Rêver

Rever's latest spring menu is infused with a rich floral and fruity theme throughout – from the choice of aromatic ingredients and vibrant colors to the acidity and sweetness, as well as the garden-style plating. This is very much in line with Rever's identity – youthful, romantic, pursuing a sonnet-like rhythm and aesthetics.

Yet, life is not just a garden, and the vibrancy of spring is not limited to light floral and fruity notes. In this spring menu, I yearned to see something weightier, even if just a hint – the vigor that sprouts from being once displaced and finally seeing the transition from winter to spring, the life force born out of cold, pain, and confusion.

The leap from a "good" restaurant to a "great" one, within the realm of fusion cuisine, is perilous, and it is a leap of philosophy. Rever's current offerings are still shy of making this philosophical leap; without struggle, there's no breakthrough.

The meal starts with two tartares, three kinds of bread, followed by a petit four:

- The two tartares include raw beef adorned with green strawberries and a fruit radish with water chestnut julienne. The opening, with its sweet and sour notes – the beef likely marinated in a homemade vinaigrette – sets a refreshing tone with a hint of bitterness in the radish dish, laying the foundation for the menu.

- The three types of bread – grain, sourdough, and pastry – are served with Normandy butter and an oil-vinegar dip.

- The petit four is a biscuit filled with mixed cheese, dotted with black garlic and kumquat gel – one sweet, one sour. The biscuit is crispy, the cheese aromatic, but the flavors are restrained and endearing.

The first course, "Shellfish," features an array of seafood including scallops, geoduck, arctic shellfish, and white clams, paired with a lemon-green apple juice sauce harboring strands of seaweed. It retains the refreshing acidity with a marine feel but not the typical seafood flavor, presenting a French green hue.

The second course, "King Prawn Two Ways," both variations highlighting lemongrass. The tartare is seasoned with lemongrass and topped with a frozen lemongrass prawn head broth; the skewers are strung with lemongrass and seasoned with lemongrass oil. Lemongrass with prawn is an unusual pairing, and not one I'm particularly fond of; the strong presence seems to overpower, especially when combined with distinct ingredients like finger lime.

The third course, "Onion Soup," was one I initially resisted, but after tasting, it proved to be the best dish outside of dessert. The presentation is spring-like, resembling sprouting green branches and a garden path. While I typically disapprove of restaurants using fancy cookies for plating, Rever's soup is genuinely good, and the unique shape of the cookie earns my approval. Made from dried fish, dotted with ham, over pickled pearl onions, and served with a warm, creamy, non-irritating onion soup, it offers delightful surprises.

The fourth course, "Oyster," a Rever staple, is presented as oyster barley risotto. Although the concept of barley risotto was used last year, this iteration includes Daliang milk for flavor, making the texture creamy with a bite. The fully cooked oyster acts like a small blanket atop the risotto.

By this point, the menu feels like variations on a single dish, characterized by sweet and sour floral and fruity notes, milky flavors, blooming flowers, the freshness of lemon, the fragrance of herbs. While consistency is good, this menu tends to be somewhat monotonous.

The fifth course, "Cod," takes a traditional approach, akin to Japanese Saikyo-yaki, but I didn't detect the special aroma of Puning bean sauce. Instead, the evaporated sake and mirin were more pronounced. Accompanied by diced bamboo shoots and silver fungus, topped with a blue mussel foam – quite ordinary.

The sixth course, "Beijing Duck," is disappointing. First, it clashes with Ensue's long-standing plum duck, with highly similar flavors despite different presentations. Furthermore, it lacks the appearance and soul of Beijing duck – essential elements like the hot serving of tender meat and glistening skin are lost in French-style preparation. The duck, marinated in jasmine, chrysanthemum, and honey water, was devoid of floral notes, overshadowed by the strong taste of green plum sauce. The meat quality was mediocre, which is unfortunate for the Shenzhen farm (though the duck sausage was decent).

The seventh course, "Perilla," is a delightful dessert featuring yogurt ice cream in a rose shape, paired with a milk jelly encasing green apple and honeydew melon balls, topped with a transparent sugar sheet and decorated with white flowers. The sauce is perilla apple juice. This dessert excels in

color, aroma, and taste, standing out in the meal.

The eighth course, "Citrus," follows the refreshing dessert with a heavier touch. Peanut ice cream accompanied by citrus fruits and orange-flavored chocolate, crisp, cream, jam, and ice cream – a complex combination, as expected.