SOMM — Restaurant in Hong Kong Island

We went to Somm for our anniversary. Our decision to try Somm was from all of the positive reviews we read from Google and TripAdvisor. I read all about the personalized service and attention one would get at Somm. We were excited to try a restaurant with such good reviews from the public. Well, we found that to be somewhat misleading. For example, why bother asking about allergies or celebrating any special occasion if the servers have no clue? Where's the "personalized service"? The server was robotic, and his wine recommendations were mediocre at best.

It seems every table had ordered the same dishes. Like our neighbors to the left and the right, we had the French sea urchin toast and Bouchot mussels to start, followed by the Japanese-style pork belly with Hakata cabbage and the sake steamed saba mackerel as the main. The Uni toast was tasty, and the mussels were petite. Unfortunately, many of the mussel shells were unopened and not safe to eat. The pork belly with barbecue sauce was just ordinary, nothing close to the "to die for" compliments from the reviews. The steamed mackerel was a disappointing dish; it was slightly fishier than it should be and was way below expectation.

We expected a fine dining experience when we were being reminded that there's a dress code when we made the reservation, and the online reviews, somewhat misleading, guided our expectations. I understand new trendy restaurants being on the cutting edge of design, but I draw the line when napkins and utensils are stored in a hidden drawer under the table. I would expect that at a Korean BBQ or a Cha Chaan Teng! The kind of prices Somm charges, I'd expect nothing less than Michelin style quality and service, but instead, we experience a "fine" tribute to the Hong Kong-style cafés. Hate having the feelings of regret leaving actually especially it's our...

Taking the Dining City Master Chef Edition lunch deal, my friend and I tried out SOMM on a Saturday afternoon.

We got two bar table seats, which was quite nice. The only complain was hearing all the swearing of the manager when he was talking to a staff about daily logistics. Such a shame.

The 3-course lunch set, which costs HKD$788, comes with two alcoholic drinks. The restaurant is also offering a similar 3-course lunch set with 90-minute free flow for HKD$788, if you feel like drinking more, you can opt for that one. Unlimited sparking water was provided with the lunch set.

The bread and butter were ordinary. Warm and fluffy bread is always a good thing to start a fancy meal with.

For starter, I chose this Grass Fed Polmard Heritage Beef Tartare with Shishito Pepper, Shiso & Sourdough Shavings. The portion of beef tartare was much more than expected, and it was very delicious. What’s special about this beef tartare was the sourdough shavings, they were so crunchy and yummy to eat with the beef tartare, making the tartare less stuffing to finish. A surprisingly filling starter.

Main was this Japanese Pork Belly with BBQ Sauce and Hakata Cabbage. The Hakata cabbage definitely stole the fame. It was so nicely grilled and seasoned that it’s very juicy to eat! Super enjoyable, and perfect to balance off any greasiness from the pork belly. The pork belly itself was fair, the fatty part almost felt like melting on my tongue, and the tender pork meat was tasty.

I picked Apricot & Lemon Verbena Mille-Feuille for dessert. The mille-feuille was a bit disappointing as it was too flakey and loosely held, so it fell apart when I put a fork onto it. The citrus was a bit too sour for my like.

I expected something more and better than this, so I was slightly disappointed...

• 𝕊𝕆𝕄𝕄 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝔹𝕣𝕦𝕟𝕔𝕙 𝕚𝕤 𝔸𝕝𝕝 𝕐𝕠𝕦 ℕ𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝔻𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕎𝕖𝕖𝕜𝕖𝕟𝕕 •

Probably the most fulfilling and satisfying lunch/ dunch experience? 😗😗

𝘽𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨: // Champagne - NV Bruno et Christiane Oliver, Blanc de Noirs, France 🇫🇷 ➡️ By nosing can feel the pleasant toastiness, nutty, hazelnut and then balanced with the freshness of green apple, lime, pear on palate. (Same as Amber’s Unlimited Experience)

// White - Château La Rose Bellevue, Blaye - Côtes de Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷 ➡️ Surprisingly expressive nosing with ripe tropical fruits, melon, apricot and passion fruit. Floral notes reveals after swirling with honeysuckle, mango flavors (likely to be contributed by 15% Muscadelle).  Balanced acidity, goes well with starters.

// Red - Les Allées de Cantemerle, Haut-Médoc, France 2011 🇫🇷 ➡️ Second wine of Château Cantemerle, the nose shows aromas of cherry 🍒 , blackcurrant, vanilla and sightly smokey with cigar notes. Medium-bodied with delicate tannins, definitely a pleasant option for brunch.

// Sake - 谷川岳 源水吟釀 ➡️ 利用日本名山谷川岳天然的水源釀酒，帶有清新的白桃和梨的香氣。入口清爽，帶點辛口但質感滑溜，收結帶有原料(米飯)香氣。

𝙁𝙤𝙤𝙙: Starters: Signature Croissant, “Spéciale De Claire” Oyster, King Crab Salad Iceberg Shells, Beef Tartare & Avocado Chips, etc. (All served for sharing)

Add-On: Aka Uni ‘French Toast’ 🥰

Main Course: Dry Aged Challans Duck Breast, Butternut Squash, Pumpkin Seed Praline & Duck Jus 🦆

Desserts: Abinao Chocolate Soufflé with Cacao Sorbet 🍫

💌 Cozy and warm vibes with plenty of quality food & drinks options - the perfect place to be with friends to chill out during weekends 😍😍😍

💰: From HK $718/ 818/ 1,118 (All inclusive with 90 mins free flow) *❗️Register as MO member and get a free upgrade to Special Brunch (save $100) 😉

🎖: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

👉🏻 ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇsᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴏғ sɪᴍɪʟᴀʀ ғʀᴇᴇғʟᴏᴡ ᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴇɴᴄᴇ...