A Twist on French Cuisine - The Grand Opening of IVY
As a foodie, not only do I share my recipes, I also love trying out new yet 'out-of-the-ordinary-level' cuisines; or perhaps testing out delicacies in new restaurants. In this very day, I am honoured to be invited by my friend, Glenda, to her sister's newly opened restaurant - IVY in IFC, Central, Hong Kong.
IVY is not just your ordinary French restaurant - its theme is all about youth, but why? We all know that French cuisine is for the wealthy, and us young lads and lasses won't be able to have a single hors d'oeuvre unless you have a stable income. The interior might seem posh, but IVY uses simple yet finest ingredients to whip up something spectacular. Price-wise? Lower than your average French restaurant. Quality? Spot on, but of course some minor tweaks would definitely bring this restaurant to a whole new level. All ingredients are imported from France, so no local products were used.
Apologies to the lads and lasses in England - you are 6900 miles away from this restaurant; unless you plan to come to Hong Kong during the long holidays. France is right below you anyway, might as well cross the English channel to get there and enjoy French cuisine!
Before we move on, if you were wondering who those fine looking women are - the person next to me is the owner of IVY - Karen, Glenda and of course, my mum Agnes.
This restaurant is heckie huge - it is facing towards the ferris wheel and the Victoria harbour, so night view is beyond spectacular. It has an open kitchen at the back, where all the hors d'oeuvres and main courses are cooked, and a bar which serves all the booze, desserts and pastries. Don't be fooled by the fact that the restaurant's empty; by 8 the restaurant was filled with people and don't forget - today was their first day of service!
We had 5 different hors d'oeuvres to start with, then 3 main courses followed by sides and of course, for the sweet-tooth, another 5 different kinds of desserts to fill us up. I wouldn't have to care much about the calories - food is everything to me.
To browse the food photos - click on the slideshow (gallery) below.
We were given a complementary (I suppose so!) plate of tomatoes served with slices of lemon and salt. I must admit that this idea was somewhat new, yet it was packed with flavour.
Hors d'oeuvres
1. French Green Beans & Foie Gras
The special thing about this salad is that no Romaine lettuces or rockets were used - instead they used haricots verts, or known as French green beans in English. The freshness and crisp of the beans, accompanied with the acidic yet subtle sweetness of the balsamic vinegar and bits of foie gras together work perfectly.
2. Warm Prawns in Olive Oil
Might sound a tad bit ordinary but the taste is exquisite. Nicely blanched huge prawns dunked in some extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil leaves are a must for the pescatarians.
3. Garlic Escargots
Fresh escargots imported from France - they are smeared with ground parsley and garlic butter. Also served with toasts on the side. Tastes divine when you eat both the escargot and the toast at the same time.
4. Burrato & French Tomatoes
The classic buffalo cheese with sliced tomatoes, but of course, French cherry tomatoes. The only difference is that they melt the burrato cheese and place the tomatoes on top, with a tiny bit of sherry vinegar and basil. Suitable for vegetarians. The acidity from the vinegar and the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes are well-balanced.
5. Asparagus & Goat Cheese
The best quality chèvre (goat cheese) from France on top of some pan-fried asparagus - simple yet savoury, leaving people wanting for more.
Main courses & Sides
1, Grilled poussin with herbs
Juicy and tender, the meat comes off easily from the bone and the breast itself is full of herby-goodness and moisture. Succulent and scrumptious, white meat lovers are in great luck as the chicken is cooked to perfection.
2. Steak with French caviar
Another twist from the classic rump steak (or surf and turf) with Diane sauce. The steak is medium-rare, with 1:2 ratio of fat and lean. The caviar is the expensive bit though, and accompanying it with the steak is divine. The saline taste of the caviar and the steak work well together; might suggest those carnivorous diners to keep an eye on this steak if you feel like having one.
3. Mussels in bouillabaisse sauce
For those who have not heard of bouillabaisse (to the people of HK of course, Brits should know what they taste like), you might consider ordering this - especially pescatarians. Fresh mussels from France and the broth (that uses various kinds of fish, saffron and a tiny bit of cayenne pepper) combined together are sublime.
4. Sweet potato chips with cheese
Or perhaps fries, as the Americans call it. Yes they are homemade, and yes they look like they are made out of Maris Piper's potatoes, but I ensure you that they are made out of yellow sweet potatoes. Could be a bit more cheesy but if you're watching the calories, you don't really need that much. Good enough on its own.
Desserts
1. Mango mille-feuille
Also known as 'Napoleon' cake in English, the tangy taste of mangoes, the delicate texture of the cream and the crispy pastry is a must for those who enjoy sweet yet a hint of sourness.
2. Raspberry cake with a chocolate krispie base
Similar to the mango mille-feuille, the balance between sweet and sour is distinct; a good option for dessert after a filling meal.
3. Macarons
A French delicacy; it can be eaten anywhere in the world and I won't be surprised if you know what they look and taste like. These little nuggets of macarons are devilish due to the gooey chocolate between the meringues; you could keep on eating those forever.
4. The not so-ordinary crème brûlée
Crème brûlée is one of the easiest desserts to make, in my opinion, but normally to enhance its flavour one would put vanilla essence (extract). This crème brûlée, however, is not the crème brûlée one would usually encounter: vanilla pods are used instead to replace vanilla extract. The rich flavour of vanilla is beyond lush.
5. The far from ordinary soufflé
Perhaps the best of all dishes - this soufflé is amazing not only because it's size is equivalent to a birthday cake, the taste is heavenly and angelic. To be exact, this souffle has a zesty lemon flavour; the je ne sais quoi aftertaste which makes the whole dessert beyond appealing to one's eyes. You would regret not trying this if you manage to pay a visit to this restaurant - pre-ordering is required though so don't expect yourself having one without booking!
So if you're feeling peckish and you want some French cuisine, pop in to IVY and get a taste of France, despite being far away from its origin. Highly recommended.
Location:
Shop 2075, ifc mall
Central, Hong Kong
11:00-00:00 on Sundays to Saturdays, including public holidays
M xx
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