Fish and Meat

Fish and Meat is the newest venture of Maximal Concepts (who also created Blue Butcher and Brickhouse) and has been making a splash in the Hong Kong dining scene. I saw so many pictures of the dishes there with the chicken skin truffle linguine being the most popular posting. I was back in Hong Kong for spring break and made sure to include Fish and Meat on my list of to eats for the week long break. The space was previously Sal Curioso where I've been here for drinks a couple of times. The space has been transformed into a rustic atmosphere and is simple and cozy, matching the name and ideology of the restaurant. C accidentally only booked for 2 when she meant to book for 4 but the hostess was very helpful and we were able to secure a new table after some drinks.

The food was quite good, yet not amazing enough for me to be yearning for an immediate return. This may also be because I live in New York at the moment therefore I am able to find numerous restaurants here that serve similar types of dishes at higher standards. I think that it is a welcome addition to Hong Kong and has a promising future, but not a must visit if you were visiting.

Marinated raw Ahi tuna / compressed watermelon / soy / basil vinaigrette / quail egg
The tuna was fresh and had a delicate sweet flavor. I really enjoyed the addition of the watermelon which added a burst of fresh sweetness to the dish. I love pesto so the addition of the basil vinaigrette was also a nice pop of flavor and went well with all the other flavors going on in the dish. A nice start to the meal that really excited our palates. 

Pan-fried baby Spanish octopus / white bean puree / garlic / parsley / chilli / Sicilian lemon
This dish was full of flavor but I felt that the octopus was a little bit too charred. A charred flavor is nice but as you can see some of the tentacles are a little too burnt and the octopus became too chewy. I actually prefer when a large octopus is grilled and the thick tentacle is cut into little pieces. The exterior will be deliciously charred while the interior is succulent and juicy. 

Sea urchin bruschetta / lardo di colonnata / rosemary
Marea in New York is famous for this dish and it is absolutely mind-blowing (new post on that soon!). I was curious about Fish and Meat's version and was sorely disappointed. The uni was not of high quality and had a fishy taste to it. The slab of lardo was actually a bit disgusting as it was much too thick. The thin slide of bread on the bottom was also quite stale. 

Soft duck egg raviolo / ricotta cream / burnt sage butter / pecorino (made fresh / limited daily)
Yummmmmmm this dish was amazing! If I were to return to Fish and Meat for one dish, this would definitely be it! The egg was cooked perfectly and the rich yolk oozed out when we cut into the ravioli. The ravioli skin was also nicely textured and the ricotta cream was a perfect complement to the duck egg. The thing that really made the dish pop however, was the burnt sage butter. It added such a decadent depth to the dish and really made it extra special. A must order! 

Fresh tagliatelle / chicken truffle emulsion / crispy skin (made fresh / limited daily)
Our server told us that they ran out of chicken skin (the horror!) but we decided we would try it anyways. It was good but exactly how you would expect it to be. Linguine in a creamy truffle sauce. Yummy but not exceptional. 

Kobe 32oz prime beef rib / béarnaise / salsa verde (for 2 persons)
I am always happy when a massive piece of steak is in front of me. This steak was very good, great beef flavor, juicy, and well cooked. I think they could cut the pieces smaller though as each piece was  the size of my arm. 

Roasted French turbot / carrot puree / brown shrimp / smoked prawn butter
C and I loved this dish but T and C#2 thought this tasted like the fish filet burger at Mcdonalds. I thought that the fish was cooked beautifully and the other ingredients all went together perfectly. The fresh flavor of the fish was brought out successfully and was enhanced by the other ingredients. 

Fish and Meat was a enjoyable evening and I would not be opposed to returning again when I am back in Hong Kong for a longer period of time. Service was friendly and the atmosphere is comfortable. It is also close to Central which is perfect for a dinner before a night out. 

Fish and Meat 

2/F

32 Wyndham Street

Central

Hong Kong