Nurrrrr-ishing dishes with style

26 July 2014: We were invited to a relatively newcomer to the restaurant scene in Hong Kong. Nur (www.nur.hk), by chef Nurdin Topham, who came to us with years of experience gained with Raymond Blanc at Le Manori Aux Quat' Saisons in the UK....and also Noma, Copenhagen.  The chef's philosophy is to treat fresh produce with respect and to use as much local fresh and organic produce as possible.  The décor, as the food, brought an immediate impression of lightness and freshness.  The tables were well spaced, but close enough to give a lively ambiance to the dining room.  There was a terrace and a single couple was brave enough to enjoy their meal in the humid heat.  The amuse-bouche platter looked almost like a platter of petits fours, so delightfully delicate and colourful!  There are two menus - we had the one called Light.

The Egg dish

The starter of Tomatoes was stunning, packed with sweet and fresh heirloom tomato flavours (all differently coloured) and intensely flavoured tomato water, delicately enhanced by a gossamer of basil essence.  This most refreshing starter was followed by a dish called Crab, which was king crab, pomelo and garden herbs (the herbs are grown on the terrace of the restaurant), another very refreshing creation, but enhanced with the bitter sweetness of the pomelo.  The Salmon dish that followed used organic Irish salmon, with cucumber, smoked buttermilk and dill. This went brilliantly with the 2010 Tasya Reserve, Grace Vineyard that our hosts brought!  Next was the Egg dish: Taiyouran egg, whole grains, shiitake mushroom, with garlic chive.  The warm and crusty house baked organic sourdough bread was gorgeous, spread with mushroom butter!  Two of us then had the Beef dish: roasted Mayura Wagyu skirt, served with black garlic paste.....and the other two had the same dish, replacing the beef with roasted beetroot, equally tasty and nicely textured, with the beetroot perfectly roasted!  Dessert was Watermelon: watermelon and rose, apple custard, sprinkled with pomegranate.  It did not sound like much, but the dish packed with freshness and intensity....very wholesome!  We left the restaurant feeling so 'well-fed', in the best sense possible, with such wholesome, fresh, tasty and artfully presented creations!

Watermelon!

We had brought our own wines but corkage was a little on the high side.  I did not have a chance to look at the wine list....I'll make sure I do that at our next visit, which hopefully will be very soon!