As the mercury drops, the innovative dishes of new French bistro Les Papilles are set to seduce the palates of Hong Kong diners.
When there’s a chill in the air, we tend to think of soul-soothing, belly-filling European fare over the eclectic flavours of Asia. With Hong Kong’s milder winters, you’re probably not thinking heaped German sausages and oodles of sauerkraut, but perhaps something a little more refined. If French cuisine comes to mind then you’re in luck, with the opening of Les Papilles in Causeway Bay.
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Named for the French word for taste buds, and helmed by executive chef Jeff Chan, whose past roles at Amber, Hullett House’s St. George restaurant, and Jacques and Laurent Pourcelare’s renowned Le Jardin Des Sens in Montpellier ensure he knows a thing or two about French cuisine (did we mention he was also head chef of the French Pavilion in Shanghai’s Expo 2010?), the intimate new Tang Lung Street eatery promises a classic bistro setting and an innovative take on classic French dishes.
Le Papilles promises to be especially popular with seafood lovers, with the likes of crab and sea urchin with celeriac foam; lightly smoked salmon with caviar, cucumber salad, and avocado puree; and fried Amadai tilefish with lobster jus and leek coulis promising to showcase Chan’s culinary prowess and creativity.
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There’s also terrestrial options, including French steak bavette with truffle mashed potato and Montpellier butter flavoured with nine herbs and anchovies; and a Charolais hamburger with goose oil fries, brie, homemade tartar sauce, and a bun that’s been hollowed out and filled with a sunny side up egg. If that’s not art, we don’t know what it.
Sweeter touches include Financier Cake (no, nothing to do with banking), which boasts a rich nutty flavour; and signature cocktails like the Passion on Paris, a blend of Cointreau, rum, and passion fruit syrup; and the salt-rimmed Paris Spritz, with Pampelle Ruby L’Apero, sparkling wine and soda.
What better way to farewell the year that was?
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