Making a culinary quest at The Principal

On a recent fine-dining "expedition" at The Principal in Wan Chai, we were taken on a global food tour including some quirky takes on street food by chef Jonay Armas. Using his knowledge and skill, and taking inspiration from his travels, the chef has created a 10-course menu with optional wine pairing for diners to explore.

"The Principal's new tasting menu reveals my inspirations and personality while also honoring my heritage," explains Armas. "This menu recalls personal journeys, my experiences with various cultures and my love for Asian and Western cuisines."

The meal officially begins with a three-piece selection of brioche-style Chinese bun filled with pork belly, a bite-sized Mexican taco and small bowl of laksa with eggplant. However, we started with a number of pre-tasting menu nibbles that were fun and tasty - crisp pina - colada balls made with rum and coconut cream, Parmesan cheese rolls, squid ink and tapioca crackers with eel cream, and a soft cooked smoked quail egg with a crunchy togarashi caramelized sugar topping. Needless to say, there was lots to take in right from the beginning of the meal. Everything was nibble-sized, so we didn't fill up too early on the starters.

The "Sea" plate is a lovely cold dish composed of sea urchin panna cotta, calamari tartare, fresh sea urchin, caviar and seaweed. It was naturally sweet and fresh seafood dish. The next dish from the sea, "Crab", was inspired by the fish market in Aberdeen. Made with locally-sourced crab steamed with olive oil and served with chive oil, leek consomme, dill oil, and wasabi ice, it was a beautifully presented dish with layers of flavor and texture.

IF YOU GO

The Principal

9 Star Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong. 852-2563-3444.

Cost per head: HK$890-1,080 ($115-139) (plus 10-percent service charge, not including wine)

Recommended: "The Expedition".