Pondside: A Taste Ripple in the Urban Oasis, $680 for a Sparkling Summer Slow Meal

#Hotel level **📍Location:** Pondside, Hong Kong (Cafe + Restaurant - BAS) **🌿Keywords:** Lakeside Secret｜Creative Fusion Cuisine｜Chef’s Dessert Blind Box **💸Per Person:** HKD 340 (including service charge) --- **🌳 First Impression: An Urban Boundary Taken Over by Nature** Entering at noon on a Friday, it feels like stepping into a Monet painting—the floor-to-ceiling windows reveal a pond covered with water lilies, sunlight filtering through the glass roof casting leaf-shaped ripples on the rustic ceramic plates. The half-open kitchen wafts the aroma of grilled beef tongue, mingling with the rich bitterness of hand-brewed coffee to create a magical opening. **“Time here moves three beats slower than outside,”** a friend whispers. --- **🍽️ A Flavor Journey: From Thai Freshness to French Intensity** **▸ Starter: Thai Green Papaya Salad with Smoked Salmon ★★★★☆** A subversive duet! The shredded green papaya is crisp like spring bamboo shoots after rain, the fish sauce’s sour and spicy dressing is incredibly appetizing, and the **smoked salmon** is cut into thick strips, where smoky wood aroma meets fruity enzymes creating a forest vibe. The highlight is the sprinkled toasted coconut flakes, instantly adding Southeast Asian flair. **▸ Main Course 1: Thick-Cut Beef Tongue with Lemon Mustard Sauce +$30 ★★★★★** A gasp upon serving—**the beef tongue is a full 2cm thick**, pan-seared to a crackling crust like roast suckling pig, yet tender inside like foie gras. Pressing with knife and fork releases juicy meat essence, while the lemon mustard sauce cleverly balances the richness. The caramelized onions underneath are the hidden MVP, their sweetness elevating the meat’s aroma to the peak. Fellow carnivores exclaimed, “Best beef tongue in Hong Kong!” **▸ Main Course 2: Herb-Roasted Monkfish with Fresh Fruit Basket +$30 ★★★★☆** The “steak of the sea,” monkfish, arrives wrapped in bacon armor. The fish is snow-white and clove-shaped, its fat infused with smoky bacon aroma. Dipped in mango-pineapple salsa, salty, fresh, and fruity flavors dance on the tongue. The **fresh fruit basket** is no mere decoration: melon balls, dragon fruit, and blueberries provide a divine palate cleanser. **▸ Dessert: Chef’s Daily Cake Blind Box ★★★★★** Heart races as the dessert cart arrives! Chose the **“Caramel Sea Salt Chocolate Tart”**— ✓ Tart shell crisp as thin ice, 72% dark chocolate ganache falls like velvet ✓ Sea salt caramel sauce bursts on the tongue, surprisingly with popping candy! ✓ Side candied orange peel is handmade by the chef, its tartness pulls back from the sweetness cliff Scraping the plate with the fork, I see regret in my friend’s eyes: “Shouldn’t have shared...” **▸ Drink: Hand-Brewed Ethiopian Coffee (+$20) ★★★★☆** Jasmine-scented iced pour-over, acidity bright as morning dew on the pond, surprisingly effective at cutting through the richness of the beef tongue. --- **💡 Value Breakdown: Why $680 is Worth Every Penny** | Hidden Cost | Market Benchmark | Pondside’s Delivery | |-------------------|---------------------|-----------------------------| | **Thick-Cut Beef Tongue** | Japanese restaurant $200+/portion | 200g giant size + unique sauce | | **Monkfish** | French restaurant $300+ | Bacon preservation technique + fruit philosophy | | **Chef’s Dessert** | French patisserie $98/piece | Made fresh daily + triple flavor harmony | | **Lakeside Seating** | Hotel cafe +30% surcharge | Free photosynthesis with your meal | --- **🌿 Afterword: More Memorable Than the Taste...** When the server brought the complimentary post-meal tea—**butterfly pea flower lemon iced tea**, the purple-blue liquid turned pastel purple upon contact with lemon juice, koi fish seemed to leap out of the pond. Suddenly, the true meaning of the restaurant’s name became clear: > **“Gourmet food is like throwing a stone into a pond; the ripples eventually form the shape of memories.”** Looking back at the glass house under the blazing sun, it looked like a mint candy. A friend suddenly said, “Next Friday, shall we come back for another dessert blind box?” --- ### **Dining Tips** ❶ **Beef Tongue Lovers:** Limited to 10 portions daily, specify “thick cut” when booking ❷ **Dessert Strategy:** Dessert cart is fullest after 2 PM, sitting at the bar lets you sneak a peek at the chef’s creations ❸ **Money-Saving Tip:** Upgrade lunch set with dessert for +$48, saving $50 compared to ordering separately ❹ **Photo Hotspot:** Window seats with backlight are perfect for food photography, reservation code “near the water”