(This review was also posted in https://www.yelp.com/biz/amigo-restaurant-香港)…read more
In our recent trip to Hong Kong, my husband suggested checking out the Amigo Restaurant. I did a little research and found this restaurant pretty interesting. Although it has a Spanish name and the mansion was built in Spanish style, with olden Spanish décor throughout, Amigo serves classic French cuisine.
This iconic restaurant was founded in 1967, and was moved to the present mansion in 1976, being in the same address for half of a century. Amigo remains a renowned upscale dining destination in Hong Kong.
Upon arrival, we were promptly led upstairs to the opulent dining room. A retro-pop trio were already belting out lovely classic pop songs decades old. The 3 of us had a spacious table close by the trio. I could tell these 3 Filipino musicians were very experienced and were perfect in all the songs that they performed. They went on to serenade tables that were celebrating special dates. Later on they came to us who were just there checking out. They politely asked us to select songs. My husband suggested something upbeat and cheerful. They sang "I love you more than I can say". That was unexpected and made us laugh. I later requested "Love Me Tender" by Elvis. The singer did a great job and purposely changed the lyrics towards the end. It was very enjoyable and fun.
Although male clients were no longer required to wear suits, all of their serving team (all men) were still wearing tuxedos and white gloves. And most dishes were prepared tableside. Some of their waiters have been working there for decades.
Now onto the food. There were 2 set dinner menus to choose from, we opted for a 4-course dinner that cost more, HK$1,380.00 (US$178) plus 10% service charge per person, but with items that sounded enticing to us. There were 3 choices of the first course, both my husband and I chose Seared Foie Gras with Baby Burgundy Pears and Figs. Our daughter went with Scottish Smoked Salmon and Tuna, Green Pea and Caviar. For the soup course, all 3 of us chose Cream of Abalone and Fish Maw Chowder instead of the Classic Ox-Tail Soup. Then, we were served a citrus sherbet to cleanse our pallets before we enjoyed the mains. For the mains, I went with Grilled New Zealand Lamb Chops with Garlic, Rosemary and Parsley. My husband picked Australian Lobster Thermidor (half piece), Beef Mignon, with Green Peppercorn Sauce. Daughter selected Saikyo-Yaki Chilean Seabass, Grilled Asparagus. All 3 of us picked Glazed Mango Crème Brulee as our dessert course. Mango in Crème Brulee was a nice touch. All the dishes were delicious. My lamb chops were tender and had the perfect flavor.
The 4-course included coffee or tea at the end of the dinner. Although the nervous young waiter poured a bit too much cream into my coffee, I was surprised to find the coffee was still rich and strong, more like a good latte. Other drinks were not included. A bottle of still mineral water was HK$80 (US$10), my husband and daughter each had a glass of Chardonnay, HK$360 (US$46). My glass of Dancing in Wonderland, HK$90 (US$12), recommended by the manager, was like a Virgin Pina Colada. However, I would like the latter better than the Wonderland drink that's milk heavy.
The included bread was very good. One piece was warm and soft; another thin piece was light and crispy. At the end of the dinner, they brought out the complimentary chocolate balls with ice cream inside, presented with dry ice. That was a very nice touch too.
Service was impeccable as expected. The manager even happily took photos for us with our smart phone and old-school flash camera. Towards the end of the dinner, they gave my daughter and me each a long stem red rose, how sweet.
The final tab was HK$5,237.00 (US$676), that included HK$100 that my husband included as an appreciative gesture. (In Hong Kong, you don't need to tip when there is a 10% service charge). However, with this price point (US$225 per person), there are a lot of choices in Hong Kong. We did enjoy the experience a lot, especially the happy serenading of songs at the table. However, there was no pleasant surprises or innovation in the food to us. I felt like we had stepped back in time. Maybe everything was too traditional to me? I understand that in the 80s Amigo was a tip-top luxurious restaurant in Hong Kong, and over the decades it attracted many celebrities to visit. Patrons used to make reservations 3 months ahead of time. Now, we only made our reservations 2 days ahead. My daughter is social media savvy and she had never heard of Amigo. I like the restaurant, but I don't know how long it could sustain if it could not attract the younger generations. I am feeling nostalgic and a little sad. I am glad that we went to Amigo and enjoyed it, though. It is like a piece of Hong Kong history that we will not forget.
