Food review: Upper Modern Bistro has a way with eggs

I've been eating Philippe Orrico's food since he was chef at Pierre at the Mandarin Oriental. While I always liked what was on my plate, it was difficult to know where the cuisine of his Parisian mentor Pierre Gagnaire ended and his own began.

It wasn't until Orrico left Pierre to become chef of St George in Hullett House that I realised he was not only an excellent cook, but also very creative - I still remember how excited I was at some of his unusual but delicious flavour pairings.

His latest venture, Upper Modern Bistro, in a rapidly gentrifying area of Sheung Wan, is more modest than St George, which was in a heritage building. The space, with an open kitchen, looks as if it was two shops that have been merged.

Tables are close together, so don't expect much privacy - we ended up having conversations with the two sets of strangers on either side of us.

I had a hard time deciding what to order from the tempting menu.

The 63° egg with sautéed mushrooms, crabmeat and bellota ham (HK$148) sounds technical and modernist, but it was pure comfort food. The slow-cooked egg, with its deliciously runny yolk, was perched on top of a piece of toast, which gave textural contrast to the other ingredients.

My guest's lentil soup (HK$158) sounded dull, but it was the lightest lentil soup I've tasted, and served with slices of smoked salmon on toast.