It’s been very difficult to catch up with all the new openings in Hong Kong for the past few months. These two restaurants, both from London, have also been the talk of the town. As they are both conveniently located in Central, I was determined to check them out during lunches.
GAUCHO
GAUCHO (what an interesting name.. in the Hong Kong context..) came all the way from London. It is an award-wining Argentine steakhouse. There are a number of Argentine steakhouses in Hong Kong, the other one I really like is Tango on Wyndham Street, in fact also from the same Dining Concepts group. So I was rather surprised that Dining Concepts opened yet another Argentine steakhouse as its own competitor.
There is something special about Argentine steaks – they are flame-grilled therefore locking all the juicy bits in the flavourful steak. I guess that sets Argentine steakhouses apart from other numerous steakhouses in town.
Business Lunch at Gaucho is quite a good deal – starting from HK$230 for a two courses lunch. You got to choose from a range of cold appetisers including the traditional ceviches and crab causitas and hot appetizers like empanadas. For mains, you may choose between fillet or sirloin, or non-steak dishes such as burger or fish.
The cheese balls offered on arrival definitely worth a mention. These warm and chewy balls are such great snacks to start your lunch with.
The Ecuadorian Ceviche was okay, but i would expect more from their signature dish. Maybe personally prefer ceviche with fish instead of shrimps.
For the steaks:
Peppered Medallion of Lomo – the fillet – it came with rocket and parmesan salad and balsamic sauce.
Churrasco de Chorizo – the sirloin. It was marinated and came with Tomato salad.
Both steaks were nicely flame-grilled. Flavourful as with all Argentine steaks. The fillet however was slightly salty. I think I relatively liked the sirloin more – a very juicy yummy piece of steak.
Gaucho’s interior is absolutely stylish – featuring its signature cowhide walls and chandeliers. Settings are great for business needs. With its rather reasonable deal for lunch and prime location in Central, I would definitely recommend Gaucho for business/ client lunches. Service was slightly slow though especially if everyone at your table are ordering steaks for mains.
Gaucho Hong Kong – 5/F, LHT Tower, 31 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong, +852 2386 8090, www.gauchorestaurants.com.hk
BREAD STREET KITCHEN & BAR
It took us a month to squeeze in a spot for lunch. It was almost impossible to get a spot for dinner. Following Jamie’s Italian hype, this Gordon Ramsay restaurant continued with the big hit of celebrity chef restaurants in Hong Kong.
Bread Street Kitchen & Bar – also from London (and also under Dining Concepts) – has an interior which is almost identical to that of London. I love the decors with bright yellow colour and checkered floor – a mix of vintage and modern style.
Lunch sets are not offered at Bread Street. They serve the same a la carte menu all day long – featuring mostly English dishes with a Ramsay twist.
Seabass Carpaccio ($138) was great – generous portion which was good enough to share between two. Mixed with a citrus dressing together with chunks of grapefruits and avocados. A refreshing appetizer.
Steamed Snapper ($208) was a great signature dish with perfectly cooked fish (again generous portion) in a shellfish dressing which brings out the sweet and freshness.
The Bread Street Kitchen short rib burger ($168) was however not particularly impressive. The look of the dish was entirely ordinary – just a plain burger with no sides on a white dish. The patty was good but I guess there are many places which can offer burgers of similar/ better quality.
I have been hearing similar comments about this place – some dishes were good while some dishes were particularly bad/ not as good – which I found it quite true.
Lunch for two with two appetizers and two main courses with no drinks would easily cost around $700-800 – probably not a place that you would visit very often, but you may still love to come and experience the vibe of Bread Street at least once sometime.
Bread Street Kitchen and Bar – M/F, LKF Hotel, 33 Wyndham St, Central, 2230 1800; http://diningconcepts.com/breadstreetkitchenbar
The Atlantic meager with saffron risotto was a delight ! The tomato salsa and bread crumbs matched well with the palette. 
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