AC11 YUL-PVG September 2018
Off to a good start, the Champagne was properly chilled. And of course, so much better sharing with a friend
The
Smoked duck, soy daikon and edamame salad, cilantro, wasabi aioli, sesame seeds appetizer has been around for a few months now.
The garlic bread is a nice idea, and has been improving since its introduction in April, but ex-Canada I found the slices to consistently be low quality and by the time they reach my seat, often cold. Keeping the garlic bread warm in the metal container seems to be a challenge and I think AC should look into a solution because lukewarm garlic bread doesn't exactly scream premium service.
Nice presentation, but this appetizer just doesn't excite me very much, and I find it a bit dry and uninspired.
On the other hand, the
Miso sablefish, ginger fried rice, sugar snap peas, bok choy, XO sauce, is quite a nice dish and when not drowning in sauce, not overly salty either. I still think the original Sablefish from 2015 was the best dish Hawksworth created (along with the seared tuna appetizer), but this is a nice effort.
Cheese and fruit course:
I passed out for a few hours, and later on had the
Lemon cheesecake with raspberry lemon compote. Quite good, but the portions are so tiny, I had to ask for a double serving.
A few hours later, just as we are about to cross over Lake Baikal...
It's noodle time! Always better with a few packs of hot sauce, of course.
I did not partake in the pre-arrival meal, so no photos here, sorry. For those interested, the choices were either omelette, congee, or e-fu noodles with chicken, mushroom and green onion.