There has been so much buzz about Madam Sixty-Ate’s recent opening that even though I usually like to wait ‘til a restaurant has been up and running at least a month before doing a review, I knew the possibility was if I wasn’t quick I wouldn’t get a reservation! Last Friday night saw my husband and I rocking up to a half-empty Madam Sixty-Ate where the other diners were clearly eager beavers like us. Madam Sixty-Ate has been created by two Ozzie chefs: Chris Woodyard, the former Culinary Director of the W Hotel, whose Sydney Restaurant received the 1 Hat Award and Andrew Braham, former sous-chef to Tom Aiken in London.
The menu is fun and creative with a mix of French and British inspiration. Dishes like “Pig in Sheep’s Clothing” and “Josef the Duck” bring a smile to the face of committed carnivores, and the open kitchen adds to the atmosphere of excitement when it comes to anticipating your food’s arrival. We ordered the Scallops with Rillette and Anchovy Puree and the Goats Cheese Mousse with Feve Cream and ribbons of Potatoes to start. We were served bread with “Smoked Butter” while we waited – deliciously salty and tasting of bacon, the bread clearly fresh and home-made.
The Goats Cheese Mousse was the star of the starters: deliciously creamy and delicately flavoured. The scallops were seared and seasoned to perfection, though the rillette was a little course, and didn’t benefit from being served so warm.
As we couldn’t leave without sampling the dessert menu, we ordered the Honey Semi-freddo with salted caramel and popcorn to finish. The taste of honey was delicious, and I would eat ANYTHING that tasted of salted caramel, though the popcorn was one ingredient too many in my opinion, and jarred a little with the other tastes in the dish.
The meal for two, with two glasses of wine and sharing a dessert came to around HK1,500, so not cheap although for a fun experience and generally great food I would argue it’s reasonable value for money. I’m sure that the couple of inconsistencies we noted in the food will be resolved with a little time, and was charmed by the mix of creativity, the casual yet elegant setting and attentive service. Will this be the next must-go restaurant? The jury’s still out, but we’re looking forward to seeing how this new kid on the Wanchai scene will get on!
Madam Sixty Ate Shop 8, 1/F The Podium, J.Senses, 60 Johnston Road, Wan Chai 2527 2558 www.madamsixtyate.com.hk
Open daily from 12pm to 12am.