I've heard so so
so much about
Sugar, and finally, last week, I've had the chance to try it, many thanks to
East for the invitation.
As I entered the place, I saw a super stylish place, filled by young, hip and chic crowd chilling out...
...sipping drinks, sampling snacks, and chit-chatting, generally having the much needed good time after work. Walking by, I was still trying to maintain my composure, pretending to be cool, but when I saw where I was about to sit...
Wow.
(photo courtesy of East, effectively ruined by me ^_*)
WOW indeed! What a view and what a cool corner! And what's cooler than that? I've met wonderful people, Patricia of
Plain Face Angel, Takako who writes for
Cathay Pacific Travel Blog, Frances and Selina from East, and the ever so hungry Jason of
Life as A Bon Vivant.
I started the night with Sugar's
Espresso-tini. I am not much of a drinker, but I am a sucker for cocktails, and I love this one. It's sweet yet light, not too creamy, the coffee flavor is there, with a fragrant hint of cinnamon. Cheers!
Oh, one embarrassing moment. The bean bags where we sat on were hip, stylish and everything, but I sank so deep, I had a hard time getting up and spilled quite a bit of my Espresso-tini on the table. Opps. Maybe I'm too...ehm...
fat wholesome for the bean bags? So much for trying to look "composed" ^_^'
When this platter of goodies arrived, I've totally forgotten about pretending to look cool. I went mad!
It's a
sausage tree! My favorite's the big-fat-tender-juicy-and-tasty ones at the bottom. Absolutely delicious! My favorite item from the snack platter is the spicy feta cheese spring rolls. I love that extra kick of spiciness. There was also a yummy cheese platter and endless servings of crispy papadum to down my drink with.
Fantastic view, tasty snacks, delicious drinks...it's a great place for the young (or the young at heart, like me?) and hip to hang out after work or bring a date for before-or-after-dinner-drinks. Simply perfect for the don't-wanna-go-home population of Hong Kong ^_^
I had a little too much fun, I almost forgot to make some room for dinner at
Feast.
Please allow me to make a girly comment: love the orange butterflies on the wall. How pretty!
We were seated at the chef's table, a gorgeous corner overlooking the "open kitchen".
Nothing I love more than seeing chefs at work, getting a glimpse the actions that made deliciousness happen.
The meal started with a
bread basket, and a savory girl that I am, I love the crispy cheese bread.
We sampled some
oysters from the buffet spread, which were fresh and creamy.
We also had different kinds of
ham, slices of melon and pickled shallots. Very refreshing. The melon brought out the best of the white wine we had.
Every dish was served with a carefully selected wine.
I may not know much about wine, but if the wine makes the food taste better or vice versa, it's all good in my book ^_*
On to the next course...
I adore the idea of the
Goats Curd and Mushroom Tartlet with Pancetta Crumble and Yellow Pepper Jam since I am a big fan of savory pastries. The yellow pepper jam was a highlight of the dish, it gives the much needed touch of sweetness to balance the rest of the savory ingredients.
The next course is my favorite of the night.
The name
"Lobster" Tea, Foam, Grilled, and Ice Cream aroused our curiosity. Lobster? Ice cream? Really? Yes, and it was fantastic! We're supposed to start with the subtly flavored
lobster tea, which was light and refreshing. The
lobster foam was light in texture, but bursting with flavors of a good lobster bisque. If I didn't think about my company, I would've licked the bowl clean! The
grilled lobster was succulent and perfectly cooked, and the
lobster ice cream? Satiny smooth, rich and creamy goodness!
The dish was served with a glass of rose. Call me shallow, but apart from the flavors, scent, and how it complement the dishes, I also love how pretty the pink is. Please excuse me for being such a girl.
We had a
rockmelon lime sherbet. I am a huge fan of melon. But I never thought of pairing citrus with melon. I always thought of melon as a "sweet" fruit and adding citrus would ruin it. Clearly, I was wrong. The addition of citrus made this combination perfect as a palate cleanser. I was ready for our next course.
When this came...
...I thought we were getting a rich and moist chocolate cake! Obviously, I was wrong. Heheheh. Call me crazy, but I love being deceived by appearances. I love playful. I love whimsical.
What was it?
It's
Vanilla Braised Beef Cheek with Celeriac Ravioli and Leek Consomme. The beef was impossibly tender! It's a result of hours and hours of braising. I had always been skeptical on the trend of cooking savory dishes with vanilla. However, the touch vanilla of vanilla in this dish is subtle, just the right amount to enhance the dish without being overwhelming.
The robust flavored dish was served with this bottle red wine. Guess what we discussed the most? It's not how the wine has fruity after taste, etc, but how much we all love the packaging of the wine. Heheheh. Packaging is important!
Ready for something sweet? The chef insisted that we start with this...
...and finish it in one shot!
Aptly named
Snap Crakle and Fruit Pop, it "exploded" in our mouth in a plethora of fruitiness. How playful! How creative!
The meal ended with a plate of
petit fours and Moscato dessert wine, which was so good, I totally forgot to take a picture of it ^_^'
More than a night of delectable treats in a fabulous place, it's a night of great conversations, plenty of laughs, with amazing people. Thanks for hosting such a wonderful event, East!
Hong Kongers, have you made plans for the holidays? East might just be it ;)
Sugar
32/F East
29 Taikoo Shing Road, Island East
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 3968 3738
Feast
1/F East
29 Taikoo Shing Road, Island East
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 3968 37777
Website: http://www.east-hongkong.com
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