Japanese culture is famous for its meticulous attention to detail and when this kind of discipline is applied to other world-famous cuisines, the results are outstanding. That’s why many home-grown French restaurants in Tokyo have received several accolades. One such eatery is Tirpse, which received a Michelin star within two months of opening. Located on the second floor of the swanky K11 Musea, the decor at Tirpse’s Hong Kong address incorporates wood elements with black marble and copper accents, giving it a strong air of executive sophistication. The name is ‘esprit’, the French word for spirit, spelt backwards, reflecting the free spirit of the cuisine. We sat down to a seven-course set menu (HK$1,288) where highlights included the starter of beetroot carpaccio with crab meat and hazelnut snow. The tart vegetable gave way to briny crab, and the hazelnut highlighted the nuttiness of the flesh on the palate. Soup is rarely the star of a meal but the soup at Tirpse blew this conception out of the water. A medley of bite-sized firefly squid, egg and Parmesan cheese, the dish was an explosion of umami the magnitude of Mount Vesuvius. For mains, we opted for a tender lamb rack, and the accompanying charred bamboo shoots made this dish an epiphany of what Tirpse represents. The use of the traditional Japanese ingredient in combination with Alpine garlic brought out an alkaline nuttiness that enhanced the flavour of the lamb. Ending the meal on a sweet note was the mango meringue with almond milk and lemon sorbet, which had a fantastic balance of tart and sweet flavours. Every dish brought a new experience to the palate – Tirpse’s legacy is set to continue in Hong Kong. Tirpse, Shop 219, 2/F, K11 Musea, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2333 0031