M at the Fringe is constantly rated one of the best restaurants in Hong Kong and for good reason. For the past 18 years this Hong Kong classic has consistently been serving no-fuss, quality food that keeps diners coming back because it tastes great and is comforting in its honesty.

This was the first time I had been to dinner at M at the Fringe so to get a feel for its history I asked a friend to join me that had been there twice, with a number of years between each visit.

The menu changes regularly, but its signature dishes and longtime favourites of loyal diners, such as Caviar and Blinis, Crispy Suckling Pig, slow baked salt-encrusted Leg of Lamb, and Pavlova, have been on the menu from the beginning. Having tried some of those at a recent media lunch I went with something different.

To Begin
For starters we shared a Fattoush Salad Topped with Crispy Fillets of Mackerel and A Few Favourites. The salad was a delightful mix of crunchy and complimentary textures and refreshing balanced flavours, and the crispy fillet was fresh and tasty – a simple dish executed well. A Few Favourites, is a platter of yummy morsels of mushroom terrine, restaurant-made soft goat's cheese, red pepper and aubergine roulade, spiced cherry tomatoes, tapenade, braised fennel and olive bread. There is something very tactile about the platter with each item beckoning you to pick it up. Standouts were the excellently bold tapenade, the mushroom terrine that contained a variety of potent mushrooms, and the tomatoes – roasted cherry tomatoes with a perfect measure of cumin, mustard seed and other spices; they disappeared quickly.

For main we had the chef's special of the night, a Mixed Seafood Stew and the ultra retro Steak Diane.

The bouillabaisse-style stew included prawns, mussels, baby octopus, and a half Atlantic lobster, in a delicate sauce of tomatoes and spice. The seafood was succulent and fresh, although the lobster was slightly overcooked. Despite the light appearance of the sauce it had depth and character due to the spices and it developed further with each taste. All the flavours were superb and took the taste buds on a complementary journey of seafood then sauce followed by the heat of the spices stretching out the dish. My friend, by his own admission, is not a tools man (lobster forks and crackers etc) but said that because it all tasted so good even the hands-on aspect of the dish became enjoyable.

Retro Revival
The Steak Diane took me on a time warp journey back to the late 1970's and early 1980's when my mother use to regularly cook an excellent version of this classic dish. It was a housewife’s favourite “fancy” dish and a firm favourite with bistros and bowling clubs in Australia.
  
The revival of this retro dish is in perfect keeping with the vibe of the restaurant and am sure it is popular with diners, young and old. The steak was juicy and tender and the earthy, peppery sauce was delicious. It was served with mashed potatoes, peas and baby carrots that had a light hint of citrus. My mashed-potato-connoisseur friend gave the mash top marks.

For dessert we had A Parfait of Berries and a cheese plate. The parfait featured blueberries, strawberries and blackberries served with raspberry jelly and a glass of moscato. The dish was beautifully presented and the wine was served in a delicate, timeless crystal glass. The sweet, bright red jelly took my dining companion back to his childhood, commenting with delight that it reminded him of being six years old.

The cheese plate featured four fine cheeses, which were served with grapes, raisins, dried apricots, almonds and crackers.

To finish we had a Turkish coffee and authentic Turkish delight. 

True to Itself
M at the Fringe is not trying to be trendy, it is just being itself and has been since it opened. It serves food that is bold, flavourful with saturated tastes, and each dish is brilliantly executed. It has an old-school feel that was once cutting edge, having put in its time it is now a true classic.

Any restaurant can be new and hip once but very few can manage to be great always. M at the Fringe has achieved this and is sure to continue to be around for many years to come, which is good news for Hong Kong diners.
 
Ambience and Decor
The restaurant has that personal touch that makes you feel at home, yet is also an elegant place with an air of formality.

The unusual shape of the historic Dairy Farm Building with its high ceilings is the perfect setting for the restaurant’s eclectic, quirky interior design, including the whimsical cello chairs, the silk covered banquettes, the bright textured walls and classic murals. The interior has changed little over the years but it still feels contemporary. This adds to the timelessness of the restaurant.

The restaurant was full on the night we went yet there was still a sense of intimacy.

Wine
There is a small selection of quality wines by the glass and a large and excellent selection of wines by the bottle.
We tried a bottle of the Seleni Estates (NZ) Pinot Noir served chilled, and a glass of the Angoves Shiraz 2004,  which paired well with the cheese.

M at the Fringe – First Floor, South Block, 2 Lower Albert Road, 2877 4000

by Vicki Williams
vicki@womguide.com