Union J
First, let me state my bias: I am from New York and I was sitting at a table of homesick New Yorkers. When the short menu (six starters, six mains) was presented, one of the New York natives immediately said: “We’re back in the Lower East Side.” “No, more like Fort Greene,” said another.
They were referring to the culinary renaissance that’s occurred in New York City in recent years. The origins of the menu were revealed when we learned the chef’s old stomping ground was Williamsburg, Brooklyn – one of the original laboratories of New American cooking.
The menu here is not intimdating, not like Wylie Dufresne’s WD-50, which started NYC’s Lower East Side’s culinary movement. There are no molecular experimentations, but there is foam; the menu appears humble but took years to devise.
The two masterminds behind it are Eric Johnson and Jason Casey (thus, the Js), prodigies of Jean Georges in Shanghai. They’ve been in Hong Kong a matter of weeks and they’ve already caused Lan Kwai Fong to quiver.
As Allan Zeman reshuffles his theme restaurants in LKF, he is allowing new tenants such as Union J (backed by Paul Hsu of Elite Concepts) to take over sought-after real estate. And when the chefs are also the owners of a project, the difference is very evident. You can immediately feel the blood, sweat, and tears that have gone into the making of this place.
Everything is expertly prepared in the kitchen, from labouring over fresh fruit ice to top their appetisers to making their own pop (that’s soda in American speak). They’ve emptied out bottles of Blue Girl beer then refilled them with homemade fizz flavoured with the likes of green apple and edelflower (possibly the best use for Blue Girl).
Starters such as crab salad ($148), steak tartare with cherry olive tapenade ($148), and hamachi cubes with cucumber and wasabi ($138) set us up for the evening. Each dish has been made with craftsmanship honed through years of trial and error in fine kitchens. Some might be surprised to see the appetisers priced similarly to the mains, but we can understand why, given the ingredients, skill, and innovation that have gone into each. The steak tartare with tapenade was rich from the fat of the beef, creamy from the golden egg yolk, and salty from the olive. Simple, humble food executed very well. The crab salad wrapped in a sheet of apple (left) was naturally sweet and retrieved memories of summers in New England. But, by far, the hamachi with green apple-champagne-wasabi ice was the highlight. The quality of ingredients spoke for itself. The only introduction needed was a spoon.
If your mouth isn’t watering yet, here are the mains: pappardelle with braised lamb shoulder and fava beans ($168), USDA sirloin ($238), and scallops on a bed of sweet corn puree ($178).
A former butcher’s daughter sitting at the table had this to say: “We always had great cuts of meats in the house, so whenever I eat steak at restaurants it’s always been disappointing. Except this wasn’t.”
“The taste of the steak is much better than Lardos,” said another dining companion. In fact, the cut itself was a humble piece of Angus marinated with orange peel, garlic and other spices, which did not taste of the marinate, but somehow enhanced the beef flavour. The steak was sous vide to the exacting temperature of choice and seared to form a crust. The duck fat fries that accompanied the steak were a mild addiction. When I’m feeling down, I’ll want to eat this dish and I’ll want seconds. The pappardelle was more meat than pasta, with a hunk of lamb shoulder that broke at the crush of a fork. It was topped with crispy garlic and ginger for contrast. How are they doing this for $168?
We played “name that ingredient” with the sweet corn sauce that carried the plump sea scallops. Was it lemongrass? For sure. Ginger? Yup. Butter? Lots. Chef Johnson came over for a chat after the mains were cleared, as he did with other tables. “I cut the corn from the cob, sauté it with shallots and butter, then blend it with chilli, kaffir lime leaves, ginger and lemongrass,” he revealed.
Pastry chef Casey entered with a sampler of desserts: 70 per cent molten chocolate cake ($88), a watermelon, red berry and beets parfait topped with lychee foam ($68) and something called “ABC dessert” ($48), which arrived in a Chinese takeout box. Bias number two: I hate sweets, but I licked the box down to its paper seams. The swirls of raspberries, cheesecake and crumble were the stuff of childhood memories.
Our only criticism was the wine list. There are some decent ones, some old horses, some costing the price of jetting to dine in New York. It’s not bad but it could be less brat pack. For an innovative menu, we were hoping the wine list would be on par. Corkage is $300 a bottle.
My third bias: Union J's bar serves Maker’s Mark bourbon. This is the direct path to my heart. Not many restaurants or bars serve this Kentucky bourbon, and when they offer an alternative to Jim Beam or Wild Turkey, I get gitty. But personal bias aside, the bar is fully stocked and the juices are fresh pressed, so if you are looking for an alternative to the overstuffed, overly snooty Feather Boa for fresh made-to-order cocktails, then may we recommend Union J?
Angie Wong
1/F, California Tower, 30 D’Aguilar St, Central, 2537 2368. Mon-Fri, noon-3pm, 6pm-10.30pm. Sat, 6pm-10.30pm. Sun closed.
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It's a testament to the mediocrity of HK's dining scene that this place rates so rave a review. I found the lamb adequate and unmemorable. The above description of the scallops was one of the reasons I wanted to try here to begin with. So it was disappointing when three medium-ish, slightly rubbery scallops arrived in a puddle of buttery corn sauce. (We were so hungry afterward that we headed over to SoHo Junction for a chicken tikka pizza). The iced wasabi accompanying the hamachi was the highlight. But if you go, eat it fast -- otherwise it melts and leaves the poor hamachi cubes drowning in wet slush. Beyond that, nice spot to have an overpriced drink or two. But think I'll skip the food next time.
the starters were quite good but then the mains were not so great. There was a cod with herbs dish which just did not taste right; then there was a sirloin steak which was just fine, but the quality of the meat was obviously not top notch. what a disappointment.
