The Hullett House's bona fide classiness and elegance are so enchanting not only to tourist, but every fellow locals who walk by will surely fall in love with the beauty of this antique architecture. Nestled on top of the glamorous 1881 Heritage (which was formerly the headquarters of the Hong Kong Marine Police in the 1880s) at Tsim Sha Tsui, the Parlour is a magnificent restaurant as it merges the historic with the fantastic in both its dishes and environment. We were more than enthusiastic when we had a chance to dine here for D's birthday last week.
When we reached the ground floor of the Hullett House, we were instantly greeted by a friendly and smiling waitress at the Parlour who showed us to our seats. The Parlour was spacious with most of their seats outdoor. The indoor dining room, however, was worth visiting as it was beautifully furnished with a curious colonial and artful charm. The outdoor seats boasted an impressive view of the main square of 1881 Heritage. The service was polite and attentive, but the restaurant was appallingly understaffed and we had to wait for long periods of time before we could get a waiter. The table and chair were also a bit old and out of shape. Having said that, dinner is reasonably priced at around $500 - $600 per head, and we think it was worth it.
(1) We started with the Lobster Bouillabaisse ($128) which was cooked with Prawn, Fish and Mussel and it set the bar high for our meal. The Lobster Bisque was delightfully decent and creamy, and the lovely and delicate prawn meat and a few mussel made for a heavenly and wondrous dish!
(2) The Steak Tartare "Au Couteau" ($170) was another accomplished starter. The sophistic presentation of this dish made its taste more dynamic than we expected. The beef was rich and decadent and the crispy fried potato added a nice kick to it. This dish was also served with Pomme paille and green salad, which balanced the taste of raw beef perfectly!
(3) For mains, the Birthday Boy ordered the Baked Hallibut Mushroom Provencal, with Fennel and Black Olive Ragout ($230). While the fish was nicely cooked and seasoned, it was almost overwhelmed by the taste of the accompanying sauce. The dish suffered from being too ambitious and unfortunately, the different elements of the dish somehow did not manage to come together to be a more polished dish.
(4) The Beef Cheek Slow cooked (12 hours) Australian Angus beef cheek with mash potato Bourguignon Garnish ($320) was an alluring dish and it was definitely our favourite that evening! The texture of the beef was ultra tender and impressively juicy. We just wish the sauce could be a bit on the sweeter side to help accentuate the enticing flavour of the beef!
(5) While the Lime and Banana Bar Crispy feulletine & praline with banana & lime mousse serve with vanilla ice cream ($88) was a cute and adorable dessert, the mousse wasn't creamy or rich enough to form a contrast with its crispy outer layer, and now it tasted more like a bar of chocolate.
Overall remarks: Our dinner at the Parlour has been filled with hits and misses -- the innovative dishes were punctuated by the not-so-well executed ones, and the hearty service marred by the absence of waiters--, but the Parlour's classy and historic ambiance remained to be the real draw to be admired. The restaurant's air of elegance made it close to impossible for us not to overlook its shortcomings and appreciate its soul-soothing environment and enjoy its ever-gripping glamour, and the Parlour has successfully left us both speechless and impressed.
Food: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Ambience: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Service: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
INFO
(2) The Steak Tartare "Au Couteau" ($170) was another accomplished starter. The sophistic presentation of this dish made its taste more dynamic than we expected. The beef was rich and decadent and the crispy fried potato added a nice kick to it. This dish was also served with Pomme paille and green salad, which balanced the taste of raw beef perfectly!
(3) For mains, the Birthday Boy ordered the Baked Hallibut Mushroom Provencal, with Fennel and Black Olive Ragout ($230). While the fish was nicely cooked and seasoned, it was almost overwhelmed by the taste of the accompanying sauce. The dish suffered from being too ambitious and unfortunately, the different elements of the dish somehow did not manage to come together to be a more polished dish.
(5) While the Lime and Banana Bar Crispy feulletine & praline with banana & lime mousse serve with vanilla ice cream ($88) was a cute and adorable dessert, the mousse wasn't creamy or rich enough to form a contrast with its crispy outer layer, and now it tasted more like a bar of chocolate.
Overall remarks: Our dinner at the Parlour has been filled with hits and misses -- the innovative dishes were punctuated by the not-so-well executed ones, and the hearty service marred by the absence of waiters--, but the Parlour's classy and historic ambiance remained to be the real draw to be admired. The restaurant's air of elegance made it close to impossible for us not to overlook its shortcomings and appreciate its soul-soothing environment and enjoy its ever-gripping glamour, and the Parlour has successfully left us both speechless and impressed.
Ambience: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Service: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
INFO
The Parlour (website)
G/F, main building, 1881 Heritage, Hullett House, 2A Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui 尖沙咀廣東道2A Hullett House主樓地下
Telephone: 3988 0101
G/F, main building, 1881 Heritage, Hullett House, 2A Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui 尖沙咀廣東道2A Hullett House主樓地下
Telephone: 3988 0101
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