[Closed] Restaurant review: Beet in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Neighbourhood fine-ish dining in Sheung Wan
While wandering the streets of Sheung Wan one day, I came across Beet. At the time, the space was still under renovation but it was looking like a minimalist chic neighbourhood spot. The kind of place that would serve fresh and healthy dishes, and maybe be a good spot for brunch or a light lunch. I made a note to google it at a later date. Then press pieces started coming out and I realized it wasn’t a health focused restaurant after all.
It turns out a Singaporean restaurateur met an up-and-coming Singaporean chef and decided to turn one of his existing French restaurants in Hong Kong into an experimental, modern European kitchen. If I know anything about Singaporeans, it’s that they’re a nation of hardcore foodies so I was totally game when Steph, my Editor at Foodie, suggested it for a catch-up dinner.
We opted for the 5-course tasting menu ($690).
First up was a trio of snacks. Everything was beautifully presented, and taste-wise they were some of the brightest spots of the night. The snapper ceviche on a puffed rice cracker was a refreshing little flavour bomb. The parmesan cream puff with chestnut cream was a mild yet unusual combination I was glad to try. And being a big fan of liver mousse, I was more than a little upset I couldn’t pop a few more of these bites in my mouth!
Since the restaurant is called Beet, naturally we expected some beetroot with our meal. The starter was made up of ribbon-like pieces on creamy curd accompanied by toasted barley. This was also an combination that I’d never had before, though I found it more interesting/unusual than tasty.
The Hokkaido scallops with grilled corn had a beautiful, light buttery sauce. Unfortunately the scallops themselves were slightly overcooked.
Our main course was the New Territories chicken with parsnip and black truffle. At this point in the meal, I knew we were nearly at the end of our courses so I was a bit disappointed at the size of this portion. Even after finishing it, I was still quite hungry. Taste-wise, I also found it a bit plain.
Luckily, our meal ended on a high with dessert. Usually I’m not the biggest fan of set menus that give ice cream as the dessert, but the hay ice cream with strawberries, basil and puffed rice was fantastic. I thought it tasted a bit like cereal milk, and enjoyed it against the tangy strawberry basil combination. We were also served some hot, brown butter financiers with blueberry jam which might have been the best baked goods I’ve eaten in quite some time. They reminded me of the butter pound cakes my mom made me as a child. Thank you Beet, for giving me that hit of nostalgia. <3
Verdict
I thought our meal at Beet was a bit hit and miss. While I appreciated the innovativeness and the beautiful presentation, I’m unlikely to go back to a restaurant if I leave still feeling hungry; especially if we opted for a curated set menu. While the set menu isn’t super expensive, neither is it cheap.
In a way, it reminded me of a more casual version of meals I had at Tate and Odette (the latter in Singapore). Both of these restaurants are Michelin starred, so I suppose I’d say Beet is serving up Michelin-style food at affordable prices. But I’d rather splurge and get the whole experience (perfect service and presentation, and a full stomach) than get a taste of the experience without the satisfaction.
6 Kau U Fong, Central, 2824 3898
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