I definitely prefer French bistro-style food over the fine dining affair, merely because I don’t like being so formal. While there are a handful of really good French bistros in Hong Kong, such as Bistro du Vin and Le Port Parfume, you can’t get away with paying less than HK$600-700 for dinner there, which makes the whole thing a lot less casual. La Grande Bouffe is another one in Central I like, but would still cost about HK$400 per person.
Knowing that affordable dinners don’t come by easily in this city, the menu at Plat du Jour was more than a pleasant surprise. They charge HK$195 for two courses and HK$245 for three courses, which I thought was extremely competitive for any dinner, let alone a French one. The down side is that they serve the same menu all day, so lunch would cost the same (as dinner) and hence comparatively expensive.
Cheese Souffle *must order*
Our meal got off to an excellent start. The starters section of their menu was populated with many appealing choices, that left us struggling and indecisive for at least 30 minutes. We made a good call and congratulated ourselves for ordering this cheese souffle, which turned out to be the number one highlight of my meal that night! The souffle had a strong cheesy flavour and impressively soft spongy moist textures. It was a special item on their menu that day but hopefully they’ll make it permanent soon!
Escargots Bourguignon
Escargots are my go-to when I’m at French restaurants; I love the tasty buttery sauce it’s usually drenched in and there was no shortage of this in the escargots dish here. The dish was prepared well, although there were no major surprises in the dish either – classic and traditional.
Lobster Bisque *must order*
The lobster bisque was another highly recommended starter, though perhaps coming second to the cheese souffle! The soup was extremely full of lobster flavours. It was also creamy and pleasantly dense. All in all, a classic soup done significantly better than most places.
Moules Marinieres
I must say I’m not a huge fan of mussels but they highlighted it as their signature item, so why not? The mussels were actually made very well; they were cooked perfectly (i.e. not overcooked, as they almost always are elsewhere), and were all still sturdily stuck onto their shells which I believe means they’re fresh. My only complaint would be that the portion seemed a tad small.
Lemon Thyme Spring Chicken
The spring chicken was probably among my favourites of the main course dishes here. We also ordered the rib eye and salmon fillet, which I thought were relatively standard and unmemorable. The spring chicken was, again, executed extremely well, retaining a very juicy and tender texture inside, while the skin had a bit of crisp to it.
Lemon Meringue Pie
As you guys may know from my 8 Best Lemon Tarts in Hong Kong post, I’m pretty obsessed with lemon-related desserts. So it was a given that I’d beg to order this. Despite my high expectations, this lemon tart did not disappoint at all. The textures of the curd was pretty smooth and the taste was well balanced. The crust could have been more firm and crunchy, but it’d definitely be a crowd pleaser.
Light Chocolate Mousse & Creme Brulee *must order*
Actually, all their desserts would be crowd pleasers. Both the chocolate mousse and creme brulee were classic desserts made very well. I particularly liked the creme brulee; it was again a classic done well.
Great comfort food at great prices
Overall, despite its location on the other side of Hong Kong island (Quarry Bay), I’d definitely return for the ambience and food. It’s bistro-style casual but the decor is stylish and modern, good for nice gatherings and dates alike. One major selling point is the decent pricing which is difficult to match elsewhere. While I wouldn’t say this was the best French food in Hong Kong, they have a good selection of classic French dishes and some very outstanding items too (namely the souffle and lobster bisque). It’s value for money and worth a try.
Plat du Jour
21 Hoi Wan St.,
Quarry Bay
Phone: 2789 4200
Spend per person: HK$250-350
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