With much anticipation, the opening day arrived at The Aubrey, a new izakaya dining concept by the Mandarin Oriental and Maximal Concepts. The Aubrey is located on the newly renovated 25th floor of The Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong and certainly breathes new life into this space.
Its stunning interiors are designed by Silverfox Studios, inspired by Japanism, a 19th-century European art movement centred around the influence of Japanese art and design in western Europe during that period.
There are many nooks and crannies within the bar area and restaurant itself lending the space for a variety of occasions, whether it be a lovely date night, a private lunch or a fun evening out with friends and colleagues.
The Aubrey's menu is created by Chef Yukihito Tomiyama, formerly of Michelin-starred Shinji by Kanesaka in Macau, and is a modern take on the Japanese izakayas in Ginza. The menu is made up of small bites with Snacks & Starters, Sushi & Sashimi, Maki & Tempura with medium formats found in the Robata, Rice & Noodles section.
We opted for a selection of small and medium bites, starting with the Scallop Jelly Tobiko. A very refreshing dish that felt like a combination of an amuse bouche and starter to whet your palate at the beginning of your dining experience.
The bar mixology creations are designed by Devender Sehgal, a renowned mixologist in Asia, formerly from 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana. There are three main areas to the bar - Main Bar, Omakase Cocktail Bar and the Champagne & Sake Bar, all with their own distinct ambiance and specialty concoctions.
The bar menu is comprised of seasonal and signature cocktails, highballs and chuhais and an impressive Japanese wine, sake and whisky list. The signature cocktail menu is inspired by the game of chess and the Seasonal menu comprises of a rotating selection of seasonal cocktails featuring a solo Japanese ingredient.
With Japanese strawberries in season, it only made sense to select one of the seasonal cocktails. The Red Crane is a gentle mixture of Japanese strawberry, citrus, sansho pepper, salt and champagne. A Green Leaf is cocktail of Japanese strawberry, tequila blanco, chili umeshu, citrus and red petrilla.
A tasty small bite to try is the Ankimo (Monkfish Liver) Maki. Monkfish liver is traditionally a winter delicacy in Japan and known as the Foie Gras of the Sea. Ankimo is very rich and creamy full of umami flavour yet is also light and delicate on the palate.
The Robata menu offers a good selection of Miyazaki and Kagoshima Wagyu beef, Iberico Pork, abalone, fish and vegetables cooked over binchotan charcoal. We opted for the Iberico Secreto Pork, which was very tender, juicy and packed with flavour.
A signature dish to try is the Lobster & Hokkaido Uni Fried Rice topped with salmon roe. Although very tasty, I would say the portions could be a bit bigger.
We didn't manage to try any of the desserts this time, though I do have my eye on the White Miso souffle for next time. We rounded off the meal with a nice Shichiken Sparkling Sake and a fragrant Umeshu liqueur.
In summary, the interiors, harbourfront views and modern izakaya dining concept made a good first impression. The service itself though was a bit choppy and could use some improvement, granted we did dine there on opening day. Although there were a few hiccups with the service, The Aubrey's manager was lovely and hospitable. In time with more training and experience, the service at The Aubrey will come into its own.
LOCATION
The Aubrey
25th floor
Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
5 Connaught Rd
Central, Hong Kong
HOURS
Lunch: 12 to 2:30pm
Dinner: 6 to 10pm
Cocktails:
12pm to midnight (Sun-Wed)
12pm to 2am (Thu-Sat)
RESERVATIONS
Reservations for lunch, dinner and the four person Omakase Cocktail Bar is highly recommended by phone at +852 2825 4001 or email or online.
MOST RECENT VISIT
17 February 2021