Last Christmas we thought it would be a nice idea to visit Munich to enjoy the Christmas Markets and get us into the festive season. However, rather than sampling the markets we sampled the food, and it turned into a gastronomic holiday. On our final night we dined at Mark's Restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental. (A Michelin starred restaurant in the centre of the city.)
Before we got our starter we were treated to three amuse bouche. They were delicious, and actually better than the dessert, something I thought I would never hear myself say. My favourite one was the second one, which had wonderful Asian flavours. The sushi was delicious and I liked the wasabi and crème fraiche in a crispy cone.
Starter
I'm not usually too keen on soup for a starter but this soup was rich in flavour, butter nut squash and truffle, a beautiful colour and a nice wonton (which I think was lobster) on the top.
Main
The beef was cooked just how I liked it. The sides, potato, mustard, onion was okay, but did not really excite me or add to the dish. I did however like the French beans wrapped in ham and fried so the bacon was lovely and crispy. This was a good main, but not an excellent one.
Dessert
The poached pear had chocolate ganache running through the middle and toasted sesame seeds on the outside. The ice cream was sandwich by light biscuits and the dessert was finished with cold leaf. I was disappointed by the dessert. It could have been enhanced with a sauce, perhaps a rich caramel one, or some of the poaching juices. The dish needed to be sweeter. The 3 biscuits could have been filled with different flavours of ice cream. At the end of the dessert I was still craving something sweet.
The favours
They were nice, but I have had better.
Quality & Presentation of the Food
The savoury food was good, the desserts were average. The amuse bouche and the starter was the highlight. The food was beautifully presented. I had a delicious non-alcoholic cocktail followed by a glass of red wine. The red wine was really unpleasant; at 16 Euros I had hoped for something better.
Service & Ambience
The service was excellent. The waiting staff were all very friendly and helpful.
It is clear that they have thought carefully about the ambience of the restaurant. There is plenty of space between each table and therefore you feel that this is an intimate experience. We certainly did not feel rushed. The décor of the restaurant is nice.
Value of Money
For 3 courses, a non-alcoholic cocktail and a glass of wine, it came to about 90 Euros. A nice experience for our trip to Munich, but it is not a restaurant I would return to.
**
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