A new cool spot in Central
Stepping into DUB is like kicking back in your fashionable friend’s NYC digs; complete with graffiti art work on the walls and long bench tables for optimal chill time. Tucked away on Graham’s Street, this little gem is the perfect antidote to the fine dining finesse of so many Central spots and is the prime place for an evening out with an individual twist and some serious personality. DUB is styled with low, dimmed lighting in a cosy setting – which can hold a maximum of 25 guests – meaning that the atmosphere is intimate, yet glamorously grungy.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by the Front of House whose service was sublime and was meticulously matched by the rest of the wait team who were all incredibly warm and seemed genuinely interested in sharing the concept of DUB with us. Luckily, we were also able to chat to Chef Kaleb and a couple of the other chefs that evening, which provided an insight into the back story of DUB’s conception. The goals of the kitchen collective is to carve out a sanctuary in Hong Kong for fresh, fusion fare in an environment full of flair and character.
DUB also has a vast array of wines that you can pick from their enormous cellar on Elgin Street. We paired our food with some peppery Pinot Noir that had just the right notes of blackberry and cranberry to complement out dishes.
We began with some sharing bites in the shape of crispy curried cauliflower ($88) and pork cheek quail scotch eggs ($138). While we did feel that the cauliflower was rather forgettable and lacked any real punch, we thoroughly enjoyed the scotch eggs which were gloriously golden brown, crunchily crispy and full of flavour.
I couldn’t resist indulging in my one of my true loves: truffle fries ($58), which arrived piping hot and sinfully topped with truffle oil and salt. Although this probably wouldn’t be an everyday choice on the #healthyeats bandwagon, it would certainly be a glorious treat on Cheat Day.
We then moved on to try the Goats Cheese Tortellini ($178) which, as a Carb Queen, I had high hopes for. Although the sauce of kalamata olive and sundried tomato paste was tasty, it did feel a little sickly sweet after a few bites and the homemade pasta was slightly undercooked for our taste.
However, the lamb T-Bones ($298) made up for this disappointment which were tender, juicy and swimming in a red-wine infused honey reduction, soaked up by fluffy roast potatoes. We did find the food to be indulgent and filling so, I would suggest picking a couple of dishes to try before going too crazy with the ordering!
As usual though, I did find some space for sweets and decided on the pecan pie with a side of bourbon-vanilla ice cream ($88), which definitely hit the sugary spot. Again, I was satisfied after a couple of bites, so I think two people could comfortably share a DUB dessert (see the full DUB menu here).
Although, we found the food to somewhat hit ‘n’ miss, we had a wonderful, interesting evening at DUB and the passion and enthusiasm of the creators there made up for some of the lackluster dishes. I think a little more diversity on the menu would work well and DUB could do with a departure from the sweet and sugary undertones that accompany many of the dishes on offer. However, I’m sure that the high quality of ingredients and the raw passion of the DUB crew will keep people coming back for more in this inventive and inspired space.
DUB Hong Kong, 51 Graham Street, Central, Hong Kong, www.facebook.com/dubhongkong
All photos from the DUB Facebook page, images #3 and #4 credited to Jen Paolini.