W52

Date of visit: 23rd December 2010 

W52 @ Central 

lunch menu

not a lot of choices, menu could be more 'fun' if you will, but then again if each one is well-executed, who am i to complain?? 

bread basket

very generous selection, I particularly enjoyed the grissini and the (sun-dried?) tomato-flavoured rolls (orange ones). The balsamic and olive oil that were poured for us were also great...the thick and luscious sweet vinegar - i loved! 

dip

this came with the bread basket, and we noticed that each table received different dips. I suspect this was their take on a baba ganoush, but the eggplant was hardly seasoned the whole dip was almost tasteless.... 

plate of antipasti

this was my first plate from the antipasti buffet, which included some seared tuna, grilled eggplant and squash, sauteed wild mushrooms, salad greens and a cucumber salad that was pre-dressed. Surprisingly, all the items were good, taste and quality wise. I happily polished a second plate of goodies from the buffet. 

"Hand-made taglierini with cauliflower ragout, anchovies and pecorino" 

This dish tasted incredibly light and healthy, not really what I'd like if I were ordering pasta but this was M's choice. Home-made pasta does not necessarily mean it is better than dried varieties, and I actually don't see anything wrong with using dried pastas, unless its a filled-pasta like ravioli. Having said that, I equally don't mind hand-made varieties so long as they retain a bite to them, or is 'al dente'. W52's did not disappoint in this matter, and I would happily return to try out their other pasta selections.... 

This particular dish was studded with cauliflower and the anchovies and pecorino were too subtle, which resulted in the above-mentioned too-light-a-flavour.

"Roast stuffed turkey with almonds and pomegranate"

This was a turkey roulade served with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. It was only two days till Christmas so I'm guessing this was put on the menu in light of the holidays. I love turkey and for some unknown reason this protein is harder to find in Hong Kong than, say in the US, so I went for it. 

This roll of turkey was half-white and half-dark meat, and rolled together with the roasted skin as the wrap. On top were some pomegranate seeds which didn't make much sense for me though I didn't mind them as a bit of textural difference. The meat was seasoned, so it was very flavourful and most importantly, moist. Now only if the skin was crispy....

The cranberry was studded with whole cranberries, and was very sour/tart which was quite nice together with the turkey if you like that sort of combination.

From clockwise, starting with top left corner: tiramisu, pear tart, profiterole, choux, blueberry cheesecake, two raspberry mille-feuilles, chocolate tort, bread pudding and a creme brulee in the centre.

All desserts are laid out next to the anti pasti buffet table, and the spread looked appetizing enough, so M and I decided we'd try out most of the choices - I think we had everything except for a strawberry panna cotta and fruits? 

Anyway, most of their desserts were surprisingly acceptable. I particularly liked the tiramisu, choux pastry and bread pudding. The chocolate torte was hardly chocolatey enough and was quite dry... Others, like the creme brulee and profiteroles were enjoyable enough.  

Our lovely meal ended with a cup of coffee for me, which wasn't bad. W52 serves pretty good antipasti for a lunch buffet style, and upon a recent re-visit to Bistecca (which had deteriorated a lot in quality and disappointing to say the least) I can definitely say I'd much rather come back here. 

Food: ♥♥♥♥ (antipasti and dessert), ♥♥♥ 1/2 (main)

Service: ♥♥♥

Price: $$$-$$$$

W52

G/F-3/F, 52 Wyndham St, Central

Tel: +852 6788 5252