Caprice

Last night, I was blown away by my dinner experience at Caprice, 1 of 3 restaurants in Hong Kong and the only French restaurant in Hong Kong, to receive 3 Michelin stars. If you ever come to visit Hong Kong, I strongly recommend this restaurant (Need I add that reservations are a must?) 

Caprice is led by Chef Vincent Thierry and his team of 25 chefs including Pastry Chef Marike Van Beurden from Holland. The team works 7 days a week to create innovative dishes with 80% of produce coming from France (air-flown 3 times a week) including  Brittany blue lobster, Bresse chicken and Périgord veal. The menu changes every 3 months, reflecting the variety of produce that the Chef can gain inspiration from but more importantly creates a menu from produce rarely presented in Hong Kong. Chef Vincent Thierry, originally sous-chef at Le Cinq at the George V (Four Seasons Paris) was sent to Hong Kong five years ago to import property tycoon Lei Siu Kei favorite restaurant in a Hong Kong setting. 

There also seems to be a limitless numbers of staff, divided in different departments all headed by a French who beam résumés from Le Cinq: the sommelier, the maitre d' for example who are happy to make recommendations from the menu and the extensive wine list (around 10 pages!) and who seem to make the best decisions to accompany your meal.

Located on the 6th floor of the Four Seasons Hotel, the restaurant has stunning views of Victoria Harbour and Kowloon. I was very impressed with the decor of the restaurant: the glowing catwalk from the elevator to the dining room (making you feel like a celebrity and mirroring a contemporary vs. classic theme), the beautiful Chinese-inspired Czech crystal chandeliers (combining an Art Nouveau style with Chinese influences), the velvet seats and sofas and the centerpiece of the restaurant: the open kitchen that provides guests with a show to see chefs at work. The restaurant has a capacity to hold around 100 people who sit on the restaurant lower and upper floor, surrounded by floor to ceiling windows, the temperature controlled renowned wines from France (some dating from 1959!) and around the world.

The very classic and sleek table setting. You don't need much!

Awesome views and lighting

The open kitchen

Now...let's talk about food!

Garlic bread sticks with salted and unsalted butter from Bretagne

Amuse-Bouche: Lentil velouté with black truffle cream; Crispy toast with poached quail egg and mackerel; Fried potato with Foie gras.

Entrées

Pâté en Croute; Wild Game, Foie Gras, Green Leaves in Black Truffle dressing

Brittany Lobster Cannelloni, Trompette Mushroom Mousseline in Americaine Vinaigrette

Langoustine Ravioli, Veal Sweetbreads, and Wild Mushrooms in Shellfish Bisque Sauce

Plats

John Dory Melba, Aromatic Parsley, Cèpes and Eggplant in Mushroom Coulis

Périgord milk-fed veal, Young spinach leaves, and Forrestière Potatoes in Madeira Sauce

Presenting then cutting the veal in front of the table

                                

Wild Venison fillet, Cocoa Viennoise, Vegetable Roots and Cranberry Jam in Poivrade Sauce

Desserts

To munch beforehand: Pineapple with crumble and coconut, Pina Colada Sorbet

And a drawer of chocolate

Chestnut Mont Blanc and Nougatine, Cassis Beetroot Sorbet

Marinated Raspberries, Pain de Gène, Cheesecake Mousse, Yoghurt and Raspberry ice-cream 

And with the compliments of the restaurant: a taste from the Cheese cellar, Comté aged 5 years

Probably the most impressive room in Caprice is its Cheese cellar, holding the widest selection of artisanal French cheeses overseen by master affineur Bernard Antony that is kept in climate-controlled rooms. Never have I seen this before in Hong Kong or anywhere in France. 

The Cheese board being presented in the main dining room...but there's just way more Cheese than that!

Some of the cheese stock in the cellar

They say you can never be in two places at once; this statement is easily proven wrong by Caprice and Chef Vincent Thierry who brings you on a journey around France in your very own home, Hong Kong. 

Caprice
8 Finance Street, Four Seasons Hotel, Central
Tel: 3196 8888
Subway station: Central
Website: http://www.fourseasons.com/hongkong/dining/caprice/