Food and Beverage
Michael Taylor heads to the lobby bar of one of Hong Kong’s premier hotels and sinks his teeth into a decadent foie gras burger. Can he finish it? And what’s his verdict? Is it worth the calories?
I’ve had misgivings about eating foi gras ever since watching a documentary on how geese are force fed with metal tubes to cause their livers to grow abnormally large.
But when I caught wind of a gourmet burger promotion at George and Co., the lobby lounge at the Park Lane Hong Kong in Causeway Bay, I couldn’t help myself. I really wanted to try one to find and out what it would taste like.
By coincidence I was commissioned by a trade magazine to write a piece on foie gras. This was the excuse I needed to interview the chef – and try one of his creations – the ostentateously named Bull’s Tail and Foie Gras Burger, one of 6 gourmet hamburgers that had been launched in September 2014 as a special promotion.
The other gourmet burgers ran from terriyaki chicken, tandoori chicken, and Moroccan spiced lamb to a traditional hamburger and the Park Lane Burger, with prices running from HK$138 to HK$158.
The foie gras burger ran a breathtaking HK$208! That works out to US$26.82 at today’s exchange rate!
Foie Gras Burger
My eyes practically popped out of my head when the burger arrived. I could hardly get my mouth around it. I eventually gave up and used a fork and knife.
There was a broiled bull’s tail and ground rib eye patty topped with a fried egg and pan-fried foie gras – plus the usual accompaniments. And those mouth-watering French fries, which are among the best I’ve ever had.
When asked for his inspiration, Executive Chef Heinz-Jorg Funhoff said, “I wanted to make a tasty burger – something nice to eat without worrying about health or calories.”
I didn’t think it would be possible, but I managed to finish the whole thing – except for the top half of the bun.
If truth be told, I skipped both breakfast and lunch the next day – not out of guilt. I genuinely wasn’t hungry!
I had also had a very light lunch before my indulgent meal. So if I spread those calories out over a 36 hour period, it might not have been too much of an indulgence after all.
My verdict? Absolutelly yummy – especially washed down with that Erdinger Weissbrau, a very light German beer.
George and Co. serves German snacks, traditional bar food, bento boxes, roasts, pasta – the list goes on.
Where
The Park Lane Hong Kong, 310 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Telephone: +852 2293-8888. Hotel Website: The Park Lane Hong Kong
The hotel is located across the street from Victoria Park. It is within walking distance of the Causeway Bay MTR station and some of Hong Kong’s best shopping.
The hotel is a short taxi ride from the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Happy Valley Racecourse, Central, Admiralty, Western, Wanchai, North Points, and other sports on Hong Kong Island.