Last week, I was one of the few lucky guests to experience AULIS Hong Kong's first service in their slick new 12-seater chef's table located within what used to be Dining at Murasaki in Causeway Bay. This is celebrated chef Simon Rogan's first overseas branch of his development kitchen concept, and many were initially a little dubious about the idea of duplicating such a concept from the lush and nature-abounding Lake District to the bustling city of Hong Kong. These concerns, if any, were dashed by the first few courses.
Rogan is probably one of the most raved about chefs of our time, acclaimed for two-Michelin-starred L'Enclume in Cartmel, UK, as well as the chef's table concept within it, Aulis Cartmel. His other farm-to-table venture, Roganic in Marylebone, recently received one Michelin star under the helm of Head Chef Oli Marlow. The first overseas branch of Roganic is also set to open in the main dining room outside of AULIS Hong Kong in February. So a total of two exciting new openings in Hong Kong for the Simon Rogan team!
*Scroll to the bottom for soft opening price details.
The space has a very clean feel - minimalist, muted colours and a state of the art working station for the chefs. The table only seats 12 guests at a time, and I loved the intimacy between chefs and diners. I could hear 80's top hits playing from the kitchen, apparently something Rogan and his team enjoy listening to during service. There's something inexplicably gratifying about tucking into delicate gastronomy with Uptown Girl on full blast in the back.
One of the welcome snacks - a funky take on chicken karaage. Crunchy squid ink tapioca puffs coat a juicy piece of confit chicken, served on a bed of mustard mayonnaise.
Preserved pumpkin, pumpkin mousse, thyme and roasted pumpkin seeds. The drink in the back is a delicious shot of non-alcoholic pear and pumpkin kombucha.
A rare sighting in Hong Kong - freshly baked Irish soda bread! Still warm and a lovely sweet flavour to it. Served with a complementing miso butter.
Mushroom wafer with cream cheese, a gel made from fermented mushroom, yeast and caramelized yeast powder.
The dish that got the most responses on my IG stories, not surprisingly - the sea urchin custard. The caviar is specially made by caviar producer Petrossian, under the Simon Rogan label. Loved the texture and nuanced flavours of the custard.
Chefs at work. Note how close they are and how you can watch every single detail as they do their thing. At one point the entire length of the table was quiet because we were so mesmerized watching them work. Here, they are preparing the Grilled Salad dish, which includes all those grilled veg freshly picked from local farms in the New Territories, served with a truffle custard, elderflower vinaigrette and a sauce made from Westcombe cheese.
The beautifully cooked Spanish beef was seared and rested, then served with roasted leek and roasted onion topped with dots of garlic and onion puree. The beef sauce is made from the bones, and thickened with its fat. Not pictured is the accompanying ragu made from the cheeks, and it was pure heaven.
We had a few desserts including this stout (a distinctly English tradition!) ice cream with burnt milk crisp with coffee, which was a refreshing palate twist after the beetroot sorbet with buttermilk sauce infused with mint.
For the soft opening period, the menu is priced at HK$1,480+10% per guest, with an additional HK$680 for the wine pairing experience. There is also an option for non-alcoholic drinks pairing, priced at an additional HK$380+10%. If you're a drinker, I highly recommend the wine pairing, which both complimented and brought out the flavours of each dish well.
AULIS by Simon Rogan
Address: Shop 8, UG/F, Sino Plaza, 255 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Email: reservations@aulis.com.hk
Tel: +852-2817-8383
Facebook Page - www.facebook.com/AulisHongKong
Instagram: @AulisHongKong