Hong Kong is a city rich in gastronomy and fine dining so it’s no surprise that many Michelin starred restaurants can be found in the Pearl of the Orient.
Currently, the city has garnered a total of 61 Michelin Stars – 14 of which come with two star statuses. Subsequently choosing the best place to dine in Hong Kong is like trying to select the spottiest dog in a kennel full of Dalmatians – nigh on impossible.
Since you ask however, The Sybarite suggests making for the 25th floor of the Mandarin Oriental where you’ll find PIERRE, a modern French restaurant that ranks as one of the best we have ever eaten at.
Our experience began with a degustation trolley of hand-picked wines and spirits accompanied by a selection of four amuse-bouche – take a bow Parmesan cheese crumble, Brillat Savarin cheese lace biscuit with Daikon turnip and Cumin bread stick dip with Lentil bean puree – all beautifully presented on white stone platters.
Taste buds fully awakened, the Langoustine appetiser was brought out alongside Perfume of the Earth. This consisted of a grilled ‘Dundee peeky’, Potato chip with lardo di collonata and sate (the lardo being Italy’s pork fat delicacy from the ancient village of Collonata), and a very rich and clean tasting consommé with basil seeds. The Langoustine appetiser served as great way for chef Jean-Denis (aka the trusted protégé of Pierre Gagnaire) to showcase different methods of cooking and preparing seafood and prepped our palates for Perfume of the Earth.
A much creamier and foie-gras inspired series, this included a very enjoyable Smoked cocotte of foie gras ravioli with plum. Make no mistake: if you adore foie gras, you’ll love lap this dish up like a kitten.
However it’s the Pigeon-foie gras – which chef Jean-Denis (the trusted protégé of Pierre Gagnaire) brought out to our table himself – that is the real show stopper at PIERRE. This mouthwatring rack of meat was accompanied by a Biagarade sauce of black fruits with cacao andred beetroot cooked in salt that had us salivating for more.
To conclude the tasting, zingu sorbets were served before the finale: a box containing a selection of PIERRE chocolates that Willy Wonka himself would be proud of.
Essentially this is an elegant restaurant serving up not only sublime French fare but arresting vistas of Victoria Harbour where service is warm and and efficient in equal measure. All told, we say oui!
