Jonay Armas heads Principal – bringing with him experience from Michelin-starred restaurants in Spain, the principal quickly earned its first star within a year of opening.
Jonay Armas did good in incorporating contemporary and innovative elements to traditional dishes. Here in Hong Kong, giving a mild twist to familiar flavours would more likely be accepted by the crowd than introducing exotic and uncommon tastes.
Not every dish stood out for the dinner, and my favorites for the evening were the RAVIOLI Yolk, Panacetta, Parmentier and the two desserts. Wine buffs might be caught wide eyed with the notion of pairing fish with red wine. I appreciate the daring sommelier for doing just that with sea bream – it wasn’t a perfect match, but it doesn’t feel too out-of-place at all as the texture and flavour of the fish could actually be matched with a wine of a fuller body.
It’s a great place for a casual or semi-formal dinner. Though none of the dishes managed to “wow” me, overall it’s still a enjoyable dinner.
The Principal
Address: 9 Star Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2563 3444
Website: http://www.theprincipal.com.hk/
Visited on: 21 Sept, 2013
Price: Lunch $290-430; Dinner $1080 + wine pairing 500
Hours: Lunch 12:00 – 1:30 pm; Dinner 7:00-9:30pm
Chef de Cuisine: Jonay Armas
K's Luxe Dining Table 