After a much-talked-about appearance on Netflix’s big-production cooking competition, “The Final Table,” and a 2019 Michelin star for his first Hong Kong restaurant, Arcane, Shane Osborn
Did you always want to be a chef?
Yes, since the age of 13. Food has always been a passion. Growing up in Australia, while other kids were out playing sports, I preferred to be in the kitchen. It’s my happy place.
You worked in Perth, London and Gothenburg [Sweden] before finding yourself in Hong Kong. What did you gain from these experiences?
I learnt a lot; they are three very different food cultures, and each has unique influences. They have had a profound effect on my cooking style. I don’t really have a favourite as each experience was during a different part of my life and stage of my career.
In London, I was running my restaurant at the time, Pied-a-Terre, where I earnt one and two Michelin stars. The cuisine was classic French and offered a fine-dining experience. There, I created a rooftop garden and experimented with produce. It was an exciting time but I was working long hours.
Throughout my career, I’ve found that each country I have worked in or even visited has had an effect on me. Different ingredients allow me to develop and create new dishes. In Hong Kong, I still enjoy cooking European cuisine, although we have to fly in most ingredients. I also look closer to home – particularly Japan, Australia and New Zealand – to be inspired by the produce they have to offer.
What brought you to Hong Kong?
After Pied a Terre, I went on a year-long trip with my wife and children and ended up in Hong Kong. I was asked by restauranteur Alan Yau to help him with his restaurant, St Betty, and after that, I decided it was time to have my own place again. I like big, bustling cities and Hong Kong ticks all the boxes. Hong Kong is well known as a food lover’s paradise.
Has your cooking style changed since arriving in Hong Kong?
Yes, I am influenced by seasonal products available locally. Japan has influenced my cooking immensely. The country’s producer’s dedication to quality ingredients is inspiring. For example, we source these amazing Japanese tomatoes that I just had to make a hero of a dish from.
I don’t think my cooking style has necessarily changed since moving to Hong Kong, but I suppose I have taken a more relaxed attitude to the overall experience guests enjoy. I don’t like the traditional fine-dining experience – I believe you can create an exceptional food experience in a relaxed setting.
What’s different about operating a restaurant in Hong Kong versus, say, London?
It’s a very competitive market. Obviously, the rents here in Hong Kong are a lot higher than in London, as is the cost of food and wine, which makes overall operating costs much higher.
You earned a Michelin star for your Hong Kong restaurant, Arcane. Was this something you actively set out to do?
Not at all. It’s great to achieve accolades, but my goal is to continue creating good food.
Your new restaurant, Cornerstone, is a much more casual concept. What inspired this?
I like to eat in restaurants that have a more relaxed and casual offering, so I decided that it would be a good time to introduce this new concept. We use a lot of the same quality ingredients that we use in Arcane, but simplify the dishes.
Cornerstone’s head chef, Neal Ledesma, and restaurant manager/ sommelier, Didier Yang, were with me at Arcane for a number of years. I believe in nurturing talent and felt that they would both rise to the challenge of heading up the new restaurant, which they have done so brilliantly. I am very proud of them and the Cornerstone team.
What can we expect from the menu at Cornerstone?
The menu is simple yet delicious, and, I believe, value for money. Didier has curated an interesting selection of unique wines that will also surprise and delight.
What would you consider to be the three must-try dishes at Cornerstone?
The smoked salmon – we have sourced it from Scotland and it is simply delicious; the tagliatelle, which is the perfect comfort food for lunch or dinner; and for the carnivore, the Bavette steak sandwich is a must.
We have to talk about The Final Table. What was the biggest challenge of doing the show?
The production for the show was incredibly impressive, but it was a little daunting cooking dishes I’d never cooked before in front of 200 people and 20-plus cameras. It was a fantastic experience and a wonderful opportunity. I made some amazing friends and we are all still in close contact.
Can we expect you and Mark Best to actually open The Ghee Spot, the restaurant you joked about opening during the show’s Indian challenge?
Watch this space, we are working on it!
Read our in-depth review of Cornerstone here.
Check out Alpha Men’s Wining & Dining page for the latest F&B in Asia.