13. November 2015: Restaurant Cafe Gray Déluxe
The Cafe Gray Déluxe belongs to the best ranked restaurants in Hong Kong but frankly for me it was a bit hyped. I decided to go for the tasting menu (725 HKD) which started with “octopus confit, black garlic aioli, cucumbers and sechuan pepper” which sounded incredibly interesting and I must admit that the octopus was smooth and the combination of the cucumbers with the sechuan pepper with the black garlic aioli was an intense and pleasurable one.
The second course was “pan seared king salmon, teriyaki, spiced soba noodles, broccoli” and while the salmon with teriyaki sauce was tasty the dish overall lacked a bit in being special. It was a simple and good salmon in teriyaki sauce but not much more.
The main course was “wagyu beef brisket stroganoff, beets, pickles and sour cream” which was again quite fine but lacked somehow the surprising element.
The dessert was simple – “mandarin soufflé served in their shells, Grand Marnier, bitter chocolate sorbet” and I liked the bitter chocolate sorbet quite a lot as it was having the consistency of sorbet (at least to some degree) with having a typical ice cream flavour.
The “bread & spread” which was served initially was rather simple but good to bridge the time until the first course was served.
However, the chocolates at the end really helped to tickle your taste buds one last time and we ended up finishing these chocolates despite the four previous courses.
You actually get quite decent vines if you are willing to spend some money like a “Pinot Grigio, Schiopetta, Collio, Friuli, Italy, 2013” as an apéro wine (400 HKD) or a “Bricco dell’Uccellone, Asti, 2009” for the main courses (1’200 HKD).
The view from the Cafe Gray Déluxe is marvelous as you are located on the 29th floor and you get to see onto the harbour. However, if you want to be sure to get such a table make sure you mention that in the reservation (also: you have to book in advance as last minute there is probably no table available). In general, the atmosphere is quite okay but it feels really like a place where the rich people go to see and to be seen. Somehow not really creating a comfortable atmosphere.
The service is very dedicated, very much trying to do their best and they succeed to a large degree but when it comes to some small details like making sure your glass of water or your wineglass is never empty, they fail which I would not expect from such a restaurant.
Overall, it is a safe bet to get something good for a rather high price in Hong Kong if you go the Cafe Gray Déluxe. But if you want to experience the real Hong Kong, I would not recommend you to go here.
Rating:
| Atmosphere: |   |
| Service: |  |
| Dishes: | |
| Price-Performance Ratio: | |
| Overall Rating: | |
Contact Details:
Restaurant Cafe Gray Déluxe
J W Marriott Hotel Hong Kong Cum
The Upper House, Pacific Place
88 Queensway
Hong Kong (CN)
Tel.: +852 3968 1106
E-Mail: info@cafegrayhk.com
Homepage: http://www.cafegrayhk.com
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
