Nick Walton takes a table at Central Hong Kong culinary sensation La Petite Maison, the latest outpost of the Southern France institution, and finds crisp service, delectable cuisine and an unforgettable vibe transported straight from the Med.
Where it’s Always Summer
The first thing you notice when approaching La Petite Maison Hong Kong is the vibe; diners linger at the patio and crowd the bar, and every seat in the house is occupied. I check my phone – yep, it’s a Tuesday and no, there isn’t a public holiday tomorrow, yet this glamorous eatery has successfully imported the enviable summertime ambience of Nice’s Promenade des Anglais or perhaps Beverly Hills’ North Canon Drive.
La Petite Maison isn’t new – it opened in Hong Kong’s H Queen’s tower (home to Arbor and Ecriture) in late 2018 after similar openings in London, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Miami – but it has managed to navigate a difficult year in the city and in the process cemented its place as one of Central’s top tables.
Serving Southern French and Niçoise cuisine, the restaurant and its chefs Raphael Duntoye and Maurizio Pace capture a sense of place that’s often missed by even the grandest of eateries. Dishes laced with Mediterranean produce, a cocktail list that pays homage to summers on the Riviera, an army of bustling wait staff, and interiors envisioned by Maxime Dautresme of A Work of Substance that include white-washed walls, supple leather, crisp white cloth and honey-hued light come together to create an unforgettably sophisticated dining experience.
Martinis & More
We’ve come to check out the restaurant’s summer additions, simple yet elegant dishes served ‘à la minute’ and designed to be shared. It’s a beautiful evening so after a couple of perfect martinis at the standing-room-only bar, we make our way out to one of a handful of tables located on a deep-set patio overlooking Stanley Street.
The meal commences with a new seasonal cocktail; for summer the restaurant has added to its extensive rosé wine selection while also conjuring up some pretty spectacular concoctions, including the Tomatini, a blend of fresh tomato juice, vodka, balsamic sugar, cane syrup, salt and pepper, garnished with a fresh cherry tomato. It’s a little sweet after the martinis but has to be the best tomato-based cocktail I’ve ever had and makes the classic Bloody Mary look positively uncouth.
Riviera Repertoire
Sommelier Juwan Kim recommends a dry rosé from Provence, which complements a host of Hors D’Oeuvres, including Poulpe Finement Tranché, thinly sliced octopus in zesty lemon oil; Crevettes Tièdes à l’Huile d’Olive, warm spliced prawns in olive oil taken from the original Nice restaurant’s menu; and Croquettes de Brandade, moreish salt cod croquettes with oven-roasted pepper relish. The octopus and prawns are both heavenly; light and delicate, the seafood’s natural flavours are accentuated by the oil dressings, herbaceous hints of basil, and touches of French sea salt, while the croquettes have just the right among of crunch before revealing a feather-light fish filling.
Next up is Gnocchi à la Tomate Fraîche, gnocchi with cherry tomato. While the light and fragrant tomato sauce is perfect for a late summer evening, we found the gnocchi to be a little overcooked, with each little potato parcel more mushy than al dente. The Salade de Haricots Verts au Foie Gras, a salad of French beans and foie gras, in contrast, was spectacular, with tiny cubes of liver melting in the mouth and offset by the crunch of the blanched and seasoned beans and the earthy sweetness of a balsamic reduction.
Med-Inspired Mains
For something more substantial, we opt for Daurade entière au Citron, whole sea bream baked en papillote with lemon, herbs and olive oil and topped with a zesty fennel salad; and Coquelet au Citron Confit, roast baby chicken marinated in lemon and spatchcocked to make it easier to share. The sea bream is spectacular, the flesh light and luscious, the oil cut by the citrus. The chicken is equally divine, with hints of caramelization in the crispy skin elevated by the sweetness of preserved lemon.
La Petite Maison’s menu is extensive and highlights worthy of a second visit include the Niçoise Salad, another house signature made with triple A-grade confit tuna, fresh anchovies, soft boiled eggs and a dressing made from tuna stock that’s served in a hand-blown glass dish; the rack of lamb served with spiced couscous and a kalamata olive marinade; and Ratatouille et Feta, Mediterranean vegetables marinated in olive oil and delicately stacked around Greek feta.
Silky potatoes gratin round off our meal and leave little room for dessert – which ranges from French toast with spiced ice cream to rich yet velvety cheesecake – offering the perfect excuse to return to a sensational Central restaurant where the season is always summer.
1/F, H Queen’s, 23-29 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong; Tel: +852 2887 1113.
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