“Nanterre” Brioche French Toast with Vanilla Ice-cream at Terroir Parisien
M/F, Prince's Building, 10 Chater Road, Central
Internationally renowned chef Yannick Alléno needs no introduction. Born in the suburbs of Paris, the 48-year-old cut his teeth in professional restaurants when he was 15, and is now the man behind two three-Michelin-starred restaurants Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen and Le 1947, making him one of the very few chefs that owns more than one three-Michelin-starred establishments. Little wonder, then, that the opening of his bistro concept eatery Terroir Parisien in Central has attracted so much anticipation. We met with Yannick earlier during the trip he made to Hong Kong to sample and perfect all recipes, and he revealed that the bistro will open end of August. The vibes at Terroir Parisien will be easy-going, but that dooesn't mean compromising food quality. Be prepared to see a lot of organic ingredients, and he will make reference to Auguste Escoffier’s theory, instead of following the American recipe, with his burger. Other tentative dishes are Parisien mushroom and snails patties, Croque Madame and Chouquette, complemented by French wine of all tiers. “Bistro is a place where people of all strata can afford and enjoy. The communication between people is the most beautiful thing, and I want to bring that to my bistro.” shares Yannick.
Kagoshima Wagyu, Eringi and Baby Kabu at HAKU
Shop OT G04B, Ground Floor, Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui
HAKU may have a nondescript entrance, but behind the concept is two big names — Hideaki Matsuo of three-Michelin-starred Osaka restaurant Kashiwaya and Agustin Balbi who previously steered the kitchen at Ocean and stinted at three-Michelin-starred Tokyo’s Ryugin. A petite a la carte and set menus are presented, and all dishes change from time to time according to the seasonality of the produces. We liked the idea of having an open kitchen where friendly Agustin explained each dish and shaved a few slice of katsuobushi for us to taste when we conversed about the dried fish. When dining here, don’t forget to appreciate the plates. To Matsuo, plates are the clothes of food, this is why he pairs a traditional Japanese poem up for every plate, in turn inspiring Agustin to create the dish. Take this dish, Japanese A4 beef tenderloin are seared to medium rare and served with beef bone sauce, and the presentation has left a good deal of emptiness so to deliver a distant feeling. Very poetic.
1/F Crown Plaza Hong Kong, 8 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay
Although Marble hasn’t really started advertising itself, the Japanese-French restaurant has no shortage of patrons, thanks to chef Mitsuru Konishi who had made a name for himself when he was with two-Michelin-starred Wagyu Takumi and brought forward his followers to Marble. Here, the must try is Ozaki beef. This beef is the result of an intense 20-year period of research by the Ozaki family, where they dug deep in finding the best feed and rearing environment for the cattles. Only 30 cattles are exported outside Japan each month, it is highly exclusive in Hong Kong. Order
“Shimo” 9-course menu for a taste of the different parts of the cattle in the form of terrine, consomme, burger and shabu shabu.
SEE ALSO: Ike Jime, The Japanese Slaughter Method For Tastier Fish
Steamed Fresh Flowery Crab with 25-year-aged Chinese Yellow Wine at Tasting Court
Shop D, M/F, Bonny View House, 63-65 Wong Nai Chung Rd, Happy Valley
Situated at the mezzanine floor of a residential building, it is an experience itself just to get to the restaurant by pressing the buzzer, passing through the residents in the lift lobby, and through to a staircase at the end of the hall. Once seated, we were served with a bowl of deep-fried enoki mushroom. This revealed its relation with the Cantonese restaurant The Chairman in Sheung Wan, which also served the same unique appetiser to guests. It is not surprising then to learn Tasting Court is opened by the son of one of The Chairman’s masterminds. Here, Cantonese cuisine is “fresh but not tasteless; rich but not turbid”. Among the array of highly well-executed dishes is this crab dish — wild flowery crab is steamed with 25-year-aged Chinese yellow wine and chicken oil. The cooking couldn't be more straightforward, but with outstanding ingredients, it becomes the highlight of the meal. They do not accept walk-in guests, so make sure you book in advance.
