Fresh from France

Imagine this: 'Bottle o' beer, please, barman.' 'Comin' right up. That'll be $1,950 plus service.' The conversation may be imaginary, but the price of the beer is genuine.

A two-litre bottle of Cruchon Islandkrug costs almost $2,000. But you are paying for more than beer. You get to keep the hand-painted ceramic holder.

Some people actually pay this money. Others settle for a $1,400 beer. And if that is still too much, Le Fauchon serves another 100-odd beers from around the world.

In fact, you could spend a night marvelling at their romantic names - Lucifer, Guilotine, Snake Bite, St Paul Triple Blonde, Chili Beer, or my favourite, Out Zottespang de la Crud.

But Le Fauchon is no beer tavern. The restaurant is managed by a local Francophile, who acknowledges that his cooking is secondary.

'In fact,' says Fei Zai (the last name a French version of Chai), 'our strength is freshness. The freshest French food that you can possibly get in Hong Kong.' He is almost right about the cooking. Going in unannounced, using only the menu as a key, one can have a few good dishes. But most are simply uninteresting.

With all the explanations in the world, the lamb chops were simply agreeable, a bit salty and tender. The duck cooked in its fat had crispy skin, but was less interesting than that in a Szechuan restaurant.

While Fei Zai has a whole warehouse filled with cheeses, you had better call a few days before to allow them to breathe. He will not serve poor ingredients.

Le Fauchon is one of those restaurants where you have to get to know the owner. Since the place is tiny - barely five tables downstairs, the same upstairs, with an open kitchen dominating the ground floor - this is not difficult.

And since Le Patron is most gregarious, his suggestions are de rigueur for the most satisfying meal.

We did not ask for suggestions, and had a dinner which, had it cost half the price, would have been thoroughly enjoyable.

The cold platter, at $180, was notable in not being filled with porcine dishes. Instead, it was a delightful melange of smoked trout, codfish roe, smoked cod, smoked duck breast, and a pate made specially for the restaurant with pork, liver, herbs such as thyme, and a few peppers.

The escargots are French, served on a bed of mashed potatoes, with a rich sauce of shallots, garlic and white wine.

Of the main courses, the lamb was pleasant, if small, pan-fried, then grilled, with a kind of spaghetti. The duck was also small but came with a plateful of crispy French fries garnished with onion and garlic.

For dessert, 'Mouth Melt Chocolate' is a simple dark chocolate melted with a sauce of cream and eggs. The creme brulee looked beautiful, tasted rich, but was tepid at the bottom.

It would have been a nice meal, but paying almost $800 plus $220 for a bottle of wine, was a bit exorbitant.

The next day, secrets were revealed. Since Fei Zai owns a food exporting company in France, his wife, Dominique, sends over each Thursday and Monday crates of fresh food - mushrooms, lettuce, foie gras, mussels, escargots and fruits. Sometimes strawberries or figs, Muscat grapes or raspberries.

Those are the days to go. Or, better, call Fei Zai or his assistant, Johnny, to discover what is best.

I sampled some of the best. The sea escargots, for instance, frozen freezing cold, tough but delicious with the aroma of the sea. Or the mussels, the best I've ever had here. In the wine sauce, succulent, smooth as jelly. Or raw - not on the menu but available - more delicious than oysters.

The small wine list is as expensive as Gaddi's, but the choices are vintage. The house wines change from week to week and, at around $200, are the only bargains.

Reservations are needed at night. Lunchtimes are basically empty, but the addition of a set lunch should pull in business people. Meanwhile, the key to dining at Le Fauchon is to ask ahead for the specials.

And just in case the bill is exorbitant, ask for the list of beers as well. The names themselves are worth the price of the whole meal.

LE FAUCHON 6 Staunton Street (near escalator exit, one block above Hollywood Road), Central. Hours: noon-2.30pm; 7pm-11pm (closed Sunday). Tel: 2526-0404