Eat & Drink

Hot Tables

The Continental

We were ready for a quality western dining experience: excellent food, relaxed and aesthetically appealing setting, and attentive

service. The Continental – located on the podium floor of the upmarket Pacific Place complex – came quickly to mind, as it has been a few years since our last visit there.

The Continental is spacious. It includes a generous main area with towering windows all around, where you'll find the main dining room and an open bar, together with an expansive garden terrace tucked between the skyscrapers – both are perfect for drinks and gatherings. The modern décor is framed by a high, stylistically textured ceiling, offering an airy and bright ambience, complemented by the rich and warm hues of its interiors.

The Continental serves sophisticated contemporary European food using quality ingredients from Europe and other regions. Its large bar offers a wide selection of classic and signature cocktails as well as an extensive wine list. The restaurant is open for lunch, dinner, evening drinks, afternoon tea and weekend brunch, and is a great venue for events and banquets.

For our tasting dinner, we sampled an array of the hotel's signature dishes and cocktails, plus several wines. For cocktails, we chose from the Bartender's Choice ($ 90 each), curated to offer the five taste flavours of spice, bitter, sour, sweet and umami. Our picks were: Rum & Jerry, a refreshing citrus drink; Wild Rose, a sweet and tasty gin concoction; and Umami Apple, a vodka drink that derives its umami flavour from the mushroom- infused Ketal One vodka.

Our food got off to a great start – Magnifica No.2 Raw Oysters ($ 320/6 pieces) from the Brittany coast are delicious and flavourful. Next was Foie Gras & Chicken Liver Parfait ($ 185) with a cucumber, pickled cauliflower and turmeric reduction . The combination of goose and chicken liver makes for firmer texture and an interesting taste.

Seared Hokkaido Scallops ($ 165) featuring chestnut puree and orange and cardamom butter sauce was our last appetiser. The large, succulent scallops from Hokkaido never disappoint. For wines, we chose a 2017 De Martino Viejas Tinajas Muscat, ($ 110 / glass or $ 550 per bottle), an aromatic, flowery white wine from Chile ’s Itata Valley wine region.

We shared three mains. First was Lobster & Red Prawn Spaghetti ($ 325): red pepper, bisque, rocket and chili. We've become quite partial to red prawn lately and it and the lobster meat together are a real delight. Whole Grilled Sea Bream ($ 335), with asparagus, tomato & ginger sauce is also tasty – we liked the texture of the meat, which was grilled just enough. The final main was 13oz Black Angus Rib-Eye ($ 395), an always-reliable steak cut with its stronger flavour and texture, and served with house salad, truffle pomme puree or French fries, and bearnaise, peppercorn or jus. The red wine served with the main was a pleasantly fruity, medium-bodied 2017 La Pieve Sangiovese Chianti from Tuscany ( $ 95 / glass, 450 / bottle).

For desserts, we had a trio of Chocolate Soufflé raspberry ice cream ($ 120), The Continental Fruit Crumble ($ 95) with Vanilla Ice-Cream and Earl Grey Crème Brulee ($ 80), which wrapped up the meal perfectly – we were sated and our palate happily stimulated.

The Continental is a superb choice when you ’re looking for excellent food, a relaxed ambience and friendly service. Do give it a try. ■

Unit 406, Level 4, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty,Hong Kong

2704 5211