Seared Toro Sashimi with Yuzu Miso Dressing at Sushi Tsubomi
22/F, V Point, 2-22 Tung Lung Street, Causeway Bay
We are entertained by the geometric-shaped bar created in 3-D stereoscopic at the reception, and we are happy to find out the cuisine here is equally creative. Heading the kitchen is chef Michael Chan. He honed his craft under Toshio Matsudo, the chef of former Prime Minister of Japan Hashimoto Ryutaro. One of his proud creations is the way he marinates fatty tuna in yuzu soy sauce for five days to yield a great depth of umami. Some of his dishes are decorated with edible flowers from Finland and Japan’s Ehime prefecture, making his work a pleaser for both the eyes and the palate.
Mouclade at LaVilla
G28 Tsim Sha Tsui Centre, 66 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East
Soaking in the harbour view and the French Mediterranean dishes prepared by chef Matthieu Bonnier at LaVilla could be the best pastime this summer. Bonnier was the first chef at LaVilla and later joined French Window Brasserie and Bar as chef de cuisine. He is now back to the place where he played a part in shaping the style, and bringing to guests honest cooking that features a bountiful of seafood and grilled meat. Among the signature items is Mouclade, where Bonnier tweaks his grandmother’s recipe to steam the plump mussels in white wine. He serves the shelled meat with chorizo, confit gizzard, and a scrumptious herb butter sauce. Don’t leave without trying the dessert platter — an eye-catching array of chocolate fondant, apple tarts, Grand Marnier souffle, and creme brulee sit on a metre-long wooden board as an indulgent treat.
IZA Yaki Platter at IZA
Shop R011, Roof Level, Civic Square Elements, 1 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui
If you like HON10 at Pacific Place, then you may also like IZA at Civic Square where both concepts share the same mastermind — chef Jin Suzuki who is good at infusing contemporary vibe into classic Japanese cuisine, as reflected in IZA’s song list that consists of both old rock & roll songs and pop songs. Menu champions a massive selection of skewers, Izakaya specialties, sashimi and sushi, salad, grilled and fried dishes, donburi and desserts. All skewers are grilled with binchotan - when ignited, the charcoal can render temperature as high as 1,000 degree Celsius, meaning all ingredients are cooked in seconds thus able to retain its moisture and achieving a great texture. The IZA Yaki Platter includes chicken wing, chicken leg and chicken soft bones with daily selection of either liver, heart or kidney of chicken plus seasonal vegetables, making it the best choice for yakitori fans.
Pani Puri at The Envoy
3/F The Pottinger Hong Kong, 74 Queen’s Road Central, Central
People go to The Envoy mainly for the multi-sensational cocktails designed by celebrity mixologist Antonio Lai, but now with a new chef coming in and launching a new small plates menu, patrons may be staying for the British cuisine with a colonial charm too. Named Chetan Kohli, the new chef hails from India, has 10 years of experience under his belt and embraces the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Silly!) philosophy in cooking. The three-page menu features sauteed Nestum prawns, milo lava French toast, deviled eggs, and more, but we couldn’t stop eating the Indian street food Pani Prui, where you stuffed a savoury filling of your choice (think smoked salmon with avocado and salmon roe) into light and crispy puffed balls. Once popped, it was a mouthful of remarkable flavours. Wash it down with the pandan latte.
Mango Cream Roll at Patisserie
Lobby level, Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Sha Tin, 18 Chak Cheung Street, Sha Tin
Stealing the show from the patisserie's star product Sha Tin Apple Pie this month is the new collection of Swiss rolls, where pastry chef Kelvin Lai combines the firm yet light sponge cake with silky smooth fresh cream. Four flavours are on offer: green tea and red bean roll, black forest roll, mango cream roll and strawberry cream roll. The mango variety is garnished with pistachios, and the moist and airy sponge cake is sandwiched with whipped cream and finely diced fresh mango. A tasty treat for a hot summer afternoon.
