Hong Kong - Sevva

In space scarce Hong Kong, Sevva would be ideal luxe home everybody dreams (not works since you would never get there on hard work alone) of having.  Huge terrace to chill and have drinks at (it's not a barbeque area although that might work..), a lounge to escape from the elements on the terrace, and generous dining areas well decked with fine tableware.  If the folks running the place ventured into full blown hospitality, I would be most curious to see what their rooms would look like.

Apart from the drinks, which I'm told are pretty good, Sevva is probably next best known for desserts created by Mrs B.  Creations at Sevva differ slightly from her cakery in a nearby location but it's all good.  The 2 I've tried on the 2 occasions I've been there are nothing short of pure bliss.  You know that the highest quality cream, flour and eggs went into producing them and you have no qualms licking every bit off the plate.  Best sweets I've had in a long time especially this part of the world.  And they are  some of the most photogenic in the world (not cut up as below but whole - there was a no photo policy at the cake counter though..)

Original Crunch Cake

Extremely light vanilla chiffon bound together by freshest cream and topped off with the childhood fave of honeycomb crunch..  remember Violet Crumble?  Yup, this is the adult refined version but just as addictive.

Chocolate Fudge Cake with Orange Marmalade

I love chocolate fudge but almost never finish one serving on cake since it gets cloying and heavy after a while.  Well, no problems with this one, and this is after a full dinner.  Speaks volumes (pun intended).  It's rich but not heavy and the real marmalade (it's not orange jam - cringe) made from simmering orange rind in sugar was a delightful complement and made every mouthful delectably easy on the palate.

Almost no one I know talks about the food at Sevva.  So one assumes it's just not that good.  But surprisingly, it isn't bad at all.  The food menu at Sevva is as varied as varied can be, and really looks like something you pull out of a good class hotel cafe.  With no particular cuisine theme, it huddles together what its kitchen is capable of pulling off pretty successfully.  From English to Chinese to Indian and hints of modern European, it's really quite an ideal place to entertain clients especially those you don't know too well.

On my first visit, I tried the Dosas - one with lamb and one with chicken.  Both exemplary in taste.  Don't expect traditional Indian but think of it as modern ingredients delivered in a thin crepe of Indian influence.

Lobster Crepe

At dinner this time, the appetiser of the lobster crepe was excellent.  A light but flavourful butter based sauce laced with alcohol from the Champagne or was it Cognac..  whatever it was, it was drizzled over a thin crepe and lobster which was fresh and just barely cooked to be succulent and juicy.

Breakfast Salad

Sevva has a page-long offering of warm salads.  And at least from the 2 I've tried, they taste as good as they sound.  The deep fried tofu salad is reminiscent of the classic Cantonese appetiser but tossed among salad leaves and quail eggs, it made for a very tasty meal in itself and you could almost fool yourself into thinking deep fried food can be healthy too..

The breakfast salad is no different.  With all the goodies we love from breakfast including 2 well deep fried pieces of streaky bacon, sausages, a coddled egg with a liquid centre, tossed among leafy greens and tomatoes, what you get is a well balanced meal of saturated fat and fibre.  Good!

Beef Pot Pie

The main of the beef pot pie, which was served with a flaky pastry cap, was pretty good but seemed blah against the rest of the meal.  Competent though and the use of ox tongue in some of the pieces was a nice touch too.  Taste wise competent but not mind blowingly so.  Given the extensive menu, it wouldn't be what I would order next time.

Overall, an excellent venue to enjoy whatever tickles your fancy in schmancy surrounds overlooking what makes the whole financial district of Hong Kong tick.

25/F Prince's Building
10 Chater Road
Central
Tel: +852-2537 1388