With 3 Michelin-starred restaurant Lung King Heen on the 4/F (the first Chinese restaurant to receive 3 stars) and 2 Michelin contemporary French concept Caprice on the 6/F, I think it's fair to say that the Four Seasons is one of the finest gourmet destinations in Hong Kong. The other night, we were introduced to the vibrant new summer menu at Caprice by Chef de Cuisine Guillaume Galliot, who only recently took up the helm in April. After seven wine-paired courses specially selected by the charismatic Chef, we were heartily stuffed - especially after the concluding Fraisier dessert by Executive Pastry Chef Nicolas Lambert, who not only creates the most intricate, picture-perfect and delicious desserts, but has amassed a 60k+ following on Instagram because of it (follow him at @nicolas_lambert).
From the welcome bubbly to the fine gastronomic interpretations of classical French and even Asian dishes; the 1985 vintage Port and Alsace Jam paired with melting house-made brie and other divine cheeses, this was a dining experience that blew us away. For French modern fine dining of the highest caliber on HK island, I would definitely recommend Caprice.
Amuse-Bouche
The Amuse-Bouche was a trio of 1) crispy biscuit with cauliflower mousse and red bell pepper jelly glaze, topped with sea urchin; 2) a dainty puff of chicken mousse filled with curry; and 3) onion tart with flying fish roe. Loved the curry one!
Beef Tartare
This beauty is the beef tartare, elevated with the use of internationally renowned Gillardeau oysters. A nice blend of flavours and textures, especially when topped with a layer of decadent caviar.
Lobster Laksa
The dish is normally created with crab on the a la carte menu, however the chef substituted it with juicy and tender lobster meat for us this time. And wow - who knew laksa and lobster would go this well together! Obviously this is nothing close to the traditional laksa served street-side, but was a very interesting and creamy interpretation of it with a generous use of Asian herbs. My favourite dish from the night. Made with confit egg, leeks, coriander, hazelnut and sudachi lime.
Mediterranean Sole The large and delicious portion of tender Mediterranean sole was served with saffron vegetables, and doused in sea urchin bouillabaisse at the table.
Roasted Pigeon & Confit Leg
Our meat course was the famous roasted pigeon, served with confit legs and a colourful harmony of beetroot variations. The pigeon breast is served quite rare (just how I like it!) with a port wine reduction sauce. This was nicely paired with a Shiraz.
The Cheese & the Port
My god, the cheese. We took a tour of the wine cellar behind the kitchen, which is where they also hold Wine & Cheese nights on the first Tuesday of every month. There's a huge variety of some amazing cheeses available on the menu, so the cheese plate is definitely worth ordering at the end of any meal at Caprice. While I can't remember the names of all the cheeses, and all were exceptional, the ones that stood out to me were 1) the sharp Comte cheese, which has been aged for 4 years and 2) the truffle brie, which melted flat due to its distinctly creamy texture as the night wore on, and contains a layer of fresh truffle mince in the center and 3) the blue cheese, which was surprisingly subtle and smooth. Paired with artisanal Alsace jam from the wine-growing region of Niedermorschwihr in north-eastern France, and of course, the sweet 1985 Port, I was in heaven. You'll also probably notice the neck of the bottle of Port has already been cleanly snapped open with hot tongs by the sommelier.
Fraisier Mara des Bois
Nicolas is up! The dessert we had was Fraisier made with seasonal Mara des Bois strawberries, strawberry marmalade, Taihitian vanilla cream, and a champagne rose sorbet in the center. Simply amazing. The strawberry dome pops like an egg, and oozes over the sorbet below! All ingredients sourced from France.
Petit Fours
Finally, we ended with the traditional petit four. I was honestly quite full by this point but enjoyed a few bites with mint tea before heading out. I didn't even realize four hours had flown by over the course of the dinner. An overall wonderful evening with great people - couldn't ask for more!
Follow my food & lifestyle adventures on Instagram at @furellie
Restaurant Details - Caprice at the Four Seasons Hong Kong
Tel - +852-3196-8860
Address - 6/F Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, Central
Opening Hours - Mondays to Sundays: Lunch 12pm-2:30pm, Dinner 6:30pm-10:30pm
Dress Code - Strictly smart casual - covered shoes, long pants and collared shirts are required for gentlemen
Email - caprice.hkg@fourseasons.com
Instagram - @fshongkong