Dinner at Mercedes Me and Lunch at Fuku by Nishimura

I guess I've been on a bit of a going out/client development kick lately, as I went to dinner at Mercedes Me and then lunch at Fuku by Nishimura back to back.  I couldn't really take pictures of the food, but I did manage to get a few snaps of the setting while there.

Yes - this is a restaurant owned by the car company, Mercedes.  It is located on Queens' Road Central right at one of the busiest intersections in Hong Kong.

 The food was pretty good, though I don't think I would have gone out of my way to try this kind of place.  The tapas ranged from raw to cooked, we had oysters, tuna, fresh burrata, croquettes, steak tartare, fried shrimp rolls, grilled octopus, grilled eggplant, lamb chops, beef over red pepper glaze, foie gras fried rice... the list went on and on.

My main issue with the place was the atmosphere.  It felt very corporate, and the wall of pictures of cars, plus a video screen showing car commercials the whole time, was distracting and very nearly disturbing.

 This window provides fantastic people watching in Hong Kong - I did like the sunken vantage point of the street.

And to illustrate my point perfectly, pictured here is the most over-the-top fixture of the restaurant - a brand new car, rotating on a platform, in the back.  Just because.

This was my second time at Fuku, and I really like the zen feel of the space.

 The booths are comfortable, well lit, and cozy.  

 The sushi bar is also very intimate.

I had a lovely lunch here, catching up with a friend, opting for their set lunch with salmon, scallops, sea urchin and salmon roe, atop a bed of rice with shredded seaweed, ginger, burdock root and pickled turnip.  Their fish is pretty fresh, although I preferred the sushi set that I had the last time.  I hope I get to come here again soon. I would love to try a tasting menu at the bar!