“Ham and Cheese” at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong’s The Krug Room.
Photo Courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
A leg of ham became one of our most-talked about Instagram stars of 2015 when we posted the below video on @ForbesTravelGuide. Of course, this was no ordinary ham, but a brilliant fake-out from The Krug Room, an innovative Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star restaurant inside Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong. It’s actually not meat at all but ice cream.
Called “Ham and Cheese,” the dish is layers of vanilla, strawberry and chocolate ice cream molded into the shape of a prosciutto ham leg that’s all wrapped in a skin made from a white chocolate coating.
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At the Hong Kong restaurant, right when you think it’s time for dessert, the meat is trotted out tableside and carved using a knife, just as a butcher would to a prosciutto leg. The “ham” slices are then served alongside a warm baked cheesecake in a cheese box and housemade strawberry jam.
“My team and I wanted to create something fun for our guest and give them a ‘wow’ moment,” says The Krug Room chef Uwe Opocensky, who was the mastermind behind the clever treat. “We wanted to offer them a dish that was the opposite of what would be expected to finish off their meal with. As with every dish at The Krug Room, what you eat may not look like what is presented in front of you.”
According to a restaurant representative, “Ham and Cheese” is a hit with diners, who are surprised when they find out about the deceptive-looking dessert. Though they shouldn’t be too shocked — Opocensky consistently challenges palates with creative, other-the-top dishes at the exclusive 12-seat restaurant. One other recent meal ended with an edible garden made of chocolate crumb dirt, yogurt leaves, carrots made of cake and tiny flowers that ran the length of the table.
Did this Five-Star dessert make you do a double take? Share your thoughts of “Ham and Cheese” on our post at @ForbesTravelGuide.
