Isono Eatery &amp; Bar (Closed)

However familiar I am towards PMQ as the building often appears in my daily work, it was my first visit to the casual subset of the double-decked Mediterranean eatery, Isono. Being a novice in Mediterranean cuisine, I am still learning what exactly Basque cuisine is, but in a simpler form and what exactly Isono serves, is a mixture of Spanish, French and Italian cuisine.

Vasco, the fine-dining part of the double-decked eatery, serves truly Basque cuisine - Basque is in fact along the border of France and Spain. [Vasco will be replaced by the Drawing Room, a Michelin starred restaurant, in mid-May 2016.] To get a taste of Mediterranean menu designed by the Spanish chef Paolo Casagrande who previously worked in a two-Michelin-starred restaurant, a lunch within $200 per head is a worthwhile go.

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Upon arrival, one is led through a corridor before stepping into the restarant area. No need to be confused whether you go the right way to Isono or Vasco, as the latter one is accessed through the winding stairs inside Isono.

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In line with other fine-dining eateries under the restaurant group Drawing Concepts (like AMMO and ALMA), interior design is well taken care by Joyce Wang to immerse customers in the dining experience. One may associate ocean and vacation for "Mediterranean", but industrial chic design with shimmering bulbs, metallic steel columns and artisanal fittings create the casual ambience.

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I love this high-ceiling design that can be hardly seen in eateries in town. A similar one being a bar with such a high ceiling is Ping Pong 129, but the perfection cannot be attained without natural light seeping in.

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There are various kinds of seatings, including a communal wooden table that can host 12 people, stools around high tables which are suitable for a catchup drink, cosy sofa seats for a decent meal, last but not least, a balcony area with high privacy for smokers or those who want al fresco dining experience. There are also four VIP rooms that can host up to 10 people each.

Privacy is guaranteed as I can just peep through the holes for the balcony!

What motivates me for this visit is a practical discount - buy 1 get 1 free for 2-course lunch sets with Visa Signature credit cards. At the end, we ordered the 3-course option instead, which is $189, just that $159 is the maximum amount that can be freed. Even without the discount, $159 for 2 courses and $189 for 3 courses is acceptable given the status of Isono's famous chef and its word-of-mouth in Mediterranean cuisine. Compared to Vasco serving 2-course lunch sets at $349, this is a super good deal already.

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Not difficult to pick among several choices under each heading. The menu is vegetarian-friendly as there are options marked [V]. Appetizers come in 10 minutes after ordering.

Appetizer
- Japanese Hamachi w/ Tomato, Capers, Olives & Red Onion

It isn't hard to find sashimi in cuisines other than Japanese which is very often phrased as "tartare", but it is a rare gem in town to find Hamachi sashimi served with a western twist. Flint Bar & Grill at JW Marriott serves Hamachi Tartare with green apple, cucumber and soy-wasabi dressing, which doesn't deviate much from how Japanese usually serves sashimi. Serving with common ingredients in Turkish and Mediterranean salad, thin slices of raw Hamachi were decently placed on the plank with these being the sauce as well as something to garnish. Neither soy sauce nor wasabi is needed - these herbs can do the job well.

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Being a type of well-bred yellowtail, Hamachi (油甘魚/はまち) is strong in oily aroma and this is no exception. Having it thinly sliced to translucent form does avoid the bold and buttery texture being excessive. It has a sweet aftertaste and is well accompanied by the sweet and sour dressing - capers and olives contributing the briny and savory taste, while tomatoes giving the sweet and fresh highlight.

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- Marinated Beef Carpaccio w/ Zucchini, Mint & Orange Vinaigrette

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Beef Carpaccio is no stranger to Italian cuisine as one of the quintessential starters. I usually have it with rockets or arugula, but just had this Italian dish the first time in a French way.

Slices of paper-thin raw beef is delicate and fine, with equally thin slices of zucchini on top and Vinaigrette as the dressing, replacing the quick marinade of olive oil and lemon in traditional Italian form. While the dressing is light-bodied as well, what the dish displays is simply - delicate.

Marinated Beef Carpaccio

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Zucchini is similar to cucumber which gives a refreshing taste, but is not as crispy and juicy. Its mild taste well fits in as a bridge between velvety flavour of beef and fruity vinaigrette without overpowering the two. For the beef, although it is unknown that which part of the cow is used, there isn't much less fat and connective tissue which ensures you a lean and clean texture without being stringy.

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While you can argue that zucchini plays a highly similar role as rockets, the mint and orange vinaigrette should be the highlight that makes the most difference from its Italian form. It is a French word which is related to "vinaigre", the French word for Vinegar. Adding mint and orange instead of lemon zest, acidity is lower, thus giving a softer touch which is just right to blend into the beefy taste.

