New fine-dining restaurants in Hong Kong: Écriture in Central – Japanese-inspired French dishes skilfully made

I didn’t actually think I could get away with eating anonymously at Écriture, the new restaurant by executive chef Maxime Gilbert, who used to be chef de cuisine at Amber, but I tried anyway by booking under my guest’s name and giving her phone number and email address as contact details. I suspected I was spotted as soon as I walked in, but it wasn’t until we were served extra courses that I knew for sure that the game was up.

Écriture translates to “writing”. The theme starts at the entrance, where you see a wall of books, and continues with the menu, with the set meals titled “Calligraphy” (for lunch) or “Library of Flavours” (for dinner). Instead of listing how the dishes are prepared and with what, the main ingredient is given a foodie-dictionary description (ie, “amaebi, or spot prawn, is a cold water northern shrimp known and named for its sweet taste”). Diners are asked if they have any allergies or dislikes, and the ingredients are prepared accordingly.

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The Library of Flavours menu is seven courses for HK$1,488 plus 10 per cent. Given the skill of cooking and the top-quality ingredients, it’s a reasonable price – and a lot of food. We were given several extra courses, one of them a caviar dish which normally has a HK$388 extra charge.

The meal starts with a selection of creative amuse-bouches and really good bread and butter.

The first course of amaebi made it clear we were in for an excellent meal. The shrimp – cool and sweet, with soft bonito jelly – contrasted with small slices of tart pickled onion and a delicate beetroot chip.

The next dish – complimentary – was prepared at the table. Royal schrencki caviar, which had been wrapped briefly in fine slices of Galicia beef “ham”, was unwrapped then spooned generously over greens (including sorrel, kale and lettuce) that hid a bone marrow soufflé, before a frothy basil sauce was drizzled around the ingredients.