Mandarin Grill

Went to Mandarin Grill for the first time last night since its refurbishment. I like the new look a lot more now, a lot less stuffy with the open kitchen and beige chairs. It must be strange for my grandfather though, to go through one institutional update after another. When I first came to Hong Kong (...dare I say it?) 13 years ago, I never shopped at Lane Crawford; it was my grandfather's store. He would walk into the Queen's Road Central store and the sales ladies would know him. Ever since the Lane Crawford IFC opened though, that's changed. Grandpa stopped shopping at Lane Crawford and I started. For Lane Crawford though, that may or may not be an entirely good thing. An insider commented that a lot of the loyal (i.e. those who spend often and spend the most) customers were turned away by Lane Crawford's image change to appeal to the younger shopper (i.e. myself). Compared to my grandfather, I would definitely be considered a lower value customer. But then again, if they managed to keep me interested, my future shopping flow probably exceeds Grandpa. Such is reality I suppose. Same with Mandarin Grill. My grandfather used to have regular luncheons there. But then, those in the luncheon group slowly faded. My grandfather tells me that one of the regulars is still a regular even though he has to use a walker and is accompanied by a helper. And when we left the restaurant, the staff encouraged Grandpa to come back with his friend. I wonder if he will, it must feel like a totally different restaurant to him now. But I hope he does. As for me, I liked the new look and feel. The food tried hard to stay true to its traditional grillroom roots while offering more contemporary accents. Afterall, curry ice cream (which, incidentally, was delicious in an interesting way) isn't what you'd expect for an accompaniment to a crème brûlé (in this case, mango flavoured). I had turbot in a saffron broth and beetroot with butter and almonds for a side. Both were of a standard one would expect. I had to taste my aunt's lobster risotto with white truffle, which was very tasty indeed! But with that combination of ingredients, it would be hard not to please.

While I have no complaints about Mandarin Grill's food, service or ambiance, it's still not really my kind of restaurant. While no longer stuffy, it's still feels like a business lunch and dinner kind of place. For thrills, I would think that Pierre fits the bill more (although I have yet to go). For comfort food, I much prefer Chinnery or the Hainan Chicken rice in the coffee shop.