Bread Basket

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After having the appetizers, I pondered where the bread basket was. The crusty loaf already cut in slices came after popping such a question to the staff - not sure if this is left out. Having a crunchy crust and airy interior and dipping it into olive oil and vinegar which is placed on the table, it adds a fulfilling touch especially for men whom may not be satiated by Isono's lunch sets.

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Slow-cooked Suckling Pig Shank w/ Mashed Potatoes, Chorizo & Chives

We basically finished off the bread without plates, leaving bread crumbs all over the table. In fact it doesn't look hygienic to place cutlery on the bare table either, especially given the fact that my cutlery has been used and has to be re-used for my next dish...

Main course
- Slow-cooked Suckling Pig Shank w/ Mashed Potatoes, Chorizo & Chives

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I recalled the roasted suckling pig served with smashed potatoes and sauerkraut at Playa de Papagayo, a restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui for tapas brunch. This time, it is slow-cooked but not roasted, which doesn't make the exterior crispy but tender and melting instead.

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In a size of my fist (not big), the pig shank is laid on top of creamy-looking mashed potatoes, garnished by crumbs of chorizo and chives. Serving this in a red pot looks classic and makes me recall the craze of my female friends towards Le Creuset cookware.

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Slow-cooking or long-hour braising should be the best way to enjoy pig shank for its high collagen and melting texture. It is way more "muscular" than Chinese trotter (南乳豬手), but the similarity is that there is a layer of fat on the top. After having it slow-cooked, this layer of fat is nearly melting in my mouth with grease cooked out of the pork in the process.

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For the muscles, it is so tender and succulent that it is easily separated from the bone which is luckily not a thick one. It is somewhere near the texture of ribs in Chinese soup, but it is just right. Chorizo, a kind of Spanish sausage, gives a savory highlight.

For the mashed potatoes underneath, just like those served with snails, it melts in mouth without getting too buttery in taste after sopping up the potent sauce and grease of pork shank.

Homemade Tagliatelle w/ Bolognese

The only thing that can be criticized is the portion - it is fine for me but bet it won't be enough for a man as it comes as a main course.

- Homemade Tagliatelle w/ Bolognese

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My colleague goes for the pasta, which is a well-expected move of a male after I told him about the small portion of food here. To my surprise, this dish isn't really small and twirled decently with Bolognese and powdered cheese all over.

It seems not a worthy go to choose such a homely pasta dish as a main course, but a good Bolognese is what makes it a rare gem to be enjoyed. The sauce is just right (not too watery) to bind noodles together, not leaving much on the plate after finishing off the Tagliatelle, which is a type of pasta is great to be accompanied by meat-based sauces like Fettuccine.

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If you look for al dente pasta, this may not win your heart as there is still room for improvement for its texture - it can be cooked slightly longer as it tastes rather firm. A satiating dish still - taste is good but texture can be improved.

Dessert

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Tiramisu w/ Chocolate Crumbles

Being 80% full for the first two courses doesn't stop me from being decadent for desserts. To my total surprise, these two desserts give me a wow and I never expect that they are the best dishes for this visit.

- Tiramisu w/ Chocolate Crumbles

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Tiramisu comes in a small cup, with layers of white and brown clearly displayed at the cross section. Chocolate crumbles, mascarpone cream, ladyfingers soaked with coffee liquor and so on.

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Passionfruit Crème brûlée

What grabs my attention is slightly salted taste of chocolate crumbles on the top, possibly added with a hint of sea salt. It gives a refreshing and surprising taste among the sweetness of chocolate and bitterness of coffee liquor. Not a big fan of chocolate, I am more than happy to enjoy the tiramisu given that the level of sweetness is just fit and balanced.

- Passionfruit Crème brûlée

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Tiramisu isn't the climax yet - the passionfruit crème brûlée surprised me even more. The highlight is the slightly acidic twist by passionfruit aroma on the quintessential French dessert, which is normally in vanilla-flavoured custard base. LGB serves variations of crème brûlée, but never in passionfruit I bet?

Cracking through the burnt sugar, custard base looks as if it was in vanilla. The caramelised top is thick and crunchy, while the passionfruit base tastes soft like butter. Its slightly sour flavour and fruity aroma wins over the traditional vanilla one, as it balances off the buttermilk texture which may easily make one fed up.

The texture is not that airy and light, but luckily the plate is a flat one so the portion is just fit for an optimal craving.

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What come last are the two iced coffee that go with the lunch sets.

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To maximize the discount enjoyed, one can of course order two 2-course sets which give rise to less than $100 per head, but the extra amount spent to get two excellent desserts is such a good deal! Appetizers and main courses are doing good, but desserts are even performing better.

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The theatrical tapas bar which features gin and tonic should not be missed, but definitely has to be left for my second visit not during lunch time. One can grab postcards in the wooden box and stamps will be given if you order a cocktail - what a touristy idea!

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