Ta Vie

Have you been to Ta Vie- on the second floor of The Pottinger?

It's pretty much Japanese / French fusion and though highly rated, is not well known.  

We opted for the Tasting Menu which consisted of eight courses, ranging from oysters to beef to duck.  

Here's a bit of a tasting journey. 

We started off with a Smelly Pear Cocktail- heady mix of Pear liqueur, lime juice and soda.  Very fragrant and refreshing.  

Next up was the abalone. Super fresh and served on a bed of baby greens.  All the food was artfully presented on beautiful handmade plates of ceramics and glass.  

Guess what this was, hiding behind a crisp? Okay, you'll never guess- cod milt. What you say? 

Milt is the seminal sac of fish and tastes very much like brains, but fishier. I never knew this but milt is a delicacy not only in Japan, but in Russia and Romania too. 

Nasty Bits columnist, ChiChi Wang recommends you fry it lightly in oil. I think it might taste good prepared the French way in a black butter sauce.  

Here's a closer view. 

A gorgeous squid and black ink egg custard. The radish was lovely and crunchy and added that bit of bitterness to the smooth custard.  

This menu was definitely for seafood lovers and those not watching their cholesterol.  Some langoustine with a cabbage tortellini.  

This was a bit of a highlight- the oyster wrapped in wagyu beef with celeriac purée. 

My favourite plate.  It was like a slick drop of oil.  On it was pigeon and chicory, topped with dried and crumbled mandarin. 

This wasn't on the menu so it was a bit of  a surprise, but pasta is always welcome!  

There was a crepes suzette. Probably the most boring thing on the menu. I like mine flamed! Sorry about the horrible lighting...

And finally a chestnut Mont Blanc. 

I really enjoyed the tea at the end- a blend of mint, lemongrass and pandan leaf. 

The wines by the glass were a but disappointing. Only one choice- a Japanese red but it was smooth and light. 

The tasting menu is HKD 1880 per person.