Four Seasons Hotel, Hong Kong: Special Mastro/Shiso four-hands menu for art week (21-26 March 2017)
The month of March is all about art, and there’s so much to see. From Art Central to Art Basel, Art Gallery Night to the Asia Arts Awards, the city has something for everyone. You’ll want to fuel up to keep your energy levels high, perhaps with one of the art-inspired menus currently on offer.
Until Sunday, 26 March 2017, The Lounge at the Four Seasons is offering a seven-course Mastro/Shiso tasting menu ($1,250 per person, including coffee and tea) prepared by Andrea Accordi, the executive chef from Four Seasons Hong Kong, and Kazumi Sawada, the Japanese chef from Four Seasons Seoul. The experience is inspired by kaiseki cuisine, which considers the seasonality of ingredients and the pairing of colours, textures and aromas.We had the chance to try out the menu on the first day.
Japanese Sea Urchin
Served inside a sea urchin, Hokkaido scallop was topped with uni, Japanese caviar and a tosazu (vinegar) jelly. The sea urchin was then placed over blue salt to remind the diner of where the food had originated: the sea. We really enjoyed this dish, with sweet scallop, creamy uni and extremely fresh caviar whetting our appetites for what was to come. Over lunch we learned that Japan only started commercially harvesting caviar in 2013, and the Four Seasons may be the only place you can try it in Hong Kong at the moment.
Sashimi
Jaws dropped when our sashimi arrived served in an ice bowl. How beautiful! Inside the cavern were pieces of lobster, king mackerel, red snapper and Japanese toro (tuna). The quality of the lobster and fish were excellent, and they were served with freshly grated wasabi root and 100-year-old soy sauce.
Mediterranean Seaweed Spaghettini
The spaghettini was absolutely saturated with the seafood and wild garlic broth and had the loveliest, slightly softer than al dente texture. The addition of the Piennolo tomato paste provided a sugary, sharp contrast (on the side) while the uni sauce (below the spaghettini) added another layer of flavour. The prawn was cooked to perfection and needed no sauce.
Gindara
Chef Sawada spent 15 years in Kyoto, and this white miso black cod is one of his signature dishes. The fish itself was perfectly oily and flaky as a nice piece of cod should be, and the drops of yuzu sauce were refreshing against the oiliness of the fish and the saltiness of the miso.
Cedar-Grilled Mayura Beef Entrecôte
For those unfamiliar with Mayura beef, it is a type of Wagyu where approximately 30 per cent of the cattle’s diet is chocolate. The reasoning is that it creates happier cows and, in turn, more flavourful, fatty beef. Our entrecôte was very pleasingly marbled; the beef had a unique sweetness and buttery texture.
Variation of Hokkaido Pumpkin
Our meal ended with a wonderful pumpkin ice cream. The ice cream was fresh and sweet with a hint of natural pumpkin flavour.
Verdict
With high-quality ingredients and beautiful presentation, we’d recommend the Mastro/Shiso tasting menu this month (à la carte options are also available). Of course, atmosphere and service also contribute to a good dining experience, and the Four Seasons delivers. And this being Art Week, The Lounge is especially vibrant with collectors, gallerists, media and other guests networking, making business deals and otherwise enjoying their lives.
The Lounge, Lobby, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, 8 Finance Street, Central, 3196 8820
This post first appeared on Foodie.
