你意見，怎至為我地做出我們喜歡的甜品！你話係咪感動到有點淚光？
我個人最欣賞佢個洋蔥湯，雖然湯面片麵包細咗ｄ，但湯底絶對係一流，咁正式的洋蔥湯，係香港一ｄ都唔多！
餐牌內容唔多講，大家可以係佢個網站睇到！價錢大約四佰至五佰一位！
也許除了食物的味道，我也食出了廚師的心，才令我如此喜愛這個地方！

溫暖的麵包

前菜：香煎田螺配磨菇汁

主菜：香燒美國Kurobuta豬架配黑松露菌汁

甜品：法式糖霜配鮮果
網址：www.thefrenchtable.com.hk

Chez Moi

The best restaurant you haven’t heard of!

May 19th, 2008

There are several reasons why I normally don’t do restaurant reviews. Stated simply, personal tastes differ; standards differ; individual dining experiences may be different; and restaurants can be inconsistent. I don’t want the reputation of Hong Kong Hustle in doubt because the chef was out sick the night that you decided to visit, or you ordered an obscure dish that the restaurant doesn’t specialize in. But I’m willing to break my rule on the rare occasion that I discover someplace truly special. The newly relaunched Chez Moi restaurant on 10 Arbuthnot Road in Central is one of those cases.
Chez Moi has actually been around for years, but the restaurant has just soft-opened again with the arrival of a new chef and a major renovation. Located on Arbuthnot Road, the street behind Dragon-i, it’s slightly off the beaten path in Central.
Chez Moi was previously a French restaurant. Its new focus has now broadened to contemporary European cuisine.
Arriving at the entrance, one immediately notices something different. The large curved wooden door swings open to reveal an interior that feels like the dining hall of a vintage ocean liner.

There’s lots of wood and quilted upholstery. Brass fixtures hang from the ceiling, giving it a steamship-like quality. On one side of the room is a subtle mural. Look closely and you’ll find it’s packed with details including a mixture of pop and classical iconography.

On my way to be seated for some reason I noticed the air-conditioning ducts. They were custom fitted with woven material that matched the rest of the decor. Why do I obsess about things like air conditioning ducts? Because it screams that the designer has a vision as well as attention to details. These were the best I’ve seen since the newly renovated JUICE.

Though I appreciate the ambiance in restaurants, it’s not my main criteria. When I go out to eat, I’m all about the food. In Hong Kong, people flock to restaurants based on modernity (is it the newest place in town?); price (extremely expensive, or extremely cheap are selling points); the style of the interior; and the quality of the food. Since most people in this city don’t cook, food in restaurants is like magic to them. Although there are great restaurants here, and a food culture, I’d say that the average person’s standards are pretty low. When it comes to foreign food, people have even less knowledge. Therefore the majority of restaurants offering European cuisine are high on glitz and low on substance. It was with this in mind that I entered Chez Moi.
Browsing the menu which was printed on a single-side of paper, I was surprised at how reasonably priced it was. Western food in Hong Kong is generally expensive. There was a long list of ingredients beneath every dish. I was told that the restaurant attempts to use organics when possible and that the menu would change depending on seasonal attractions. I liked the fact that the menu wasn’t huge. This allows the chef to be more nimble and focus on making a core of dishes at the highest quality.
The dinner began with a selection of amazing home-baked breads made by the chef. For a starter I ordered the gazpacho soup. Arriving, it was exploding with taste. I finished it and was contemplating ordering a second bowl!
Soon the ox tail stew arrived.

My friend had chosen salmon. (Pictured at the top.) I didn’t try any of the salmon since I didn’t want to give up any of my ox tail! It was that good. A few minutes later and my plate was clean.
For dessert we selected a strawberry selection that included a home-made strawberry ice-cream, a strawberry jelly and a strawberry cake. The three were delicious, each with a different texture.
While the masses cruise Soho looking for foreign food, or head to spots with extravagant prices, this is a destination for the in-the-know. Chez Moi not only delivers excellent dishes with good quality ingredients, it does so at a reasonable price. With a casual elegance that’s not common in Hong Kong, Chez Moi is comfortable, quirky, and worth a visit.
Chez Moi address:
G/F, 10 Arbthnot Road
Central, Hong Kong
2801-6768

Bravo Latata

張總與 TV 君誠邀小弟晚膳，她倆心知小弟俺尖聲悶，遂拿出皇牌一試，只為搏煩人一笑！菜式如下：

- 自家釀無酒精蘋果有氣飲料：不俗。

- 炒蘑菇：蘑菇夠大，一分二，炒得不見肥膩，鮮味尚存，不俗。

- 海鮮冷盆 (生蠔、蟹、細青口、螺、蝦)：鮮、甜，非常出色，必食！

- 無花果沙律：新鮮無花果超甜，正！

- 燒乳鴿：入味夠火喉，好！

- 紋牛膝：不俗。

- 水果 (梨、車厘、龍眼)：

食物水平八十五分以上，如能有自家製麫包更好，某待應談吐頗話劇化，足見有打好呢份工之心志，是夜沒喝酒(免開瓶費)，相信結賬約千五元。

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法式餐廳 - 王亭之

這一家法式餐廳 王亭之在開闢此版文認可區時，曾說過，要談一談飲食，誰知王亭之「花門」，反而報紙爬頭，開飲食專頁。是故王亭之即撰此文交差，不是有意宣傳。
對飲食，王亭之只喜歡中式與法式。蓋中法兩民族有悠久的飲食文化傳統，意大利尚不足與之比較。可是在圖麟都，王亭之吃過幾家法式餐廳，都只是夠水平而已。而且這個水平還不是巴黎水平，只是「外國法國餐水平」。
忽一日，小女樨樨良心發現，帶王亭之去一家「外國法國餐廳」晚飯，這家餐廳在城中的一條橫街，還要上二樓，門面甚不起眼，然而一坐下來，卻相當舒服，因為是開放式廚房，七八個大小廚師的操作，看得一清二楚。
王亭之點了一個「七款」的晚餐，實際上枱是九款，可謂無一不滿意。鵝肝燒得脆皮，加上稍帶酸味的醬（相信是新鮮生果造成），咬一口，醬不奪味，反而令鵝肝的鮮味呈現，吃後甚有喉底。
另一個印象好的是乳鴿腿，那種燒法，完全不同粵式，半燒半焗，十分入味。此外還有一小塊法式東坡肉，五花腩，可是蘸醬而食，全不肥膩。
這是王亭之認為值得介紹的餐館，其名為Perigee，地址不便透露，怕老編抽稿。
加拿大多倫多星島日報
2006年4月17日