Where To Eat

Le Dôme de Cristal has only been open for business since October 19, 2013 – and it is very noticeable that it is newly opened. 

The service staff, try as they might, appear to be unsure as to how to treat patrons so that, when a new guest requests something different from the norm, the request has to be reconfirmed with somebody in a higher managerial position before a commitment can be undertaken by the junior staff member. 

Case in point, TARGET (泰達財經) visited Le Dôme, last Friday at 7 p.m., exactly, after making a reservation two weeks prior, and discovered that the table that had, allegedly, been reserved for this medium’s party of three people, was abutting the door, leading to the toilets. 

When a complaint was made to a young Filipina, who showed this medium’s review team to the unacceptable table, her teeth, held in place by braces, she said that she had to check with somebody else, but would try to change the table. 

About five minutes later, this little girl returned and, with a smile that showed off the extent of her braces, she escorted TARGET to another table on the other side of the dining room, one that was quite close to the door, leading to a verandah. This table was, also, unacceptable. 

Another complaint and another reconfirmation resulted in this medium’s team, being shown to a very acceptable table, facing the verandah. 

This table was, in fact, mounted on a revolving platform that had the ability to swing 360 degrees so that one could face whatever direction one wished. 

Aside from the above rendition of events at the beginning of the visit, especially with regard to the mediocrity of the training of the serving staff plus one other faux pas in respect of a single and unfortunate aspect of one dish, Le Dôme is, as a free-standing restaurant, a welcome treat, compared to the many below-average, food outlets at a number of would-be, five-star hotels in the Hongkong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). 

The Restaurant

Le Dôme de Cristal is a joint venture between the producer of Cristal Champagne – Louis Roederer – and the HKSAR company, Ambrosia Cuisines Group Ltd.  

The restaurant is located at Number 9, Queen’s Road, Central, and it is said to cover an area of about 10,000 square feet on the third floor of The Galleria. 

However, it can only accommodate 60 patrons per sitting, thus, perhaps, explaining the reason that this medium had to wait a fortnight for a table. 

The ambiance of the dining room is excellent, but somebody forgot to tell the people, behind the bar, not to make such a ruckus with a blending machine, the noise from which was that of a pile driver or a mobile cement mixer (a small exaggeration, here). 

Also, because of the lack of sufficient soft furnishings, one would be advised not to talk too loudly for fear that somebody, at the other side of the room, could tune into the conversation. 

The Food 

On the evening of TARGET’s visit, this was that which this medium ordered for three people:

Degustation Menu

Oyster Platter
White Pearl, Gillardeau, Ecaille D’Argent 

French Langoustine with Spa Egg & Lemon Butter Sauce 

Pan-Seared Foie Gras with Peach Chutney and Taste Brioche 

Chestnut Soup 

Seared French Seabass with Chorizo & Sauce Bouillabaisse 

Trio of Grilled Meats
Australian Lamb Chop, U.S. Prime Sirloin, French Venison Fillet 

Valrhona Chocolate Le Dôme with Wasabi Filling
Vanilla Ice-Cream 

$HK980 

A La Carte

Alaskan Crab Meat with Imperial Caviar in Du Berry Cream Sauce
$HK298 

Blue Lobster Meat Salad with Celery Root,
Green Apple and Hydroponic Vegetables
$HK338 

Oyster Platter
White Pearl, Gillardeau, Ecaille D’Argent
$HK274 

Charcoal Grilled Canadian Pork Rack
with Apple & Rhubarb Chutney in Red Currant Glaze
$HK488 

Pan-Seared Miyasaki Beef Tenderloin (A5)
 with Seared Foie Gras & Truffle Sauce
$HK980

Since this restaurant specialises in Champagnes, this medium ordered a bottle of La Grande Dame, Vintage 2004, the top-of-the-line Champagne from the house of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, which is based in Reims. 

The price of this elegant Champagne was $HK2,200. This, in the opinion of TARGET, was a very reasonable price. 

At the same time as ordering the Champagne for the first few courses, for the meat dishes, TARGET ordered a bottle of Altesino Rosso Di Montalcino, Vintage 2010, a wine from Tuscany, Italy, at the price of $HK575. 

(This reviewer has a great liking for the wines, made in Italy from the very common Sangiovese grape.) 

To describe all of the dishes, individually, would be an onerous task so suffice it to state that one dish after another delighted this reviewer. 

The oysters were excellent and still tasted on the Atlantic Ocean from where they once lived. 

All of the dishes had been presented in the manner of a French chef, but, in fact, the chef is a Chinese gentleman by the name of Mr Stanley Tang. 

The most expensive of all of the dishes on the menu was the Miyasaki Beef at $HK980 per whack for about five ounces of the Japanese beef. 

Sadly, while there was nothing at all wrong with the beef, Mr Stanley Tang refused to cook it ‘medium’, as had been requested, and, instead, made it rare. 

Since this reviewer does not like meat that is only 20 percent cooked, the first attempt was returned to the kitchen where the kitchen staff only put the rejected meat in a food warmer and, then, had the same piece of meat returned to the table, telling our waiter that it was, now, ‘medium’. 

This, of course, resulted in a second rejection of the dish, but the kitchen staff was resolute and refused to cook another piece of meat as TARGET had requested. 

What is one to do in such a situation?  

It was a real pity, really, because the Miyasaki Beef dish, which could have been the best dish of the evening, had been spoiled by some stubborn fool in the kitchen. 

Primed by the Champagne and the Altesino Rosso Di Montalcino, TARGET was not in the mood to complain too loudly and, when the Filipino captain, came to apologise, it was sufficient to let the matter die. 

However, it was the first time in this medium’s 43-year history in the HKSAR that this reviewer had been exposed to an obviously blatant, cranky Chinese cook. 

Having said that, there were those times when the French chef at Petrus, the fine-dining outlet of Island Shangri-La, became upset in the extreme when TARGET determined to sample the outlet’s food.  

And the French, bald-headed sommelier was not averse to showing his displeasure with this medium’s presence. 

More often than not, these Frenchmen got their proverbial knickers in a twist when TARGET decided to grace the restaurant. 

Those little incidents have been relegated to history, of course, but this reviewer, being English by birth, would be apprehensively worried to return to Petrus, knowing only too well how cantankerous Frenchmen can act when out of sorts.