I DON'T get out to Sai Kung or Clearwater Bay that much: in five years I can still count the number of times on one hand. So when a resident called me and suggested I try one of the new restaurants in the area I thought, why not? I had never heard of Mirage (it opened last September) but apparently it was a favourite in the Silverstrand area.
Its location on the seventh level of Silverstrand Mart didn't bode well. Although the parking was convenient and the restaurant easy to find, I had always been wary of restaurants in malls as they rarely rose beyond mediocrity. But Mirage was definitely better than that.
The restaurant offers an equal mix of Chiuchow and Thai dishes, reflecting the experience of its chefs. Spicy dishes are all marked with one, two or three red peppers. I found the categorisation conservative but you can tell them to make dishes hotter when you order. The chefs are from Bangkok and they'll be more than happy to make it authentically, searingly, hot for you.
We went to Mirage on a cool January evening so we couldn't enjoy one of the best things on offer - the rooftop garden and barbecue with its pleasant view of Port Shelter. When the weather permits, they will offer a happy hour up here complete with appetisers.
We ate in the main dining room, an earthy space with terracotta tiling and natural colours on the walls and ceiling with a smattering of artwork. It's a bit bright and not really the kind of place you will want to go for a romantic evening.
My table of five started with four kinds of appetisers: deep-fried Thai spring rolls ($30), deep-fried fish cakes with cucumber sauce ($46), an excellent deep-fried fillet of chicken in pandanus leaf ($46), and spicy and sour boneless chicken feet salad ($46). These were served on a big platter with three different sauces. Next up was tom yum kung, Thailand's famous spicy and sour soup with prawn. It's great here, just bordering on the ultra-hot.