20 July, 2012
Eat & Drink

Luxurious lobster lunch at the MO Bar, Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong

20 July, 2012

Who doesn’t love a long leisurely Sunday brunch… so much so that Hong Kong has practically turned it into an art form! However, if you fancy one with a touch more decadence than your average, you must try the Sunday Lobster Brunch at the MO Bar in The Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong.

With seafood for both starters and mains, plus a whole dessert buffet and free-flow Prosecco or Veuve Clicquot to enjoy too, this brunch couldn’t get much more luxurious if it tried! Factor in the supremely cushy surroundings of the MO Bar, all plush sofas and sleek fittings, and you have all the ingredients for a long lavish Sunday lunch!

The food itself is absolutely delicious, with the beautiful Boston lobster playing a starring role. Jaime opted for a fresh and light Caesar salad to start, studded with meaty tender chunks of Boston lobster. Meanwhile, I went for the only non-lobster option – the prawn cocktail – and was similarly impressed at its light fresh flavours and moreish but subtle Mary Rose sauce, with cubes of green apple adding an interesting sweet crunch.

For those of you that mock the HK habit of taking hundreds of photos of food before you eat, these magnificent lobster mains definitely deserved to be preserved on film (or should that be on memory cards?!). These platters of whole Boston lobsters are seriously wow-worthy!

Jaime went for poached lobster in ‘court bouillon’, served warm in its shell with homemade lemon mayonnaise and a green salad on the side. This is definitely the lightest option of the mains and the simple fresh flavours (Jaime was delighted to find some delish veggies hidden in the lobster shells too!) really allowed the lobster to shine.

I was obviously in some 70s throwback mood, as following my prawn cocktail, I had the Lobster Thermidor! I’ll confess to spending a good few minutes just inhaling the incredible smell, but the taste more than lived up to those intoxicating scents. The combination of baby button mushrooms, lobster béchamel sauce and parmesan cheese is on the rich side (it would have been nice if this had come with a side salad too, to cut through the richness) but the flavours were absolutely divine. If Jaime hadn’t been around, I’d have probably tried to lick the lobster shells clean!

We didn’t get a chance to try the dessert buffet, although I did manage to squeeze in one of The MO Bar’s signature desserts from the main menu, the apple tart – and if that one was anything to go by, you’ll be more than spoilt with the sweet treats at the buffet! The apple was soft and sweet, the tart light and buttery, and the whole thing went down a dream.

There are also some seriously cute touches that make the meal even more memorable – special ‘Lobster Lunch’ crockery and bibs, the latter that you get to take home (and if you’re like me, try and put on your pets). Many of us can’t be bothered with the hassle of cooking and eating lobsters at home, so the MO Bar’s brunch is the perfect chance to get your lobster fill in a big way! And the lobster itself is total top-drawer stuff.

For two lobster courses, plus the dessert buffet and fabulous surroundings, $588 seems pretty reasonable to me. Unlike many brunches around town, it’s not a huge all-you-can-eat buffet, which personally I preferred – I can never be bothered to do battle at the buffet tables – although if you’re looking to reach that state of getting so stuffed you can barely move, you might be better off at brunches elsewhere. However, for an elegant but decadent luxurious Sunday brunch, you can’t go wrong with the Lobster Lunch at the MO Bar.

The Lobster Lunch is available on Sundays only, from 12-2.15pm. It costs $588; $688 for free-flow Prosecco, $788 for free-flow Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin NV.

MO Bar G/F, Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 15 Queen’s Road, Central
2132 0077 www.mandarinoriental.com/landmark/dining

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