14 June, 2016
Eggs and asparagus on a white plate
Eggs and asparagus on a white plate
Eat & Drink

The Drawing Room: A Culinary Artroom in the Heart of City

14 June, 2016
Eggs and asparagus on a white plate

A date night at The Drawing Room – the favourite Italian resto is back by popular demand!

 

Recently, I got the chance to dress up and head out for romantic date night at the newly relaunched The Drawing Room under the leadership of new chef, Chef Gabriele Milani. Having been a fan of their previous restaurant, Vasco, I was eager to see how they would change up the space and menu.

150112-S-Stickers-FoodReviewArticles_v1-impression

We were greeted with a set of colouring pencils and a piece of paper that invited us to doodle through the night. Seriously, this is the ultimate ice-breaker for any date. Even though I’ve been with my husband for over a decade (college sweethearts!) this activity prompted us to let loose and be playful whilst in an elegant yet unpretentious setting.

150112-S-Stickers-FoodReviewArticles_v1-food.png

Currently, there are two set tasting menus you can choose from. Both of which had us salivating! We decided on the classic five course tasting menu ($998) which included many of Chef Milani’s favourites.

quail from the drawing room

For my first course, I started off with the Grilled Quail with Foie Gras Mousse, shallots and red cherry marmalade ($240). The quail was cooked perfectly – crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. The foie gras mousse was whipped, light and airy and completely indulgent. The red cherry marmalade help cut through the richness of the quail and foie. A great first start.

langoustine from the drawing room

The hubby had the Langoustine Tartare with Almalfi lemon cream and cucumber mayonnaise ($320), which in my opinion was so delightful. Although I enjoyed my quail starter, I had major food envy. Thankfully, he’s a sharer so I got to taste the fresh langoustine that had a lovely brightness from the lemon cream.

Scallop and pea soup from the drawing room

Next came two soups, Creamy Baccalà with sweet garlic broth and taggiasca olives ($210) and Green Pea soup with pan-seared Scallop ($210). Although we sampled both, I had to say we really enjoyed the green pea soup with the perfectly cooked scallop the best. The pea soup was sweet, creamy yet light with whole peas that burst with freshness.

prawn linguini from the drawing room

My favourite part of the evening was the third course pasta dish, because, carbs are life. I zeroed in on the Italian Red Prawn Linguini with fresh tomato and chilli ($340) which was incredibly flavourful. The prawns were tossed in the most amazingly rich and full bodied sauce and the linguini cooked perfectly al dente.

Uni spaghetti from the drawing room

My husband chose his favourite food in the whole world, Spaghetti with Hokkaido Sea Urchin and Bottagara ($290). The menu literally had him at sea urchin. Although I’m not usually a fan of sea urchin or uni, I had to admit that this combination was full of all the flavours of the sea (in a good way!) and completely decadent and rich.

tenderloin from the drawing room

By this point, we were both bursting at the seams and close to unbuttoning our pants when the meat portion came. Somehow, we found a second wind in our appetite and dug into equally delicious mains (it wasn’t hard when we saw the plates before us!). My husband chose the Char-grilled Pigeon with sautéed organic baby broccoli and spinach ($420) where I had the Roasted Black Angus Tenderloin with Ox Tongue, potato purée and mustard sauce. Just thinking back to this medium rare, beautiful piece of tenderloin gives me the warm fuzzies. It was marbled, juicy and had a lovely seared crust. The ox tongue was creamy and added another level of richness to this course.

brioche from the drawing room

It was a sweet ending when we got to finish the evening with desserts. I was so happy to see a Vasco favourite make it into the new menu and had to order the Warm Caramelised Brioche with Vanilla Ice Cream ($90). Imagine a delicious bread pudding and French toast hybrid with a sugary crust. It was so good, I could’ve had another serving!

150112-S-Stickers-FoodReviewArticles_v1-verdict.png

Overall, we had an incredible time feasting on Chef Milani’s new menu and would recommend The Drawing Room for fine Italian dining in a romantic, unpretentious, artistic and comfortably playful setting.

The Drawing Room7/F, Block B, PMQ, 35 Aberdeen Street, Central; 2156 0888

Back to top
#SoSassy

#SoSassy

@SASSYHONGKONG