I can not believe how quickly the holidays went by and we are already mid-week through the work week. I truly hoped everyone had a fabulous Chinese New Year (I know I did!) and even though I was grumbling about how my company forced everyone to take annual leave to extend the new year break, I was very glad they did. And this year Valentines Day was the day after the new year break, so for those that had to work I hope your special someone spoiled you during or afterwards, while for those lucky ones that were still on break hopefully you did something amazing to celebrate 🙂
This was the first time I have celebrated Valentines Day in two years and originally Mr. C did not think he would get time off on the actual day so he decided to make it up to me by celebrating both pre and belated Valentines with me. We were in Macau for our pre-Valentines celebration and he was sweet enough to book The Tasting Room because he remembered me mentioning wanting to try this restaurant when we were at the City of Dreams a few months ago.
The Tasting Room is incorporated inside the Crown Towers up on level 3 and as we step inside the entrance we can appreciate the decorations they had prepared for Chinese New Year with the big peach blossom tree that welcomes us into the restaurant. The main dining room is circular and the layout makes it seem like it is segregated into two parts with the focus in the centre where there is an illusion of it being sectioned off by a series of ropes that are strung on the ceiling and semi-enclose the area. There are tables arranged inside of that area as well as along the outer ring where half the tables are next to the windows offering pleasant night views of Macau.
We were lucky to be seated at one of the window tables, and as we were looking through the menu, one of the chefs came out to greet Mr. C and when this happened I knew that we would be in for a surprise menu-wise as they had already organised our meal for that evening.
Their amuse bouche was made up of three petite items, from bottom clockwise, a spoonful of crab salad topped with a bright beetroot foam, a small round of smoked salmon and dill cream cheese and lastly a cone of crisp bread with a foie gras filling.
Our bread basket was then brought to us with baguettes, red pepper foccacia twist and a cereal roll. The breads were all of very good quality, served warm, I particularly liked the super crunchy baguette revealing fluffy insides, while the foccacia was softer with a slight chew to it.
Technically we smelt the next dish before we saw it as it arrived puffing a scented woody smoke from its bowl. Perched on top of a small pile of smoking cherry wood was a Gillardeau oyster covered in a mushroom emulsion and topped with a generous scattering of black truffles. This was gorgeous~ The oyster was very soft and fresh, and you could really taste the faint aroma of cherry wood.
The next course although visually not appealing smelt divine~ The rich scent of foie gras sauce mixed with the heavenly scent of truffles was absolutely mouth watering, while the generous portion of langoustine was perfectly cooked. Mixed in with the langoustine, the morel mushrooms and cubed pieces of foie gras just added to the luxury of this dish. A pleasure to eat.
We were then served their soup course which was a deconstructed artichoke soup. When it was placed in front of me, it was not what I had pictured as it looked more like a pasta dish with the goats cheese ravioli and chunks of artichoke rising up from the shallow lake of liquid. However, taste-wise it was good, but nothing too special. The pasta of the ravioli retained a welcome chewiness enveloping a tangy filling of goats cheese and the creaminess of the artichoke soup was a perfect counterbalance to the sharpness of the cheese.
First main course of the evening was fish. A fillet of John Dory baked at low temperature turned out beautifully, a very meaty texture that was easy to cut through with no hint of fishiness. The perfect type of fish for both Mr. C and I. As accompaniments, chunks of sweet Alaskan crab meat and a lightly seared scallop were perfectly fresh with a few strategically placed baby carrots to add some colour to the dish. On the side we were also given a thinly toasted bread topped with cubes of Balik smoked salmon and caviar. Very prettily presented the smokiness of the salmon went very well with the brininess of the caviar.
Before our meat course was served, we were given a refreshing lime sorbet to refresh the palate. Cool and tangy it really awakened the senses.
Lamb was the focus for our meat dish, and it was served as a cutlet off the bone on top of a circular bed of cous cous mixed with dried fruit and chorizo. The lamb had quite a gamey flavour, which I did not mind at all as it made the meat more flavourful, but it was the cous cous that most intrigued me. I do not often eat cous cous as I find it has a strange flavour, but this time the mix of sweetness from the dried fruit and the savoury chorizo made it strangely addicting.
Another palate cleanser of yuzu sorbet was served prior to dessert and the citrusy flavour helped prepare our second stomach for dessert~
Dessert was a gorgeous creation with its focus on chocolate. A delicate structure with a crunchy base, sandwiching a layer of biscuit, sliced banana, praline mousse and crowned with a quenelle of bittersweet 100% cocoa sorbet. This was amazing~ I was thinking the addition of banana would be quite strange, but its subtle flavour went very well with the chocolate and praline tones while the sorbet just added a seductiveness to the overall dessert. So so good~
And to end, petite fours~ A selection of thin biscotti, caramels and tarts. I loved the mini raspberry tart with the fragrant vanilla creme patisserie and crisp short crust 🙂
A perfect place to celebrate our special evening~ service was polite and unintrusive and the fact that we enjoyed every single course portrayed that the food was stunning. Definitely recommended!
Just Something About Me 