3 Days in Hong Kong

[theweight]

My Fiancee and I will be spending 3 days in Hong Kong on our honeymoon in one week's time. We are looking for some dining rec's. We are staying at the Four Seasons Hong Kong but hope to see as much in three days as possible. I am looking to avoid the tourist traps but am pretty open.
Is L'atelier Joel Robuchon worth checking out if we want one non-chinese upscale meal while we are there? If not any other suggestions?
Thanks

[skylineR33]

I agree with Charles. Not that I don't like L'aterlier, there are L'atelier that look alike in HK, Japan, LV, Paris, why not pick a restaurant in HK that has a great view over Victoria Habour or a night view of HK ? There are lots of choices - Caprice, Spoon, Pierre .......

[klyeoh]

I'm currently in HK for a few days before going off to San Francisco, and have had mixed experiences (but all pleasant) at L'Atelier & Caprice the last couple of days.

Had dinner at Caprice last night. It's got great views over the harbour. But I think the food was a tad heavy (I had escargots petits gris & pork knuckle cassoulette with volcanic lentil in walnut cream sauce for starters; Challans duck fillet cuit au plat with butter Savoy cabbage & Parmentier in braised jus for entree). Caprice's cuisine is very traditional, and heavy on creams & butter.

The night before (Sunday evening), I was at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon. The maitre'd used to work in Joel Robuchon's Ebisu outlet in Tokyo. The food was lighter & much more inventive than Caprice's. I started off with La Saint Jacques (pan-seared scallops with pasta "fregula" & lobster bisque), followed by an absolutely divine L'Amadai (crispy amadai fillets with aromatic champagne nectar). L'Atelier doesn't have much of a view, but foodwise is perfect! The wine list was extensive, even if you want them by the glass. L'Atelier's cuisine has a wonderful light touch, with Tokyo-style meticulous attention to tiny details.

I suggest you dine at both restaurants during your stay.

I lunched at Nobu, Inter-Continental Hotel yesterday. It's the best Japanese meal I've had in a long while.

[theweight]

Just out of curiousity, what am I looking at spending at L'atelier, was it hard to get a reservation?

[e_ting]

for dinner at l'atelier (which is the only meal i'd recommend there - lunch has been disappointing on more than one occassion), without wine, you're looking at upwards of HK$1000 per person, 3 courses.

personally i quite like Spoon - views over the harbour are better from Kowloon side, since the lights/buildings are better on HK side (hope i'm making sense). reviews even amongst my own peers have been mixed though.

in general bookings aren't hard to make. if it's going to be a fri/sat night, call the day before to be on the safe side, but it shouldn't be an issue (and if u want a good seat at Spoon - i.e. right by the floor to ceiling windows, remember to say so)

i know about all the crap reviews this place has had, but amber at the landmark mandarin oriental was an excellent experience for me - from the experimental (but not molecular) food, to the attentive service.

i doubt you would want a 'classic' upscale meal, but if you do then the mandarin grill at the mandarin oriental (not the landmark mandarin) imo, serves some of the best classically-prepared, non-fussy food in town.

[klyeoh]

An a la carte meal (3 courses plus wine) works out to about HKD1,500 per head, which was what I paid for.

They have a degustation menu (without wine) for HKD1,850, which is worth checking out, if you want a truly complete Robuchon experience.

I booked my table 2 weeks ahead - in the quieter dining section of the restaurant. If you don't book ahead, you may get one of the counter seats overlooking the open kitchen. It's fine, too - after all, Robuchon started the L'Atelier chain based upon his dining experiences in Tokyo where the chefs interact with their customers over the counter. The first L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (in Paris) only offered this kind of seating.

BTW, I had dinner at Zuma, Landmark, last night. It's Nobu-style modern-Japanese, and was fabulous. The huge cocktail/martini list is worth checking out.

[FourSeasons]

We paid about HK$3,800 for 2 persons last December. Each of us has 3 or 4 tapas-style courses plus 1 main dish and dessert. Just 1 glass of wine on that evening.

