LaBrezza (烏節)

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Had an invitation to try out La Brezza's festive menu and being the cheapo person that I am, unceremoniously accepted. The restaurant used to sport a Mediterranean theme and menu, but has since switched to serving up Italian cuisine in a more sombre yet sufficiently casual environment. The lights are purposely kept dim to induce a relaxing atmosphere.

Martina Franca Style Cured Pork, Baby Onion, Chanterelle Mushroom - The cured pork was nice and dry without coming across as too salty whilst the chanterelle mushrooms were savoury but a little too soft for my liking.

Asparagus Soup, Black Truffle Cream, Toasted Sicilian Almonds - I am a huge fan of asparagus and truffle but somehow this dish was let down by the execution. There was just too much truffle cream in it to actually make out the taste of asparagus. All I could taste was the richness of the truffle cream, which would have been well and good if this dish was black truffle cream soup. But the end product was still undeniably tasty, courtesy of the truffle cream of course.

Homemade Tagliatelle, Cold Water Lobster, Lobster Cream, Fennel - Aside from the tagliatelle being a wee bit overcooked (probably due to how thin it was), this dish was great. Fresh and crunchy lobster coupled with a nice yet not dauntingly rich lobster cream base. Seconds anyone?

Pan Fried Seabass "Crazy Water" Style Braised in Tomato, Endive, Sea Salt Water - Acqua Pazza or "crazy water" in Italian, apparently originated from the fisherman on the Neapolitan coast who used sea water together with tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil to sautée their catch. I appreciated the story and found the fish quite interesting in the sense that it tasted uncannily like the pan fried version of Teochew styled steamed fish (weird I know!). The lightness of the sourish, mildly sweet broth all pointed in that direction and it was a little surreal eating this.

Sicilian Style Sauteed Veal Chops, Garlic, Anchovies, Pasley, Artichoke Gratin, Potatoes, Onion - Ironically, the star of this dish wasn't the veal but the artichoke gratin, which was nothing short of excellent. Crisp with a cheesy overtone, I finished every little bit of it. That's not to say the veal wasn't good though. It was well sautéed and firmly tender. However the topping didn't quite cut it for me and I resorted to scrapping it off.

Almond Cake Macerated in Rum, Espresso and Chocolate Mousse - And to round up the dinner, we had the Diplomatico, which wasn't anything outstanding but provided a nice bitter sweet ending to the meal.

See all my photos at http://www.timelessfacade.com/2012/12/la-brezza-part-ii-invite.html

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(以上食評乃用戶個人意見 , 並不代表OpenRice之觀點。)

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Timelessfacade

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The 50% lunch discount that La Brezza dangled to all Astor card members was to good to resist and I ended up having lunch there one fine afternoon. What's weird is that La Brezza, which means sea breeze in Italian yet serves Mediterranean food, is relatively unknown in the culinary circles even though it has been around for quite a bit.

Located on the second floor of the posh St Regis, La Brezza looks out into the hotel's swimming pool and boasts floor to ceilings windows to allow sunlight in. The bright and cheery ambience is accentuated through the use of white wicker chairs and striped blue/white curtains, which also give the place a laid back feel. The sofa couple seats are positioned with their back facing the wall, which allows both parties to have a full view of the pool.

I didn't think too much of the complimentary bread although there was quite a variety and it came served in a pretty white porcelain bowl with blue markings on it. And surprise surprise, we had bottled water with our set lunch, which makes me wonder if they even serve sky juice.

LaBrezza Salad - There was no mention of chicken in the description but I'm glad that they added it in. The generous serving of chicken breast slices were very well marinated and grilled, coming across as succulent and soft. The greens were fresh with a touch of light dressing and shaved cheese atop. Great way to start off!

Tomato Mozzarella - I am honestly not a big fan of raw tomatoes except when they come in the guise of bruschetta. But to be fair, this dish proved to be quite decent. The tomato slices were fresh and juicy and went well with the chilled and light burratina cheese, which helped to keep the acidity of the tomatoes in check.

Grilled Salmon - The chef's favourite for the day - grilled salmon. Well grilled till the skin boasted a nice crisp, the salmon did come across as a wee bit too dry for my liking. I did like the polenta on the side though - smooth and creamy .

Frutti Di Mare - Frutti Di Mare, or fruit of the sea, over risotto was my choice of main. The risotto was creamy and done al dente without the sauce being too overwhelming. Coupled with a generous serving of seafood, I must say I enjoyed this dish quite a bit.

Paris Brest - This dessert was said to be created by a pastry chef in honour of a bicycle race between Paris and Brest in France. But La Brezza's rendition was a little lacking. The pastry wasn't fluffy and could have been a little softer as well. The hazelnut cream filling was decent though and the brown sorbet by the side was actually lime sorbet. Surprise surprise.

Chocolate Tart - The chocolate tart was rich with a tinge of bitterness and a layer of gooey caramel wedged inside, all held together by a thin yet solid tart base. Sadly, the caramel didn't quite feature in the taste though. And what better to complement a chocolate tart then with a scoop of chocolate ice cream and a piece of chocolate