Petrus

56F, Island Shangri-La Hotel, Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Central
tel. 2820 8590

Wow.  This is one special place.

We sat down to our table with an incredible view of the harbour.

I needed some help ordering, as there were so many things of interest to me.  After consultation with the very friendly and helpful waiter, we decided that of the dishes I liked the look of, the poached foie gras* with winter vegetables and flambe Wagyu beef would be the most special.

Like other fine restaurants, Petrus offers an amuse-bouche prior to the meal.  BUT - not only was there the amuse-bouche prior to the starter, we got a little tray of sliced sausage and vegetables with a yoghurt dressing to enjoy while we consulted the menu.  Yum.

We were delighted to find that Petrus not only carries its namesake wines (for incredible prices), but also a selection of reasonably-priced wines, including one of our favourites: a Lebanese called Chateau Musar.  It's pretty hard to find a restaurant that carries this wine, so we were pretty happy.

My starter was very impressive.  The presentation was fantastic - it came in a little plastic pouch, and then they opened it and poured it into my dish.  I had been a bit dubious about poached foie gras, as I have only ever had it cold or sauteed.  But this was sublime.  Melt-in-your-mouth goodness.  It was definitely, as our waiter said, "a special dish."  If you're into foie gras, this is a dish to try.

My flambe Wagyu filet did not disappoint, either.  The waiter wheeled out a big trolley with a flame and proceeded to very expertly saute and then flambe the filet, then reducing the sauce and drizzling it over the filet, which was happy and proud to site alone on its plate.  The side of Dauphinois potatoes got its own little casserole dish, as it should have.  And the two together were sooo good.  I tried the beef by itself, the potatoes by themselves, and then the beef and potatoes together in a bite.  All combinations were delicious.  My plate was cleared shortly.

And then the cheese trolley came winding its way over.  Woo hoo!  I never say no to cheese.  Again, I told the waiter I generally preferred soft, and/or stinky cheeses, and his recommendations hit the spot.  Look at the one oozing over the spoon.  Mmmm.

All in all, a wonderful experience.  Waiters were friendly and knowledgeable, the Maitre d' stopped by for a chat, wine glasses were filled without me even noticing, food was incredible.  It lived up to all expectations.  It is a bit pricy, but you get what you pay for.  And compared to the other Michelin-starred restaurant I went to recently, I find that I am wondering why, although the food was good, the other restaurant was given that star;  in no way are the two in the same league.

This is a go-back, highly-recommended place.  I am looking forward to spending more special occasions at the wonderful Petrus.


Michelin gives this two stars
toasty.com gives all 9's and a 10
Rating:  5


*I know, I know - some people will have a problem with my eating foie gras (and, in fact, my propensity to order foie gras whenever it is offered on a menu), but I can't stop.  It's much the same as a smoker knowing smoking is bad for them (and others) but not being able to (or even wanting to) stop.