Salt. Its the single most important ingredient in a chefs repertoire, and one of the oldest methods of curing andpreserving, and the seasoning of food is arguably the important aspect of cooking or processing of food. And yet, its an incredibly under-emphasised ingredient. There is much more to salt and its use in food than white powder in a container on the table.
When Armani/Aqua in Hong Kong came up with a Salt Discovery Six Course Experience Menu designed to reinterpret the use of salts from around the world in food and expose guests to the intricacies and flavours of the different salts, we thought we would give this unique menu a try. Rarely has salt been the highlight of an entire menu, so this was not an opportunity to pass up.
Armani/Aqua, a couture meets cuisine collaboration between fashion designer Giorgio Armani and restaurant/bar specialists Aqua Group, is a design-conscious restaurant set within the confines of the large Armani/Chater House in the heart of Central in Hong Kong that also houses most of the brands under Armani as an Asian flagship store. With no view, the focus is purely on design.
Guests walk along an enclosed red-carpeted catwalk that leads to the red-toned restaurant, with the sleek, minimalist furniture that marries the best of east and west, designed exclusively for the restaurant by Armani/Casa, the fashion brands interior design line.
A central sushi bar (the restaurant serves both Italian and Japanese) splits the restaurant and provides a nice focus (a very large intimate lounge/bar area is available upstairs, tagged as Armani/Prive), while the table arrangement is well-spaced to allow for private conversations.
The restaurants cuisine is overseen by the very friendly and exuberant Executive Chef Andrea Magnano, and the restaurant itself is run by the equally bubbly Emanuele Gorla, both of whom sat down with us at various points during the meal to further explain the salts in detail.
The six course meal arrived as follows (salts highlighted in bold):
Three prawns
Three Botan prawns served on a block of Pink Himalayan salt with Amalfi lemon mayonnaise, clementine granite and a dusting of licorice, yellow Cypriot Saffron Salt
Duck two ways
Pan-fried duck foie gras and home cured ham seasoned with Viking Java Mix
Risotto rosso
Sicilian red prawn risotto, Maltese scampi & Malossol caviar served with Iranian Persian Blue Salt grated at the table
Vongole 2014
Italian clams, mussels and Spanish baby squid dusted with Hawaiian Black Lava Salt, served with organic tomatoes on homemade Zizzagne pasta and squid ink reduction
Slow-cooked black cod
Slow cooked black cod on organic cauliflower & buffalo ricotta cream, Alba white truffle oil and Vincentia foam, with Essencia Arbequina
Black Angus tagliata
96-hour grass fed Black Angus strip loin, served with warm rocket jelly and Saharan Hoarfrost
Some of the dishes were highlights, while others could do with minor improvements, but on the whole a very positive experience. The menu is most certainly worth a try, if at the very least to understand and learn more about the ingredient which has been responsible for preserving, curing, seasoning and even cooking food. It is as much an educational journey as it is a culinary one.
The menu, priced at HK$1,288 per person (plus 10% service charge) is available for an indeterminate period, although courses (and salts) may change over time depending on season and availability. In addition to the six course food menu, the restaurant also offers a selection of salt-based cocktails that complement the menu, available at HK$1,488 per person (plus service charge).
