As if Harbour City couldn’t get any larger, they’ve recently opened the new OTE complex. Paper Moon, HEXA and Gordon Ramsay’s maze Grill are all there, as is the Hong Kong outpost of the Parisian restaurant Artisan de la Truffe. The name says it all – this is your place for all things truffle.
The restaurant looks fairly unassuming on the outside, but it’s very sleek on the inside. We visited on a weekday evening, and it was full despite having only been open for a few weeks. A nice atmosphere (with a view!) with reasonable pricing is always a popular thing in Hong Kong.
We started with the planche de l’artisan ($258), a lovely meat and cheese sharing platter with taramasalata. The Gouda, Tête de Moine and Brie were all very fresh and truffle infused. This is quite a hearty portion, and I thought it was well worth the price considering that the amazing bread basket is complementary and perfect for eating with the cheese.
The salade de homard ($188) came next. Who knew sweet lobster flesh would go so well with a bit of truffle oil? I’d opt for this over the tartare de boeuf ($168), which was a bit bland.
Or beef lovers may want to try the steak de boeuf Wagyu ($308), which was full of flavour and cooked (or barely cooked) to perfection. The beef was excellent quality and delicious with the accompanying black garlic, buttery mash and fresh truffle shavings.
The magret de canard ($268) was served quite rare and was a more complex-tasting dish with the addition of Grand Marnier to the sauce.
While the ravioli ($188) was small in size, almost like a starter portion, the seafood filling and sautéed peppers were well seasoned and provided a nice mix of creamy and tangy.
The tagliatelle ($178) was the pièce de résistance of the meal. There’s something so indulgent about eating an entire bowl of creamy, chewy pasta. This was very addictive, and the restaurant was generous with the shaved truffle.
For dessert, the pavlova ($88) and crème brûlée ($88) were both good – simple and classic – but I particularly liked the vanilla ice cream with truffle that accompanied both: a little sweet and savoury bite to end the meal.
Verdict
A restaurant where truffle is the name of the game might sound OTT, but I think Artisan de la Truffe has done it in a tasteful way. The truffles merely complement food that is already high quality and delicious on its own. Go and enjoy some hearty French cooking for lunch or dinner. And for those wondering what will happen to the restaurant when it’s not truffle season in France or Italy, fret not. Artisan de la Truffe will source truffles from various places around the world since, they assured us, it’s always truffle season somewhere.
Shop OTE303, 3/F, Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, 3–27 Canton Road, TST, 2885 2030
This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.
For more reviews like this, like Foodie on Facebook
