Le Bistro Winebeast | Hong Kong

Rating: ❤❤❤❤1/2

Tired of paying 3-4 times more than retail prices for a bottle of wine at a restaurant? You won't have that problem here at Le Bistro Winebeast where the wine is priced exactly the same as their retail wine shop nearby. This is perfect for people like me who'd like a glass of wine to go with my food to make for a perfect meal without breaking the bank. 

Located on a side street next to the busy street market in Wan Chai, the restaurant looks and feels like a wine bar with mainly bar counter seating and two regular tables. Unfortunately sitting in a high chair at the bar wasn't very comfortable plus the restaurant was a bit cramped overall with limited space between seats. Lots of wine bottles were stored cleverly on the ceiling in racks as they try to maximize the limited space in the restaurant. 

For dinner, the restaurant offered a 4 course tasting menu for $448 with an optional wine pairing for only an additional $100! We decided to go for that so we didn't have to choose and it was a great way to explore what the kitchen has to offer.

Beef Tartare ($79) - I really wanted to try the beef tartare so we ordered this on top of the tasting menu. I love beef tartare but it will usually cost at least $200-$300 in HK for decent ones. Not only were the price at Le Bistro Winebeast reasonable, the quality of the beef tartare far surpassed my expectations as the beef was chunky while nicely seasoned (though we thought it was a bit heavy-handed with the mustard). We broke the yolk to mix it thoroughly with the beef and the result was just heavenly. For the price, this beef tartare was unbeatable! [4.5/5]

Ravioli of Duck Confit (5/5) - served with parmesan emulsion, the ravioli was very impressive with its paper-thin skin and flavorful fillings. As I dug my spoon further, I was pleasantly surprised to find a sweet potato, ginger and lemongrass puree on the bottom of the plate which served as a perfect contrast to the rich parmesan foam with its sweet and spicy flavors. As it turns out, the chef likes to use a lot of Asian spices in his dishes. 

Wine Pairing: Bourgueil Catherine & Pierre Breton Epaule Jete 2012

Brandade de Morue (4/5) - with pounded salt cod, potato puree, espellete pepper condiment and green apple julienne. The flavors were well-balanced and light while we found that the chef had used lemongrass in this dish as well which elevated the aroma and flavors of the puree. 

Wine Pairing: Costieres-de-Nimes Chateau Mourgues du Gres Les Galtes Dores 2010

Rossini Beef Fillet (3.5/5) - we ordered the beef fillet as medium rare as recommended but unfortunately the beef was a bit tough. I think it has to do more with the cut of the meat rather than the cooking. The pan-fried foie gras and black truffle jus were fantastic though as the flavors were just right while the browned vegetables were deliciously sweet.

Wine Pairing: Graves Clos Floridene Drapeaux de Floridene 2011

Candied Chestnut (4/5) - served with layers of vanilla emulsion, coffee ice cream and crispy ginger bread, the chestnut puree was rich and thick while the creme anglaise was silky smooth! The coffee ice cream was a bit hard though and could have been stronger in flavor to balance out the sweetness of the chestnut puree. 

Wine Pairing: Rivesaltes Chateau La Casenove Tuile 2007

Verdict - high quality food, reasonable prices, wine at retail price, no service charge - what are you waiting for? ;)

Le Bistro Winebeast

15 McGregor Street, Wan Chai
Tel: 2479 6833
https://www.wine-beast.com/le-bistro


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