Ingredient focused menu adroitly embraces farm-to-table cooking & fresh seafood
January 6th, 2014
Recently opened in Hong Kong, Fish & Meat adopts an honest, straightforward approach to dining with its ingredient focused menu and farm-to-table style of cooking. Occupying a first floor space overlooking the iconic Foreign Correspondents Club building on the fringe of the Central business district, Fish & Meat offers a relaxed and informal dining environment in a conveniently accessible location. Taking its identity from a cuisine that is anchored on fresh seafood, home-made pasta and fresh seasonal produce, Fish & Meat artfully combines guileless cooking with a contemporary decor- attributed to a Scandinavian farmhouse aesthetic- a utilitarian combination of white washed walls, concrete flooring and rustic, reclaimed timber dining tables. Since its November 2103 opening, Fish & Meat has generated a buzz among an enthusiastic clientele with its refreshing combination of adept cooking and relaxed, sociable atmosphere.
Fish & Meat boasts an impressive pedigree as the most recent creation from local hospitality and restaurant group Maximal Concepts– the team behind acclaimed restaurants Blue Butcher and Brickhouse. Very much encapsulating current dining trends with its emphasis on sharing, informality and casualness, the menu created by Culinary Director Malcolm Wood and Head Chef Russell Doctrove features a collection of Small Plates and Large Plates that showcase the carefully sourced fresh produce in dishes that are prepared simply but cooked with exemplary technique. With an impressive resume of cooking at prestigious restaurants in both Hong Kong (Grand Hyatt and Mandarin Oriental) and London ( Restaurant Gordon Ramsay- the three Michelin star flagship of the renowned celebrity chef; and another three Michelin star dining institution- The Waterside Inn at Bray), Doctrove is solidly grounded in both classic and contemporary cooking techniques.
Focusing on premium quality fresh produce, the Fish & Meat menu features first-rate seafood such as Alaskan Cod, French Turbot, and Italian Sea Bass; and meats such as French free-range chicken, Dutch veal, Spanish pork belly, and Australian Kobe prime beef rib. Some standout dishes among a broad selection of Small Plates include the Pan-fried baby Spanish octopus white bean puree, garlic, parsley, chilli, Sicilian lemon; and Roasted New Zealand langoustineswith charred Sicilian lemon aioli, and wild oregano. And the Large Plates feature dishes such as Peter’s Farm Dutch veal chop ‘Milanese’ with parsley panko, vine tomatoes, chopped arugula (for 2 persons); and Whole roasted Italian sea bass with fennel, and romesco sauce (for 2 persons).
Carefully curated to pair with the cuisine, the wine list comprises a broad range of exclusively Italian wines. White, red and sparkling wines are sourced mostly from boutique and family wineries- offering good value at approachable prices. And a concise list of enticing cocktails- including classics with innovative twists- have been created from premium ingredients to complement the flavoursome cuisine. Highlights include the Charred Fennel Old Fashioned– Rittenhouse rye whiskey, Camus cognac, charred fennel & orange; and the Garden Salad– Organic Hana gin, basil, asparagus, arugula syrup, and celery bitters. The bar additionally serves an impressive selection of craft beers.
Fish & Meat is open Monday to Saturday from 6 pm for dinner only ( lunch and weekend brunches will be introduced in early 2014). The restaurant seats around 85 diners in the main dining space, with two adjoining private rooms each accommodating 8 diners. Reservations are recommended most evenings.
Inside Fish & Meat
The decor at Fish & Meat features a Scandinavian inspired aesthetic with its pared back, minimalist approach. A spacious layout of rustic timber tables, matched with contemporary black timber chairs, standing on the polished concrete floor, evoke a farmhouse feel.
A long, solid timber communal bench extends from the bar into the main dining area.
With full height glass sliding doors facing out onto an open terrace, the interior is suffused with natural light. Tables are crafted from reclaimed timbers salvaged from old woolsheds.
A pair of intimate private dining rooms stand at one corner of the main dining space.
The open kitchen at Fish & Meat extends along one side of the front section of the restaurant.
The culinary team can be observed close up from the timber dining counter facing into the kitchen. (Head Chef Russell Doctrove in the background)
Selections from the bar & kitchen
Bottled Negroni- Gordon gin, Campari, Antica Formula.
Pepperoncini- Ice Fox vodka, Lillet blanc, jalapeño, cucumber.
Farm house jam- Ice Fox vodka, homemade blueberry thyme jam, prosecco.
O’Connor Farm grass-fed beef carpaccio- pickled jalapeño, duck yolk, parmesan.
Marinated Raw Ahi Tuna- with compressed watermelon, soy, basil vinaigrette.
French monkfish- cauliflower, caper berries, lemon thyme, charred daily greens.
Mount Gay rum baba- orange marmalade, chantilly cream.
Fish & Meat- seafood restaurant – Hong Kong
Address: 2/F, 32 Wyndham Street (entrance from Glenealy Street), Central. Hong Kong
MTR: Central station – Exit D- 5 minutes walk
Reservations: +852. 2565 6788
Website: http://fishandmeat.hk
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/FishandMeatHK
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday – 6:00 pm ~ 11:30 pm
See also review article on related restaurants- Blue Butcher and Brickhouse
