If I was going to write a recipe for a successful restaurant in Hong Kong it would include: money and lots of it, a sexy interior that is ideally the work of a known design company, the right location, and professional staff. Many new openings in Hong Kong get that part of it right. Surprisingly what is often forgotten about, or is relegated to the role of optional ingredient, is the food. It should be consistently good, ideally outstanding, yet so often isn't. BLOOM, however, is showing all the signs of getting the complete recipe right. 

Tastes of the Sea

The Raw Bar was the obvious place to start, and we began with four freshly shucked oysters (Kumamoto and Hammersley), Snapper Ceviche, and two oyster shooters. Both oysters satisfied, although my friend and I had different experiences - I thought the tiny Kumamoto kicked the big Hammersley's butt in terms of taste and finish, but he found the reverse to be true. I liked that the oysters were served on a bed of cold stones instead of masses of ice, which for me cools the oyster down too much diminishing its true flavour. The ceviche (one of four available) consisted of snapper, jalapeno pepper, tangerine and fried garlic. The dish worked but it didn't wow me enough that I would order it again. 

There are also four shooters and we had Tequila - tomato consomme, chipotle syrup; and Champagne - tarragon, lavender oil. I found the chipotle to be too much, overpowering any taste of the oyster. On the other hand, the champagne shooter was outstanding. Complex, lingering, layered tastes that allowed the oyster to stay the star of the show. I had read a review that described the shooter as "an orgasm in my mouth" and I understand why now. 

Marrow Expectations

The small a la carte menu of brasserie fare is supported by a daily specials board, and from it we opted for the White Asparagus with Oscteria Caviar and Slow Cooked Egg, while from the a la carte we picked the Roasted Bone Marrow as I had heard so many great reports.

When we tasted the asparagus and egg they were both cold...wondering if this was how it was meant to be I asked and was told that the asparagus is not hot but the egg should be. The tiled area of the restaurant where we sat can be cold and this combined with sitting waiting to be served I imagine is why we got a cold appetiser. The staff kindly took it back and brought us a fresh serving, which was good for us and for this review. When eaten at the correct temperature it was delightful. The caviar seasoning the egg, with the runny yolk adding depth to the delicate asparagus while keeping the integrity of its subtle flavour.

It was without doubt the prettiest plated bone marrow I have seen with its crimson red wine reduction interspersed with champagne grapes surrounding the bones, with basil and parsley salsa verde providing contrast. A small salad of apple and fennel on top of the bone, a little thyme sea salt, and some homemade sourdough bread completing the dish. All the accompaniments had flavour to match its bright hue and kept the marrow dancing in the mouth, the apple and fennel in particular. My friend's marrow itself was of note, while mine was ordinary in terms of taste and slightly disappointing.

Porcine Praise 

Black Truffle Risotto, Shrimp, Chives (from the specials board) was an example of a dish that was lesser than the sum of its parts. The black truffle was excellent, the shrimp were flavourful and cooked perfectly, the rice was al dente (a tad too al dente for me)...but together it was a disharmonious creation that I only managed to eat a few mouthfuls of because it was just not working. I am still not sure what went wrong, maybe shrimp and black truffle are not meant to be. 

If crackling could be a dish it would be Iberico Pork Chop & Smoked Ribs (a la carte). It had the decadence of crackling, the porky intensity of a packet of bacon yet with a certain lightness that enabled us to finish it all and still we were wanting more. Braised red cabbage and sage marmalade bringing contrasts to the palate. An example of top quality produce being treated with respect by being brilliantly executed. 

A Warm Welcome

A fitting end to the meal came in the form of Banana Macadamia Praline Semifreddo. It was charmingly paired with passionfruit caramel and banana spring roll. It was a dessert that brought back childhood memories of banana fritters and ice cream, although this was an adult interpretation.

For me BLOOM is a long overdue addition to the Kong Kong dining scene. It is about time a new opening spent as much effort on getting the food right as is spent on interiors and hype. I have already been back since I wrote this review. 

Ambience, Service, Price & Other Info

Lily & BLOOM is the result of a partnership by Buzz Concepts (Volar, Halo, Gusto) and award-winning design and concept firm AvroKO, based in New York. Both the bar, Lily, and the restaurant, BLOOM, exude attention to detail, with the restaurant being a tribute to New York in the early 1900s. A slightly industrial feel runs through the majority of the interior, until you get to the end, which has a warm, classic feel with its stunning two-storey chandelier. There is also a long walnut and tile dining bar. The bathroom is a must-see, I won't spoil the impact by telling you more in case you haven't been yet. I love it. It made me laugh and I felt like a little girl.

Two small criticisms, the area near the bar features a lot of tiles, and this combined with the cement flooring adds a certain coolness to the space, that when combined with aircon temperature made it a cold space in terms of ambience and temp. Also, the tables in our section were too close together, the next table to us was centimetres away and it was only the fact that they were not speaking English that prevented us from understanding every word spoken.  

The staff were attentive, engaging and knowledgeable, with several of the staff really seeming to enjoy looking after guests. 

Prices for dishes as in order of above: Oysters market price (ours $40-45), $62, $54, $210, $85, $190, $276, and $78.

There is a small selection of wines by the glass and we enjoyed the recommended Barberi D'Alba, priced at $108 per glass. 

The restaurant serves food until 2am on Friday and Saturday, with last orders at 11pm on other nights. Lily also serves food with last orders taken 30 minutes before closing, which ranges from 2am to 4am depending on the night.