It is now hectic on the 7th floor at the Mandarin Oriental The Landmark, Hong Kong. Hectic here is good.
Long enshrined in its ‘7 on 7’ social media campaign – alluding to the seven MICHELIN Stars split among the restaurants located on the hotel’s 7th floor, being Amber and Sushi Shikon with three stars and Rin with one star – the younger Mandarin Oriental sibling holds its weight with its classy offerings.
If a four-figure sum for fine-dining is not to your tune, neighbouring SOMM offers an à-la-carte experience with its slightly more affordable taste of chef Richard Ekkebus’ craft. Next door, the new Blanc de Noirs, the hotel’s first ever champagne bar, overseen by the veteran chef and stacked with the champagne worlds’ most grand labels, may tempt your hunger (and wallet).
Any new food and drinks addition to a hotel in downtown Central has, typically, received the star treatment. Hong Kong diners are hungry for newness. That includes the tycoon we sat next to at the bar of Blanc de Noirs, both enjoying champagne and salty bar bites.
Blanc de Noirs is louder than its siblings next door; the numbers paint the picture: 25 champagnes to choose by-the-glass, more than 500 in-house labels to pick at, plus access to Amber’s 3,000 wine labels shared next door. For us, we began with a picking of their short but sweet cocktail menu.
Our famished fingers readied for our first bite of the night, Wagyu cecina (HKD128, 50g) sliced thin from a 12 months cured Cecina de Leon from Spain.
If your champagne flute is too sweet, these buttery, beefy slices, paired with pickles to cut the fat, bring you salt to balance the palate. This is the right flavour to tell your brain ‘I want more of this’. These Spanish beef producers must know a thing or two about serotonin and saliva production.
If the espellete tater tots (HKD88) are a thematic symbol for the bar’s food menu theme, Blanc de Noir cuts the fat off greasy bar grub and lets the ingredients shine brighter.
These tater tots are decorated with Espelette pepper mayo, sweet cherry peppers, grated Manchego, and Italian parsley. The tots are made snappy with this collection of salty, smokey, and sweet ingredients. The peppers bring a sunny European brightness to each bite, complemented by the sharp cheese.
In a potential feud set up with the yellow arches, Blanc de Noir has entered the stage with a dolled-up fillet o fish (HKD248), made the Mandarin O’ style. With a heavy dollop of ravigote mayo, a whipped acidic sauce, toothfish, and butter lettuce, the burger is a meaty, ravenous bite.
The fish is firm and imparts a chicken-like texture, powered with the butter-strong sauce and an optional insertion of caviar for extra salty oomph. I supposed chef Richard Ekkebus enjoys the odd lustful fast food meal. Like every Michelin man, this requires an addition of caviar.
An indulgent meal of snacking came to an indulgent end with the la crème nuage (HKD98), a Hokkaido milk soft serve topped with extra virgin olive oil and Maldon sea salt. The combination works well and caps off a night of bold flavours on the table.
Our verdict of Blanc de Noirs
Blanc de Noirs will remain hectic and fun for the next few months. Go when it’s lively. Champagne and its luxurious food pairings are best enjoyed jovially. Most of the snacks are affordably kept under HKD100, whilst bougier options available from their charcuterie, caviar, and sandwich/burger sections for a more heartier meal.
Blanc de Noirs, 7/F, Mandarin Oriental The Landmark, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central, 2132 0077, book here
| Order this: espellete tater tots, fillet o fish, la crème nuage Menu: à-la-carte menu Price for two: HKD600 – HKD750 | Atmosphere: buzzy and chatty, not a quiet bar pitstop Perfect for: champagne-lovers and Mandarin Oriental fans |
This review is intended to offer an individual perspective on the dining experience and should not be considered as a definitive judgement of the restaurant’s overall quality or reputation. The views expressed in this review are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions of Foodie.
