Black Salt, Sai Ying Pun

Black Salt is a frustratingly brilliant restaurant; it came so close to being one of the best meals I’ve had in Hong Kong but fell down due to some wholly preventable errors. Little things, nothing major, but with food as good as what’s coming out of that kitchen it did rather spoil the evening. Hopefully when I go back, and by god I will be back, these will have been ironed out.

The Scot, myself and a couple of pals ventured down to the quite spot in Sai Ying Pun where Black Salt is located. We would all of us been very content to have sat outside the main restaurant for the entire evening struggling to put the world to rights. The smell gliding down from the kitchen enticing you in, silence befalling the table whenever a waiter walked past, necks craning to get a look at was on offer, hoping that dish would be yours. Sadly, it was at the beginning where we encountered our first precursor to the errors that would befall our evening. We were told upon making the booking we would only have a two-hour window for our dinner, not a problem, with food of the quality that is being produced by Black Salt one expects it to be busy. We ordered quickly enough from an excellent menu full of modern interpretations of Indian food, thinking about that menu makes me want to go back immediately, ordered a bottle from a short but well managed wine list and settled in for the next couple of hours.

The wine arrived, yes all very good, the waiter takes it over to a wine bucket, yes all very good, and then leaves it there for the entire evening, not so very good. I have no problem having to pour my own wine in fact I prefer it. What I do mind is having to get up and walk over to get the wine every time I want a drink! Leave on or near the table if its not table service. Not a major issue, we soldiered on. But upon stretching for the first top up we noticed there was no ice or water in the bucket to keep the wine cooled, something which is desperately needed in the thirst inducing heat of Hong Kong summer. No matter, surely we can ask our waiter and the problem will be sorted…..it wasn’t.

As you can see, little things. Nothing hugely wrong yet, fingers crossed the food could make up for it… and in no uncertain terms it did just that. This kitchen produces some utterly stupendous food. The Chef has the rare ability to combine traditional techniques and spice combinations with unexpected twists and turns. Exploiting conventional flavours found in the Indian sub continent, the chef is able make some truly outstanding food.

We started with the Scallop Samosa Saltimbocca, as there were 4 of us we were given an extra one (service wasn’t all bad). Unlike any other Samosa I’ve ever tried I could have been quite happy to eat these by the shell load. Crunchy, flaky pastry wrapped up by a comforting, salty blanket of iberico ham. Bloated with oh so moorish scallop stuffing and a crowning glory was a thin slither of additional scallop topped off with a jewel of mint chimichurri. Truly outstanding.

We then moved onto a couple of other ‘short plates’ including a take on Char Siu and a innovative Kothu Roti. The Char Siu was glimmering golden and red rises of pork belly served on a golden bed chuck full of spices and white crab meat. A unique take on surf and turf combing Chinese pork and Indian style spicing. The pork melted in the mouth, the fat (always the best bit of a piggy) coated the mouth and then the full whack of sweet crab meat promptly reminded you of of the chefs mastery of spice. The roti wasn’t half bad either, I’ve never had jack fruit taking the antiquated view that nothing could replace a piece of meaty protein. Oh how wrong I was. Having been fortunate enough to of been to Sri Lanka this brought back some fund memories.

I feel the need to interject here, yes whilst the food was lovely (and it was about to get a whole lot better) we were served our samosa’s quickly and then had long wait for the rest of our food. In the two hours we were sat one dish arrived within 45 mins and everything else came within the last 30. We were rushed which we did not want to be considering the high quality food on offer.

We belatedly moved onto the ‘long plates’ with a “Lamb Rhapsody” and a “Petit Poulet Tikki Masala”. Starting with the chicken it arrived bathed in a rich curry sauce and we were given a knife to carve with. Instead opting for a spoon, the chicken quite literally fell apart at the slightest touch. We quickly opted for fingers and within minutes there was nothing left but bones. One of the best was saved till last. The lamb dish featured a trio of lamb cooked different ways. The rump came served flecked with pomegranate seeds with the lamb the same rich ruby red as the seeds. This was smothered in a mint chimichurri that offset the wonderful depth of the curry sauce. The ribs were bbq’d until collapsing under any pressure. The meat sweet as you like. The shank was slowed cooked and then served into roti rolls. Utterly incomparable to anything else I’ve eaten.

Sadly, the night came to a pre-mature end with the short seating time but what an experience. My hat goes off to the kitchen staff but sadly the waiting staff may require a little more experience.

Love,

The Galloping Ginger

P.S. I apologise for the serious lack of respectable photos here but it was near impossible to keep everyone from devouring the food let alone give me time to take a good photo.

Black Salt

14 Fuk Sau Lane, Sai Ying Pun

http://www.blacksalt.com.hk