Alain Ducasse on his new Hong Kong restaurant Rech, places in the city he loves to eat at, and the sunny side of life

Fourteen years ago, Alain Ducasse opened his first Hong Kong restaurant – Spoon, at the InterContinental in Tsim Sha Tsui. The French chef, who has 23 restaurants in seven countries, and a total of 18 Michelin stars, was back in Hong Kong last week to open his latest establishment, Rech by Alain Ducasse, which replaces Spoon.

It is the first international outpost of the Parisian seafood restaurant that opened in 1925 and was taken over by Ducasse in 2007.

Gone are the spoons that somewhat claustrophobically lined the ceilings. The space has been opened up with crisp white walls and bespoke Branca chairs, each made from one solid piece of beech driftwood. Coordinating with the sea green and grey banquettes are pebbles from the coast of Brittany, adorning each white tablecloth and functioning as a perch for the seaweed bread.

Matching the maritime accents of the restaurant, dressed in a sharp suit of deep cobalt, Ducasse is in a relaxed and jovial mood.

“I was at this hotel called Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica,” Ducasse says of the inspiration behind the decor. “Its beautiful white shutters remained in my mind, reminding me of that seaside summer vacation vibe.” So when Ducasse revamped the original Rech in 2012, he did away with the art deco interiors and put in white shutters.