The Pawn: Lunch with Me and Myself

Shop Info:
The Pawn
2-3/F, 62 Johnston Road, Wan Chai
http://www.thepawn.com.hk/

21 February 2012, Lunch (Restaurant Week HK)
~$290

Being true to this Locusts' crazy eating week, I booked lunch at The Pawn for myself so this is my turn to have a lunch with Me and Myself!  A quick tram ride away from office, this is a superb spot for a decent lunch during a busy day.  Frankly, I did not pay much attention to what the waitress was asking when she called to confirm the table - except that I wanted a table on the balcony.  And balcony it is.  I would argue that she gave me one of the best table on the premise.  Seated right at the corner of the 2/F balcony, I was close to yet away from the busy traffic below (and surprisingly not very noisy thanks to the glass balustrades) and had a very open view.

Better still, perhaps because not many people are willing to sit outdoor on this (still) rather cold day, I had my little section to myself for the whole lunch!  So nice...

This being a British pub, guess what bottled water they serve?  Nothing French of course!  This is "drawn from the aquifer within Blenheim Park (Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire)".  That might well be as British as you'll get.

The Britishness didn't end there.  On the back side of this little salt box, it actually says "sea salt flakes" instead of "Fleur de Sel"!

Anyway, the herbed bread was decent and warmed when served.  However, I did find the cold, hard butter which wouldn't spread to be somewhat annoying.  It would be much better if they warmed it up to room temperature.  But then again, the (unsalted) butter itself was quite bland and lacks the creaminess and richness one would expect of a good dollop of butter...

Marinated Tomatoes & Goat’s Cheese served with garlic toast & basil and rosemary oil

This starter was very nice.  The marinated tomatoes were packed full of flavour, with a distinct swetness and tanginess and is very juicy, which balanced quite well against the crunchy toast, which somehow managed to remain dry despite sitting underneath the tomatoes.  I couldn't really tell the "garlic" bit of the toast but with the fragrance of the basil and the oil it soaked and the creaminess of the cheese, every mouthful was a well balanced treat.  Personally I would prefer to have the tomatoes skinned though, removing the annoyance of having to chew through it and enhancing the contrast between the juicy tomato and the crunchy toast.

Coal-Grilled U.S. Nebraska Flat Iron Steak Rubbed with mustard & garlic served with spring onion mash & Port and Stilton Sauce

Whilst the staff didn't ask how I wanted the steak done, it came medium-rare, just how I'd like it.  The photo taken under strong sunlight here is rather deciving since it was actually quite pink / red in the core.  The steak itself could be better since the end bits were a bit dry, but otherwise as a whole it was moist and flavoursome.

I do feel, however, that the star is the mash.  The spring onion is a very nice touch, adding freshness which balanced the normally heavy mash.  Also, personally I'd prefer more butter in my mash (make it 50%!  haha), and maybe a bit more salty.  But then, that's where the sea salt flakes came in handy!  With that added, it was just soooo nice...

Honey Sponge & Ginger Ice Cream

The dessert was decent and the ginger flavour was there but not overpowering.  The sponge was on the dry side though.  Would not be my favourite dessert but couldn't really complain either...

The service here should be commended.  I have almost never seen a wait-staff standing around during lunch but somehow, whenever I finished the dish, somebody appear out of nowhere to pick it up and to serve the next.  I really like the way how you do feel undisturbed and at the same time the service doesn't drop.  The staff, from the lady calling to confirm the table to the girls greeting at the door to the bloke who told me I should go to the second floor instead of wandering on the first to the guy to the waiter who served me throughout my lunch, were all very courteous and friendly.  I do hope more restaurants have staff like theirs!

Now, as a side note, I suspect they've forgotten to charge me for the water...?  Should have added that back had I noticed...

Anyway, it was a really pleasant lunch and I'm sure I will be back to try their other dishes.

Summary (rated 1-5):
Food:  (4/5)  Very nice.  Well worth the money.
Service:  (4.5/5)  Very friendly staff who are actually ninjas and can conceal themselves.
Environment:  (4.5/5)  Might actually have been a 4, but loved the table I got!
Big Locust's Recommendation:  (4.5/5)  Worth visiting, and revisiting, and revisiting.  It's really quite good.