Unless you are really in-the-know, one seldom associate The Pawn with food. The British establishment, housed within a historical building in Wan Chai that was previously (surprise!) a pawnshop, is better known for being a good spot for drinks, what with its spacious bar area that occupies the second floor of the building.
In fact, it wasn’t until I was invited to The Pawn for a tasting dinner that I realised this place serve food. Great British food, at that. We were blessed with some very fair weather the night we visited, so the four of us were seated at the balcony on the third floor, which was cosy and rustic with a laid-back feel. It was one of those rare finds in Hong Kong where the restaurant has plenty of space – great for privacy and personal space – right smack in the middle of town.
To commemorate its fifth year anniversary, the good folks at The Pawn came up with a great, reasonably priced menu of modern British fare that serves four. To add more feel-good factor to their celebration, an optional $10 is added to every dinner bill (and $5 for lunch) to be donated to the local charity St. James’ Settlement.
The dinner kicked off with roasted pumpkin soup, served with rocket, coriander and crushed pumpkin seed. Perhaps it was in anticipation of the heavyweight dishes to come, the chef made the soup rather bland and not as thick as I preferred it to be. Thinking back to that evening, it was probably a very good thing we started off light, otherwise our wheels would be too greased for what to come.
The British starter selection was a work of genius. It was a selection of the finest starters The Pawn has served its clientele for the past five years, and the thoughts that was given to each rendition was apparent with every first bite. There were (clockwise, from the top) potted crab (creamy mashed crab of which I scooped up every last bit), Scotch egg (coated with some crispy venison meat batter, and served with its yolk runny – a very important point, I was told), beetroot salmon, ham hock terrine and duck & chicken parfait (tasted rich, almost foie gras like, and you know how much I loved that!).
After the somewhat heavy set of starters, the table was then cleared for some large dishes – a total of four different kind of meat, each distinct in its flavour and style. We were definitely in for a treat!
48-hours slow-cooked pork belly. Hands down, best piece of meat for the night. The slow-cooked pork belly was so soft, it came apart when I tried to, err, fork it. I swooned with my first bite into the juicy meat, but nothing prepared me for the crunchy awesomeness of the skin. I was told that the meat, after spending some 48-hours being slow cooked, was then put into a fiery oven so that the skin was roasted into the crispy perfection it was. No extra sauce needed. If only there was an extra piece…
USDA prime rib. A slab of meat grilled to a juicy tenderness that had me wanting three pieces, and more. I had to stop myself at two though; otherwise I would be too full to sample the remaining dishes.
Roast corn-fed chicken with black truffle & thyme. To be honest I found the chicken to be a tad too dry, and one couldn’t really taste the truffle. But it could be a case of the better meat dishes overwhelmed the senses, and the rest – like this rotisserie dish – tasted a little on the bland side.
Whole roast sea bass with fennel and mixed herbs. I simply love roasted whole fishes, and whenever I am eating out seafood restaurants, I always look at the menu looking for them. Alas, the sea bass – like the roast chicken – was a little light for my liking, lacking the aroma it should have since it was roasted with mixed herbs. Points for the fresh fish though.
We round of the night with a dessert platter. Of the four desserts available, my favorite was the brandy snaps. It was my first encounter with this mouth watering crispy biscuit with whipped cream, and I loved every single bite. Also on the platter was apple crumble with vanilla custard, strawberry eton mess, and lemon trifle shot.
For the price of $1,888, this set menu for four person is a total steal. Ask for a table at the balcony, sit back and tuck in as the friendly restaurant manager Andy Young and chef Terry Yeung work their magic on your dinner.
Note: This was an invited tasting session.
The Pawn
62 Johnston Road
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2866 3444
www.thepawn.com.hk