Michelin-starred French chef Olivier Bellin has taken up the helm at Hong Kong’s acclaimed seaside restaurant The Ocean. He talks to Isabelle Lui about his passion for cooking, his new Brittany-inspired menu, and the evolution of modern French cuisine.
What inspired you to be a chef?
Becoming a chef is not something you suddenly decide, at least not in my generation. In my case, it had been a long journey moving step by step. Initially, I did not want to be a chef, but I love eating and grew up with my grandmother and my mother, both of whom were cooks, which allowed me to be exposed to a wide variety of flavours. Working with renowned chefs gave me real passion and made me understand that with great effort I could become a successful chef.
Hong Kong is a long way from your ancestral restaurant in Brittany; what inspired the move to The Ocean?
My relationship with The Ocean is a series of coincidences. I already knew that my cuisine was appreciated in Hong Kong, from my previous experience cooking in Asia so when the opportunity to collaborate with The Ocean arose I had the certitude that my style was going to match well. The Ocean and my restaurant in Brittany (two-Michelin starred L’Auberge des Glazicks) have some similarities including a waterfront location, which helped me decide that it was the right project to get on board.
How has working with celebrated chefs like Joel Robuchon shaped your culinary styles?
You always learn something and you progress enormously when you have the opportunity to work with such renowned chefs. At that time, Joel Robuchon was the best cook in the world. He taught me to aim for excellence and for the highest quality of cuisine and ingredients. With him, I learnt about cooking, but also about consistency and organisation.
Chef Jacques Thorel had an auberge in Brittany, and working with him there I learnt that every detail matters, from flowers to daily problems. He taught me that a very important part of a successful restaurant is building a strong identity, which I applied in my small restaurant in Brittany.
I also had the chance to work with Alain Ducasse, from whom I learnt the importance of working with a good team. Once again, I understand that the cuisine itself is important, but you also really need to be able to rely on the people you are working with, and you can go very far with a good team.
Tell us about your Breton cuisine at The Ocean.
The Breton cuisine at The Ocean by Olivier Bellin brings something new to Hong Kong’s food scene, with products that are not available here and with very different flavour characteristics from my home. My style integrates the products from the sea with some of the most characteristic Breton ingredients, like buckwheat and oats. There are excellent chefs in Hong Kong, but the new menu at The Ocean by Olivier Bellin introduces distinctive Breton flavours to consumers.
How do you incorporate traditional cooking techniques into modern dishes?
For me, it is very important to find the right balance. I come from a very classic generation of chefs, but the world is evolving and things are very different from what I learnt years ago. The cuisine has changed and it becomes necessary to integrate the current modern flavours, cooking style, and presentation. I try to maintain my traditional style and to remain loyal to my philosophy, while incorporating modernity into my dishes, with the combination of cooked and uncooked, using less salt, adapting the acidity arrived from Asia, as well as trying new condiments.
How do you see modern French cuisine changing?
My generation had a strong culture of local cuisine that helped build the fundamentals of chefs. The new generation travels more, experiments more, and is more innovative and unafraid of trying new options and crossing borders.
What do you cook on a holiday?
I usually choose a style very different to my cuisine. I like to eat simple products without high elaboration, like pasta with butter. As a good Frenchman, I also like crepes with cider and of course cheese with a glass of wine.
What new ingredients are you experimenting with?
At the moment, I am working with herbs and vegetables grown on the Breton seaside, which retain the flavours of the sea while bringing a completely different taste to dishes. I am also experimenting with other ingredients like sweet Roscoff onions, which are recognised with the AOP (appellation d’origine protégée), without forgetting a continuous exploration of buckwheat, to find adaptations to new dishes.
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