Chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa at the Nobu restaurant in the InterContinental Hong Kong hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Dickson Lee
Source:
https://scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/article/2162668/why-hong-kong-always-hungry-worlds-top-celebrity-chefs Leisure
Why Hong Kong is always hungry for the world’s top celebrity chefs
First to the city was Alain Ducasse, who opened Spoon in 2003, then a host of other big-name chefs followed in his steps – from Jason Atherton and Gordon Ramsay, to Jamie Oliver
‘I was once told that Hong Kong is where the big boys play,’ says chef Theo Randall at Theo Mistral, in the InterContinental Grand Stanford hotel.
It has only b een 15 years since world-renowned master chefs first paid attention to Hong Kong, opening restaurants and revolutionising the local fine dining scene, often with lighter dishes, seasonal ingredients and creamless sauces.
Alain Ducasse arrived in 2003 with his contemporary French fine dining brand, Spoon, at the InterContinental Hong Kong. Three years later, Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa checked into the same hotel with the city’s first Peruvian-Japanese concept – and the first Nobu to open in Asia, outside Japan. In 2007, French culinary master, Pierre Gagnaire, opened Pierre at the Mandarin Oriental.
However, it was Joël Robuchon who first focused the international culinary-world’s attention on southern China, in 2001, when he was invited to open Macau’s Robuchon a Galera at the Lisboa Hotel by Alan Ho, the then-executive director of Lisboa Hotels and nephew of casino magnate Stanley Ho Hung-sun.
The Nobu Sushi assortment at Nobu, at the InterContinental Hong Kong hotel. Photo: Chen Xiaomei
Over the past 10 years, many other big names flocked to Hong Kong with casual and fine-dining concepts, including: Jason Atherton, Gordon Ramsay, Tom Aikens, Alvin Leung, Michael White, Akrame Benallal, Jamie Oliver, Judy Juu, Mario Carbone, and, more recently, Yannick Alléno, Takashi Saito, and Theo Randall. Also, look out this month for David Thompson and Raphael Duntoye with his newly opened French restaurant La Petite Maison.
Chef Theo Randall at Theo Mistral Hong Kong, at the InterContinental Grand Stanford hotel. Photo: Alex Chan
A beautifully decorated veal chop dish at Theo Mistral Hong Kong. Photo: Alex Chan
British food critic Jay Rayner once said: “Randall is the most famous chef you have never heard of.” But not any more, as the restaurateur and chef has expanded his brands, with two restaurants in London, one in Zurich and Geneva, as well as Bangkok and now Hong Kong. He has also made television appearances on the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen, and he has opened his kitchens to Masterchef (UK) finalists.
Chateaubriand at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze Grill in London. A Hong Kong version of the restaurant is expected to open in Hong Kong’s Harbour City next month.
“Deciding which type of restaurant to open doesn’t happen by accident,” Ramsay says. “Opening a new restaurant is a costly process which has to be thoroughly planned for and researched. We look at where we are in the world, the consumers who are eating out and what their needs are, and take it from there.”
His concepts here showcase the best of British fare, but like Nobu and other celebrity chefs, he also offers dishes that consider the local palate.
“We always put a local twist on our menus, globally, seasonally, we need to be serving the best ingredients available in each region and our menus reflect this,” Ramsay says. “There are also classic dishes that travel well, wherever we are in the world, like our delicious Beef Wellington.”
Chef David Thompson will open his latest concept, Aaharn at Tai Kwun, in Central this month.
“Hong Kong is the most amazing melting-pot of cultures and expectations. The lucky people who live there have such a wealth of dining opportunities. Who wouldn’t want to be part of such a cool, vibrant city? I absolutely love it!”
“Aaharn will serve Thai food – that’s all I know. And I intend to do the best I can in providing Hong Kong with some immaculate Thai food based on my research and understanding,” says Thompson, who first made his name in 1991 in his native Australia with Sydney’s Darley Street Thai, which won T he Sydney Morning Herald’s Best Thai Restaurant award for eight consecutive years. He came to world attention in 2001 with Nahm in London, which was the first Thai restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star and within six months of opening – the restaurant closed in 2012. In 2010, Thompson opened Nahm in Bangkok, which was listed as Asia’s third-best restaurant in 2013, and one of the top 50 in the world. Thompson left Nahm, which he had partnered with Como Hotels for 18 years, to concentrate on Aaharn, which he co-founded in 2014, and his Australian-based group Long Chim. Thompson now has restaurants in Singapore, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, and has written two cook books – Thai Food, a history of the cuisine featuring recipes, and, more recently, Thai Street Food, a collection of 100 of his favourite recipes.
“[Aaharn] is a continuation of what I’ve done so far,” Thompson says. “It’ll differ from Long Chim as there’ll be no noodles or single-plate dishes that sit happily on that restaurant’s menu. This is more pure Thai food, refined and honed.”
La Petite Maison chef patron Raphael Duntoye. The restaurant’s Hong Kong outlet has opened at H Queens in Central.
Escargots at La Petite Maison.
Duntoye previously worked with Zuma, and brought the restaurant’s Asian-cuisine sharing concept to La Petite Maison and Western cuisine.
Gordon Ramsay is one of many international celebrity chefs who relish the appetites of Hong Kong’s vibrant fine dining scene.
Ramsay agrees. “Hong Kong is the most amazing melting pot of cultures and expectations,” he says. “Where hi-tech and futuristic sit comfortably alongside traditional and old-fashioned heritage. Visitors come from all over the world to taste great food, the lucky people who live there have such a wealth of dining opportunities. Who wouldn’t want to be part of such a cool, vibrant city? I absolutely love it!”