I am very fond of Happy Valley because of its semi-isolated location in the middle of a busy district. The people are more friendlier in my opinion and ever the dogs there seemed to be more approachable. All these feelings came from my short stay in Happy Valley a few years ago. I miss the area very much and someday I might just move back there. There were many happy moments during my short stay but memories are best to be remembered and treasured. I remembered how I often walked to and from Causeway Bay as part of my much needed exercises and passed by Amigo. Every single time I would slow down my steps while passing its door and look up at its famous logo plus exterior and imagine myself standing half-way around the world somewhere in the France or the Mediterranean. Anyhow, enough of day-dreaming for now. I have been to Amigo for lunch and dinner before but the last last was several years ago already. It was a great idea to come here for a Sunday lunch after such a long time.
Since its establishment in the late 1960s, Amigo has been considered one of the top restaurants in Hong Kong both for its food and extravagant furnishings. Many things have changed I think, even during my last few visits. The usual formal dress code seemed to be "modified" to "smart casual" in order to accommodate a greater range of customers and open-up its exclusivity image developed over the years. The interior is very ... sumptuous ... with plenty of wood furnishings. It gives people a warm but slightly intimidating atmosphere due to the formally dressed wait staff welcoming you from your first step into the door. Somehow the environment made me imagined myself to be in a Medieval castle in France, waking up in the early afternoon and being served lunch, Baron style !
There were different set lunches being offered and It did not take me long to pick the items form the options. My dining companions also opted for the set lunches for convenience sake. To start off with, we were served with a choices of bread. I preferred the French bread over the toast and it was hot with a crisp plus firm crust. I really liked the floral butter not just for its presentation but for its quality, very buttery!!
(1) Deep Fried King Prawn Toast
Very well done indeed! It was not greasy at all and was able to trap the freshness of the prawn inside and remained relatively juicy (instead of all dried up). This dish remained me of the prawn toast being offered at HKU Alumni Restaurant and Fung Shing but then they cannot be compared in this way. I enjoyed the dish very much.
(2) Consomme of Milanese
Not really too surprised about this consomme, it was alright but what surprised me somewhat was the ingredients used. If you look closer at the second picture, you can see some Alphabetic pasta! It was an interesting use of ingredient at such an establishment.
(3) Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Black Pepper Sauce
I did not order this but did try a few pieces and they were nice. It was grilled to medium rare as instructed. The sauce was just right in terms of flavors + spiciness but it was a bit too liquid and honestly I would be happy to do without it, just the steak itself would be lovely.
(4) Baked Pork Loin with Tomato Coulis and Cheese
This dish reminded me of variation of cordon bleu. The pork was thinly sliced with cheese on top and it was not dry at all, it was tender and juicy. Along with the sweet and sour tomato puree / coulis, it was very well matched.
(5) Grand Marnier Souffle
For dessert, we all change to Grand Marnier Souffle which was not on the set lunch menu. I had to take the picture very quickly because with the whipped cream on top, the souffle was starting to collapse in by the tiny weight on top. It was moist and soft inside and melt in your mouth. Well done! You can add extra Grand Marnier sauce on the side but I recommend just a little bit would do because you also want to taste the souffle itself, too much sauce would mask the other flavors.
(6) Ice Creamed filled Chocolate Crisp
I wasn't sure how to name this item but it has always been one of my favorite. It was filled with ice cream and wrapped around by a thin layer of crisp chocolate. On my last visit, it was mint chocolate ice cream filling and this time it tasted like coffee flavored ice cream. On every bite, you can experience the crisp texture of the thin chocolate layer and then immediate with the soft and chilled ice cream from the inside. Make sure you eat the whole thing at once to get the most out of it. I still prefer the Mint Chocolate version myself. One minor note to mention was the way it was served. It was a very nice touch indeed to place the ice cream filled chocolate crisp on top of an iced plate (and there were some ice beneath the plate as well to keep the item chilled ).
Since its establishment in the late 1960s, Amigo has been considered one of the top restaurants in Hong Kong both for its food and extravagant furnishings. Many things have changed I think, even during my last few visits. The usual formal dress code seemed to be "modified" to "smart casual" in order to accommodate a greater range of customers and open-up its exclusivity image developed over the years. The interior is very ... sumptuous ... with plenty of wood furnishings. It gives people a warm but slightly intimidating atmosphere due to the formally dressed wait staff welcoming you from your first step into the door. Somehow the environment made me imagined myself to be in a Medieval castle in France, waking up in the early afternoon and being served lunch, Baron style !
There were different set lunches being offered and It did not take me long to pick the items form the options. My dining companions also opted for the set lunches for convenience sake. To start off with, we were served with a choices of bread. I preferred the French bread over the toast and it was hot with a crisp plus firm crust. I really liked the floral butter not just for its presentation but for its quality, very buttery!!
(1) Deep Fried King Prawn Toast
Very well done indeed! It was not greasy at all and was able to trap the freshness of the prawn inside and remained relatively juicy (instead of all dried up). This dish remained me of the prawn toast being offered at HKU Alumni Restaurant and Fung Shing but then they cannot be compared in this way. I enjoyed the dish very much.
(2) Consomme of Milanese
Not really too surprised about this consomme, it was alright but what surprised me somewhat was the ingredients used. If you look closer at the second picture, you can see some Alphabetic pasta! It was an interesting use of ingredient at such an establishment.
(3) Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Black Pepper Sauce
I did not order this but did try a few pieces and they were nice. It was grilled to medium rare as instructed. The sauce was just right in terms of flavors + spiciness but it was a bit too liquid and honestly I would be happy to do without it, just the steak itself would be lovely.
(4) Baked Pork Loin with Tomato Coulis and Cheese
This dish reminded me of variation of cordon bleu. The pork was thinly sliced with cheese on top and it was not dry at all, it was tender and juicy. Along with the sweet and sour tomato puree / coulis, it was very well matched.
(5) Grand Marnier Souffle
For dessert, we all change to Grand Marnier Souffle which was not on the set lunch menu. I had to take the picture very quickly because with the whipped cream on top, the souffle was starting to collapse in by the tiny weight on top. It was moist and soft inside and melt in your mouth. Well done! You can add extra Grand Marnier sauce on the side but I recommend just a little bit would do because you also want to taste the souffle itself, too much sauce would mask the other flavors.
(6) Ice Creamed filled Chocolate Crisp
I wasn't sure how to name this item but it has always been one of my favorite. It was filled with ice cream and wrapped around by a thin layer of crisp chocolate. On my last visit, it was mint chocolate ice cream filling and this time it tasted like coffee flavored ice cream. On every bite, you can experience the crisp texture of the thin chocolate layer and then immediate with the soft and chilled ice cream from the inside. Make sure you eat the whole thing at once to get the most out of it. I still prefer the Mint Chocolate version myself. One minor note to mention was the way it was served. It was a very nice touch indeed to place the ice cream filled chocolate crisp on top of an iced plate (and there were some ice beneath the plate as well to keep the item chilled ).
Likes:
- Decor + Service
- Grand Marnier Souffle & Ice Creamed filled Chocolate Crisp - just so good! (I personally prefer the Mint Chocolate ice cream version much much better)
- Baked Pork Loin with Tomato Coulis and Cheese
- Consomme of Milanese - fair only but the use of Alphabetic pasta really
Amigo
G/F, Amigo Mansion,
79A Wong Nai Chung Road, Happy Valley
Tel: 2577 2202
http://www.amigo.com.hk/
View Larger Map
1 comment:
the Ice Creamed filled Chocolate Crisp looks very very good!
Post a Comment