One-ThirtyOne — Restaurant in Tai Po District

Who would have thought there is a French restaurant hidden in the most remote of the city? It’s a hassle to get there but boy was it worthwhile to do so. The restaurant sits on a quiet quarter that overlook the coastline of north sai kung, with simple yet elegant decorations.

The waitstaff is very polite and introduce the dishes to us one by one. The presentation of dishes are also very well thought and pleasant.

The first dish is the best one, with foamy egg whites mixed with triple sauces and crunchy breadstick, giving us multiple textures and flavours that compliments each other in a spectacular way.

The next one is the caviar and leek pudding, which is simple yet presents the flavour of the ingredients very well. And not to mention it is just very nice to look at.

The fanciest of the dishes comes at third course with the purée cucumber cold soup. I was honestly having reservation about this dish when I first saw it, since cucumber soup was not something I really think was gonna be good. But at the end it was very refreshing and pleasantly surprising.

The chicken pie was also something I didn’t think i would be enjoying so much, for the fact that it was so simple and basic, but the stuffed crust that was baked to the perfect flake, with the very juicy chicken and a strong sauce that adds a lot of weight to the dish, this pie was no regular chicken pie. It was the best chicken pie, if not any pie, we have ever had, hands down.

The dessert is a simple panna cotta with caramel ice cream to give a cleanser to the palate and something to sooth my sweet tooth.

But dont go yet, they still got homemade macaron and Madeline, that even as full as we are, still manage to munch them all...

Maybe its secluded location or its inability to entertain spontaneous visit has whipped up my expectations too much: I can't say I was overly impressed by this restaurant. It positions itself as a boutique fine dine restaurant. and this is well reflected in its price: for a simple four course lunch that wasn't specially filling, you are paying hkd 700+. For that same price you could have had better food plus alcohol in a more accessible location where you don't have to drive 1 hour away from civilization. Sure, the food ain't too bad: scallop is well seared, gazpacho is refreshing, and the desert is seasonal. The main course is a major disappointment: stewed ox tail that's bland and generic. Something you can find anywhere and even cook at home. Service is attentive and courteous. Slight crowded and small dining area that can be very noisy when fully seated. Overall, it might be fun to try just for novelty, but certainly not going back for...

Generally rating the restaurant, the vibe is wonderful, the service is good (when available), and the food is ok. We came on mother's day, and it was fully booked. The kitchen could not handle this, and it took over 90 minutes to recieve the main dish. With a booking we sat down at 130pm, we were served mains at 310pm (with chasing the kitchen). I recommend to come for a coffee or tea, and enjoy meals only on non festive days, likely the kitchen pacing would be quicker, and not have such long waiting times. Also we were served tenderloin steak, when the menu said sirloin steak. The lawn overlooking the lagoon is a nice place to hangout...