[HKTraveler]

For western food, I would second Spoon or Caprice for the view. L'Atelier does have better food but why do that in HK? The other recommendation that I have is Bo Innovation. It is fusion with chinese influence and while it has more mixed reviews, all of my experiences there were excellent.

[Peech]

Caprice is the one restaurant we keep going back to for great food. The Challans duck is excellent. I would have expected the food to be heavy if I were ordering pork knuckle cassoulet...

I haven't been back to L'Atelier for a while. I used to really enjoy it but have heard lots of negative comments recently. Apparently the original chef has departed, and nowadays you cannot order the tasting portions in dining area - only at the bar. To me the tasting portions are the main attraction at L'Atelier, and forcing me to sit at the bar for that would be ridiculous. I refuse to go back for this reason alone.

Nobu may have decent food but it's not really Japanese...

For some of my dining experiences, you can read my blog at

http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com

You should find a review of Caprice in Feb 08, Dec 07 and May 07...

[skylineR33]

Wow, nice blog !

[HKTraveler]

Actually haven't been back to Caprice for some time. Need to give it a try again. Anything else you would recommend other than the Challan duck? Remebered they have the best cheeses in HK.

Don't even think Nobu has decent food other than dessert

[Peech]

LOL...totally agreed on Nobu. I only liked dessert during my first try, although second try delivered better food but disappointing dessert.

Caprice has the best cheese trolley in town, hands down. The 4-yr Comte and the 18-mth Mimolette are awesome, on top of everything else.

Also try Classifeds for cheese. My friends run it and they have a nice selection in their cheese room.

[klyeoh]

I heard that Caprice's maitre'd was a true "cheese connoisseur" - he personally flew to France & chose the cheeses to be served at the restaurant. BTW, did you find the Comte & Mimolette a tad salty? I preferred the soft cheeses.

[Peech]

The Mimolette was OK but yes, the Comte was really, really salty. BTW I think Caprice and Petrus both get their cheese from Antony...I have also had the same Comte at Petrus

[FourSeasons]

Ditto the nice blog. But surprised that as a Hong Kong resident, you did not nominate any Chinese restaurant there as one of your top 10 but guided by the list from Michelin.

[Peech]

tks for ur compliments. As a Chinese who is spoiled by his own mother's cooking (and who has eaten sharks fin and abalone since young), very few Chinese restaurants can "wow" me...Chinese may be my comfort food but doesn't rank as "to-die-for" in my book.

[skylineR33]

Chinese cuisine has much more other than precious dishes in shark fin and abalone ... just some thought.

[Charles Yu]

Caprice inside the Four Seasons is pretty good too. Better view and more romantic at night time!

[theweight]

Charles,
I am a Toronto Hound and you were just the person I was hoping would respond. Where do you recommend we go for dim sum or authentic HK style chinese food? I am looking for substance over style.

[FourSeasons]

L'atelier is great but since you are from Toronto, why would you want to try it in Hong Kong when it is available in Manhattan which is not far from where you lived.

For non-Chinese upscale, I would actually recommend a great Italian fare in Da Domenica in Causeway Bay. http://www.chowhound.com/topics/453986

Dim Sum has been written extensively so if you have time just do a bit research on past threads. The Cantonese restaurant in Four Seasons got rave reviews though I have not tried it. Lei Garden in the neighboring shopping mall IFC next to Four Seasons is very good too.

[Charles Yu]

Ditto Fourseason's Dim Sum recommendations. The Cantonese restaurant in the Four Seasons serves 'Noveau' as well as traditional fare. Not unlike our Lai Wah Heen, but obviously better. The harbour view from a window seat is breath-taking, so be sure to make such a request during your reservation. Another of my Dim Sum favourite is Fu Sing Seafood Restaurant in Wan Chai. Be sure to order their 'B-B-Q pork pineapple buns' - claim to be the best bun on earth! Have Fun!!