This Michelin 2-star French restaurant is located on 3/F of The St. Regis Hong Kong, led by Chef Oliver Elzer. My last visit was already four years ago, and I was surprised the staff greet and welcome us back, apparently having kept records of all prior visits.
Seated comfortably at a large table, the décor and ambience has not changed much from my memory, with a premium and refined vibe, elegantly furnished with everything carefully arranged to create an ambience suitable for special occasions.
We have chosen Les Heritages ($2,988 each), with also the 7-Glass Wine Experience ($1,888). To start, I have an additional glass of Pierre Gimonnet Oger Grand Cru ($320). The chef has prepared some Israel Spice Crisps, together with a dipping sauce made of shallot and vinegar emulsion. A nice snack to enjoy with the aperitif.
The Amuse Bouche is a Duck Terrine, with a layer of foie gras on top, plus some slices of peach. The terrine and foie gras are immensely flavourful, with a creamy softness in contrast to the crunchy bite of the peach. Interesting and delicious, a very good start.
A ‘new’ service which I did not experience in the last visit is that the butter is prepared tableside, by scooping some prized caviar to put inside the scooped house made butter, which has been mixed with Champagne, to enjoy with the brioche, sourdough and batard. They are so good I cannot help finishing all the bread even before the first course.
To pair with the food, the first wine is Pierre Brocard Coteaux Champenois Blanc 2021. An interesting choice, a still wine from Champagne with a 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc, it has good acidity and minerality, plus some ripe fruity notes. A good match with the razor clams in the first course.
Presented on a long dish is Le Caviar Oscietre Perseus. Featuring Brittany razor clams ‘a la mariniere’, it is served in two ways. First, on a puff pastry, are the thinly sliced clam protrusion, with jelly in the middle, scattered with dried caviar on top, resembling a sunflower. The other highlights the high quality ‘No. 2 Superior Oscietre’. On the razor clam shell is the smooth, rich flavour pressed caviar cream, with additional caviar on top, plus some lightly seared razor clam slices. The flavours are amazing, the clam is sweet in umami with a crunchy bite, while the caviar is smooth and has a wonderful touch of brine and elegant in taste. A dish that is fit to serve to the royals.
The second wine is Pierre Menard Laika 2022. The Anjou producer uses old Sauvignon Blanc vines to make this wine, with a nice floral and quince nose, evolving to more stone fruit. Fresh with a good length, it has a riper fruity note than the typical Sancerre to pair well with the prawn in the second course.
One of the other signature dishes of the restaurant is L’oursin d’Hokkaido. Inspired by a dish from the renowned Joel Robuchon, whom Chef Oliver has worked with, the beautiful and delicious Hokkaido sea urchin is arranged and served beautifully in a caviar box, on top of the sweet and flavourful gamberoni prawn tartare, mixed with some finely chopped crunchy fennel for texture. With some chives scattered on top for additional fragrance and decoration, each spoon is pure wonders and enjoyment. Not to be missed.
The third wine is Domaine de la Nouvelle Donne Neo Nervis. A nice Languedoc biodynamic wine made from Macabeo grapes, it has more body than the last few to match with the food, plus good minerality and citrus, with also flinty notes on the palate.
The La Maison Nordique Caviar Oscietre Imperial de Sologne is another piece of art. Sandwiched between the meaty and bouncy textured blue lobster that has been slow cooked and then pan-fried in clarified butter, are brandy ‘blanc manger’, with a gelatin texture. Underneath is the lobster sauce seasoned with tandoori masala spices, with some caviar on top. The elegant, sweet taste of lobster combining with the slight spiciness in the sauce is memorable and excellent in taste.
The fourth wine is from Italy, Cantine I Favati, Greco di Tufo Terrantica Etichetta Bianca. Made with 100% Greco Bianco, an old variety that originally was cultivated on the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius, this wine has shown some oxidation characters in addition to mostly citrus and orange blossoms, plus yellow fruit. Good acidity and body to match with the fish.
Ombrine de Mediterranee features line-caught ombrine from the Mediterranean Sea, a type of croaker known for its high-quality meat. On the beautifully grilled and seasoned fish steak are some lemon condiments to give acidity to freshen the palate, with the chef adding some tender chili leaf as the side. Together with the delicious butter sauce the rich fish flavours are elevated wonderfully.
The fifth wine is Nicolas Reau Garance from Chinon, a natural wine made from Cabernet Franc, macerated for three weeks without any chemical additions and then aged in old foudres for 18 months. The herbaceous characters match well with pork in the main course, with the red fruit also complement with the sauce.
For the main we have a choice of pork or beef. Both of us chose Le Porc Iberique ‘Joselito’, with the prized Joselito Iberico pork slow cooked and then glazed with butter to give a caramelized surface, while keeping the flesh perfectly medium rare, juicy and tender. The watercress is prepared in both puree and stir-fried format on the side, with raspberry condiment, pork garlic emulsion, and pork jus combining to give a harmonious symphony. Together with a small snack with braised beef cheek in tiny taco wrap with watercress on top. Excellent on all fronts.
The sixth wine is La Maison Romane Manoir du Bais 2013. A nice twist to use cider instead of wine, this bottle comes from Cote du Nuits, with deep notes of ripe apples, aromatic spices and ginger. A lighter and refreshing match with the first dessert.
La Douceur Surprise, the pastry chef’s surprise delicacy, uses French figs for different texture. With almond crisp at the bottom, holding the fig sorbet, and surrounded by fresh fig slices, there is berry jelly sheet on top, with poached fig, vanilla cream, and fig jam creating a pyramid of flavours, stylistically showcasing the different elements using fig as the core. Creative in the idea, and amazing in taste.
The seventh and last wine is Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 2017. From a renowned port producer in Douro, the young port has a good balance, without feeling too heady in alcohol or sweet, having an abundance of black and red fruit, as well as cocoa characters, to match with the souffle.
For the dessert there are two choices as well. I picked Le Chocolat, using 76% single-origin bitter chocolate to prepare a souffle, with chocolate sauce added inside to bring a contrast in texture. On top is a cherry sorbet to provide the acidity to balance, infusing into the souffle as it melts. An indulgent and highly satisfying dessert for chocolate lovers.
My wife has Soleil a Nice, with some crispy rice underneath the delicious vanilla rice pudding infused with tea sorbet and espuma, in a casing of meringue. On top is a gold-coloured sphere with some fresh pomelo on the side, as well as white chocolate petals, to present a fairytale and beautiful dessert.
Soon after we finish the dessert, the staff wheels a trolley with different Petits Fours to our table. I picked Almond Chocolate and Coconut Tartlet, both are good in taste, but I like the tartlet more, with rich coconut flavours and some beautifully crafted white chocolate pieces on top. Together with Miso Yuzu Madeleine, which is a perfect complement with coffee, it wraps up a delicious and fantastic dinner.
Service is very good, with all the staff very professional, knowledgeable on the food and wine, friendly and able to interact with customers well. The bill on the night is $9,374 and while it is in the high-end, considering the quality and premium ingredients used, and overall experience, it is still a French restaurant I would highly recommend in town.
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