Skip to main content

Caprice at the Four Seasons Hotel, Hong Kong

Went to Caprice just after Christmas 2005.
Hkg_021_320x400_weblarge_1





It's the "posh" restaurant at the new Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong. The decor is very glitzy - with chandeliers and thick carpet. The centrepiece of the restaurant is its open plan kitchen - kind of an interpretation of the gastropubs that you would find dotted around London. Trying too hard I thought.



How was the menu? OK - classic French restaurant menu though nothing was written in French ... shame as that's one of the little things that reminds you "This is a French restaurant". Or was it a French restaurant?



And the food? Everything was cooked well, but not exciting enough to warrant a postcard home. My mum and sister ordered the Bresse chicken dish for two. It's carved at the table and served as two courses. It looked good but I was told the dish tasted of chicken.



And the service? Yes, interesting. The four of us arrived and I had to attract the attention of one of the garcons to get served a drink (surely not, that's the Four Seasons hotel!). While my dad and I ordered the Billecart-Salmon Rose, the maitre d' brought something different to the table ... needless to say, I'd politely suggested "Were you not going to serve us the Billecart-Salmon?" Many apologies later, a fresh bottle was opened for us.



And if you are going to serve us salted and unsalted butter, then you'd better tell us - that's what the waiters would do at Le Cinq at George V in Paris, so why not in Hong Kong?



I think there's much polishing that Caprice would need to do.



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Westin, Shanghai (上海)

It's only 5 minute's from The Bund (外灘) and a relatively new hotel, The Westin Shanghai ought to be a fantastic place for both business and pleasure. Quite a few tourist guides have also rated this highly. It took me about two days to work out why I never warmed to it. The reason? The sense of proportion is erratic across the entire hotel - some corridors are too narrow, beds too close to the wall (even though I was in a mini-suite), some staircases have irregular steps, etc. The list goes on. What was enjoyable? The location. One could  stroll down to The Bund for dinner, drinks or the view. The staff are nice too - always trying to help. What was not enjoyable? Where shall we begin - the fake palm trees, the tightly spaced cafe, the finishing touches, etc.

Król Roger, Royal Opera

The Polish barihunk Mariusz Kwiecień sang the title role on the first performance of Król Roger at the Royal Opera. Kwiecień's portrayal of Król Roger was subtle and involved (might have helped with him having a head cold as Kasper Holten came and told us after the interval). Pappano did full justice to Szymanowski's lush score.

Square One, Park Hyatt Saigon

OK - if you want to go somewhere sleek in Saigon - Square One will pretty much fit the bill. Rather than just one open kitchen (a la Caprice at the Four Seasons in Hong Kong), there are SEVEN! Each focusing on a particular cooking technique (grilling, baking, steaming, etc.). The decor is comfortable (armrests of armchairs too high) and the Vietnamese food is actually good and well presented. What was enjoyable? Pho Beef Soup with rice vermicelli - nice clear stock, flavourful. What was not enjoyable? Trying too hard perhaps? Everything is just a bit out of place - you could be any where - New York, London, Hong Kong ...