I ate at this establishment a couple weeks ago and had a fantastic meal. Probably one of the best tomato salads i've ever had in my life. Just the creative element of a juicy halved heirloom tomato with the best wholemade 1,000 island dressing (more like 10,000 island dressing!) and paper shredded lettuce. Yummm! Then, although there was a slight service error handling our main course, the steak frites was fantastic. simple, clean FLAVORFUL. All the other dishes coming through also looked quite good and that's why i'm going back with my foodie friends. If you want chicken tika pizza, or mcDonalds, the Union J is not the right place for you. I will say, though, the wine list could be better. But try the Spanish Albarino or the American Pinot Noir, you won't be disappointed.
I had two things when i went: The steak tartare and the pumpkin and goat cheese starter. Both sublime.
I was in Hong kong for 4 days only, trying out restaurants as my main hobby. I HAD to go in Union J twice to feel the luxury of top simplicity. Shinning place in HK!
Reading the first 2 comments I can say I have seen some inconsistencies during the 10 or so visits I've made to UJ over their first 2 months. That said, it's still my favorite place for western food in HK at any price level. The kitchen is really hitting its rhythm now and the menu is starting to rotate frequently. There is no other place in HK to get good, clean, simple and thoughtful food like this. Great drinks too...
You know that the raters have not been around if this place is a 4-Star vs Ootoya a 1-Star rating. Obviously it's a real joke. I persoanlly find the quality of Ootoya MUCH better than this hyped-up copy cat menu place and frankly, its a lot better quality food in ootoya and the price is much better.
Service was great, atmosphere was super cool, but I was completely saddened by the food. It wasn't that the quality was bad or the cooking skills were wrong, it just tasted bad. Our apps were fine, but the mains just left us asking "why?" Beef Cheek with stringy fat, heavy red wine sauce and a Thai pomelo salad on top...?
We hosted our Wedding Party for 110 Guests at Union J on 24th October 2009. It is a great venue, with large windows giving a superb view of LKF from the spacious 1st Floor establishment of California Tower. From our first contact with Event Organisers Vera & Creamy and Chefs Eric & Jason, we were treated to an extremely friendly & professional service. In fact, the whole team at Union J could not do enough for Joyce & I - They were fantastic. Creamy & Eric delivered in spades, running up to the event, and on the night itself. From photo slide show to music - from decorations to packaging small pieces of wedding cake in "give-a-way" gift boxes - Every detail was taken care of - Creamy was magnificent and every guest commented on how good the hot & cold buffet was. The Bar staff & catering staff were efficient, friendly and professional - keeping our guests suitably refreshed throughout the evening. Thank you Union J - You made a very Special Day for my wife & I a truely wonderful experience. If you want to host a mid-sized event anywhere in Hong Kong, look no further than Union J
Point Break - A Perfect Bar Experience in NYC A local friend recommended and took my Cali group to this amazing bar. He said that mostly locals came here so I didn't really know what to expect ambiance wise... but screw it, the view at this bar was absolutely breathtaking! No joke. I felt like a celebrity w/ superstar treatment as the staff are friendly and amazing to say the very least. I don't know who the house DJ was but he definitely was playing music right up my alley. It would've been my dream for people to start dancing, but it's all good. It's a bit sceney for my taste, but it really didn't bother me much. the bartenders knew their stuff, although their 1st cocktail was a little weak, when he saw i understood cocktails the next 2 were stronger. I also liked that even though the place was really hopping the bartender remembered what i was drinking when i came to order another. (he also understood how good a gin hendricks is, and not to overpower it with the mixer). It was amazing to see their “das boot” which is shaped like a boot filled with beer. Don’t get me wrong, I am not drunk…it’s an actual boot shaped beer container ready to be emptied..try it ..you will love it!! Oh..how can I forget, they even have a wheel o' shots where you just have to spin it and have to drink whatever shot it lands on!! Now call that bar creativity at its best!!! We ordered the Veal and Fish Tacos. They were delicious. Mm! We ended up asking for spoons to polish off whatever remained in the platter. (Faux pas? Who cares as long as it gets in my tummy.) The fries were crispy, but not overcooked, just the way that I like them. So take in this scene: You walk in to what seems like an overly crowded place, but soon fine an empty table. Time seems to stop and the only indicator of the night moving on is the moon and your brain cells slowly going to bed forever. The music is not to loud and the people around look good, the only thing left for you to do is to enjoy that drink you paid ridiculously low for and laugh at the joke your co-worker just told. The vibe of the place just never seems to die out and if you happen to spot some NYC socialite, sports player, or star, don't let it get to you... because for that moment, this night they are no long more important than then you. In fact go up to them and introduce yourself! All in all just a great place to meet new people, or just have drinks with people you already know. I've been to numerous bars in the city but i would say this place is just great. Very welcoming staff, very laid back ambiance. I’ve been here twice after my first visit with my Cali group . I would say its worth the every penny you spend!!
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