COCONUTS HOTSPOT – Once there was a cool eatery called JW’s California that was a Hong Kong hit with its fusion cuisine and sushi bar. That was in the 90s. This is now and the space in the JW Marriott Hotel has been transformed into a comfort food enclave called Flint Grill & Bar.
The look is now high-end industrial chic, indelibly as masculine as the hearty menu’s reliance on steaks, grilled seafood and root veg sides. Flint, named after the sparks producing alloy, wants to be a neighbourhood diner, with a cocktail bar in the front, in a five-star hotel.
“Flint is a modern day grill restaurant,” says resident manager Richard Taffs, who runs the hotel’s hospitality outlets. “It’s the sort of restaurant you wouldn’t necessarily find in hotels. We wanted to buck the hotel concept. It’s not formal dining. Our competition are stand alone restaurants like The Blue Butcher and Lily & Bloom.”
From initial inspection, it’s clear the place is not designed for light nibblers. Imported German chef Sven Wunram is a jovial dude and the menu reflects his large personality. Portions are big, flavours are bold and the presentation is far from dainty.
There are no salads or pastas for main course on the menu (although the day’s specials included a black truffle risotto). The few roughage options are small sides or appetizers. However, even a veg choice like the Tomato Salad (HK$120) is weighted down by too much blue cheese dressing. The Organic Beets (HK$130) is paired with an equally strong goat cheese and mache lettuce, some of which are bunched instead of separated into leaves. Both salads would benefit from a lighter touch.
For the manly man, the grilled beefs include USDA Prime Nebraska rib-eye (12oz, HK$380) and tenderloin (8oz, HK$350), Nebraska 63 days dried aged on the bone rib-eye (20oz, HK$580) and New York strip (14oz, HK$480), Wagyu 8+ in New York strip (10oz, HK$480) and tenderloin (8oz, HK$500), and a Linz Heritage Prime Angus sirloin (20oz, HK$680, recommended for two people).
A nice pork dish is the Six Point Berkshire Black Pork Chop (HK$280) crusted with highly fragrant fennel seed. The licorice-like spice makes the meat sweeter even if you don’t slather on apple compote. The rarely available Dover Sole (HK$480) appears here grilled in its 16oz entirety with brown butter, parsley and capers. It’s good, but again, a more delicate treatment of such a fish is probably more appealing to Hong Kong palettes.
Pork Burger
Not on the dinner menu but already developing nice word of mouth is a pork burger available on the lunch sets. After convincing chef Wunram to make us one, we can understand the appeal. The filling is Iberico rib meat pulled from the bone. There is much texture to the crispy edges without the usually fattiness. It is served with a chipotle mayonnaise, a hint of parmesan and a leaf or two of arugula. But the meat is so delectable, you don’t really need the dressing. The toasted bun topped with sunflower and sesame seeds is enough. Flint is considering adding it for dinner. That would be a good decision.
FIND IT
Flint Grill & Bar
Level 5, JW Marriott Hotel
Pacific Place, 88 Queensway
Tel: 2810 8366
