Eat Drink Hong Kong

I decided to celebrate Bastille day, the other week, by storming Le Tire Bouchon on Graham Street. For those of you that don’t already know, the venerable old restaurant has been serving traditional French cuisine for twenty years. There can’t be many restaurants that have been around that long so I decided it was time to find out why.

The restaurant is quite spacious and decorated in a traditional style. A large double bass on a stage hinted of live jazz but, sadly, not while I was there. There is a large bar area and two private rooms. The smaller one is good for groups of up to 15, the larger one can seat up to 40.

There were a few customers when I arrived but it was still quite early. The waitress took me to my table and promptly produced the menu and a very impressive wine list. Of course, when I’m alone I order by the glass. Even so, it still offered attractive choices. I ordered a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and studied the menu.

I could quite happily have ordered everything and at one point I actually did toy with the idea of ordering two starters but good sense prevailed. The Brittany Fish Soup ($85) and the Toasted Goat Cheese served with Semi-Dried Tomatoes ($90), I decided, would have to wait until next time. Today I was going to have the Seared Scallops in a Cognac & Black Peppercorn Cream Sauce ($110).

It was an excellent choice, the scallops were plump and juicy, the sauce, rich and creamy. I tried to pace myself, to make them last as long as I could, but they were so delicious it was an effort not to gobble them down in seconds. Even so it was not long before I was looking at an empty plate yearning for more.

The waitress was along promptly to tidy me up and bring new cutlery. The main course was not long in coming.

For this I had decided on the Veal Stewed in a Mushroom and Carrot Cream Sauce ($170). It was another excellent choice. By this time, having already coveted the dishes that other guests were enjoying, I had decided there probably wasn’t a weak choice on the menu. The veal stew was served with rice garnished with asparagus.

It was quite delicious and, as with the scallops, I made short work of it before throwing all sense of decorum to the wind and mopping up the sauce with the last of the bread rolls.

I took a polite break, leaned back in my chair and rested for a while. There was music playing, a female singer - it could have been Edith Piaf, it could have been Ella Fitzgerald but it was too soft to even recognise. But it didn’t matter, it just drifted in between the gentle murmur of voices. It all was very restful.

I finished my wine and turned my attention to the dessert menu. There were the familiar items such as cheesecakes but, while I’m sure they would all be very good, I tend to look for things that are a little different. This time I found Pear Mousse with Walnut Nougat ($65). That, followed by coffee was a delightful way to round off a wonderful meal.