Why one of world’s top chefs opened a bistro in Hong Kong – it’s a social laboratory, says France’s Yannick Alleno
French chef has earned six Michelin stars for his two restaurants in France, so what’s he doing with Le Terroir Parisien in Central, where dishes start at HK$68? Plus: why the burger of your dreams isn’t even on the menu
The last time I’d met Yannick Alleno was earlier this year in Melbourne at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, where he’d flown in – for the day – to celebrate 31st place for his flagship Paris restaurant, Alleno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen.
My lunch there in 2015 was a truly majestic meal, the beauty, finesse and taste of the dishes nothing short of remarkable – most notably a sort of brioche made from pike. A jaw-dropping location, Pavillon Ledoyen is Paris’ most storied dining room, one which has served diners for almost 250 years and counted the artists Edgar Degas and Claude Monet and author Emile Zola among its customers. It was where Napoleon first met Josephine and, to cap it all, the restaurant is one of two Alleno establishments to have been awarded three Michelin stars.
All of which begs the question, why open Le Terroir Parisien, a casual bistro in Prince’s Building in Hong Kong’s Central business district to serve humble dishes such as onion soup and tarte au chocolat?
“I love bistros and I came here with the right concept, I think, for the right place. I don’t know if I’ll do something after that in gastronomy, but I wanted to give Hong Kong people the chance to enjoy the food and the place. The food we do in Paris and [the French Alpine ski resort of] Courchevel is very tough to apply. It takes time to make that kind of food. It takes my life.”