Celebrity Life

Christmas dinner can be quite the tedious task, so why not let someone else cook for you. It's been a - very - long year, so sit back and enjoy the holidays without lifting a finger. Here are our 10 favourite festive feasts in Hong Kong to book now.

FRANCIS

[caption id="attachment_212532" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The traditional Jerusalem-stuffed lamb shoulder with sauces[/caption]

For a spicy twist on family-style indulgent Christmas feast, Middle Eastern neighbourhood eatery Francis will offer a limited-run menu for dinner. Highlighting the spirit of the season, the traditional Jerusalem-stuffed lamb shoulder is the star of the meal and is served with a variety of meze, like bake halloumi and Moroccan-inspired Quail Pastilla. Different from any other menu in town, Israeli Chef Asher Goldstein's selection brings together the bold flavours of North Africa, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Available: December 24-27 2020

Bookings: Christmas set menu HK$480pp+ 10%

FRANCIS, 4 & 6 Francis Street, Wan Chai; +852 3101 9521

CHAAT

[caption id="attachment_212537" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Holiday Feast at CHAAT[/caption]

This Christmas, Chaat the Rosewood Hong Kong, the hottest Indian restaurant in town and a new favourite, is offering a vibrant holiday menu that features of the aromas and spices that characterised its elevated comfort dishes. The selection boasts Chef Manav’s clever spins on traditional Indian street-style bites and is accompanied by sharing-style bites featuring, Murg Tikka Mirza Hasnu, Dabba Gosht and Turkey Nargisi Kofta.

Available: December 24 and 25 2020

Bookings: HK$1,288 + 10%

CHAAT, 5/F Rosewood Hong Kong, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui; +852 5239 9220

Aulis

[caption id="attachment_212534" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Truffle Pudding[/caption]

Aulis, the development kitchen slash chef’s table is a cosy little cavern for private and intimate celebrations. For Christmas, Chef Simon Rogan’s Hong Kong farm to table concept will be ringing in Christmas and the new year with a menu of old favourites and new discoveries. The 13 dish menu features some of chef’s classics flavours along with many innovative creations including the Pigeon with red cabbage and blackberry, Truffle Pudding, and the Smoked eel and grape tart. Some dishes take a Christmas twist for the special occasion.

Available: December 24 and 31 2020

Bookings: 13 Course Tasting Menu HK$1,280 + 10%

Aulis, UG08, Sino Plaza, 255 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay; +852 2817 8383

Restaurant Petrus

[caption id="attachment_212536" align="alignnone" width="1200"] George Bruck foie gras[/caption]

Michelin-starred Restaurant Petrus at the Island Shangri-la is offering an opulent Christmas menu that matches its elegant decor, superb view and creative concept. Executive Chef Uwe Opocensky's Winter Wonderalnd 8 course dinner menu features elevated dishes like the George Bruck foie gras, line-caught turbot, Rossini beef and salmon.

Available: 24 December 2020

Bookings: 8 Course Winter Wonderland Christmas Menu HK$2,588 + 10%

Restaurant Petrus at Island Shangri-La, Level 56, Pacific Place, Supreme Ct Rd, Central; +852 2820 8590

Castellana

[caption id="attachment_212539" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Brittany blue lobster ravioli with Burrata foam[/caption]

Castellana, the acclaimed Northern Italian restaurants that brings to Hong Kong unique products and dishes from the region of Piedmont, has you covered with an indulgent Christmas dinner. The feast includes iconic dishes and winter classics like the Uovo di Montagna (Mountain organic egg), Zuppa di cardi Piemontese e foie gras (Piedmont thistles soup with foie gras), Ravioli di astice blu e burrata (Brittany blue lobster ravioli with Burrata foam) and Gelato al tartufo bianco (White truffle ice cream).

Available: December 7 2020 until January 6 2021 

Bookings: Christmas Menu 4 Courses HK$1280 (with wine pairing - HK$1880); 7 Courses HK$1580 (with wine pairing - HK$2280)

Castellana, 10/F, Cubus, 1 Hoi Ping Rd, Causeway Bay, +852 3188 5028

Honjo

If you're looking for something nontraditional for your Christmas dinner, but still feel-good, Honjo is the place to celebrate this festive season. The modern Japanese restaurant will showcase two eclectic menus featuring four courses with some of our favourites. This includes appetising dishes that are served family style such as the thinly sliced Wagyu bathed in chorizo oil, Hamachi served with ikura, watermelon, radish and ginger ponzu, as well as the indulgent Salmon Teriyaki with charred lime and fresh chilli. The festive spread can also be paired with wines from Honjo's selection of over 200 types of wine from their cellar.

Available: 24 and 25 December 2020

Bookings: from 6:00pm to 8.30pm HK$680+10% per person; 8.00pm onwards HK$820+10% per person; additional HK$480 per person for the wine pairing

Honjo, 1/F, Hollywood Centre, Queen's Road W, Sheung Wan; +852 2663 3772

Hue

The Hong Kong Museum of Art location gives this 5,000 sq. ft. modern Australian restaurant some of the most exquisite views in Tsim Sha Tsui. Plus this newly opened restaurant has some impressive food on offer too. This Christmas, it's a four course menu with options for some premium meat, seafood, canapés and dessert dishes. We've got our eye on the Hokkaido Scallop Raviolo, Confit Turkey Leg and Pavlova.

Available: 24 to 26 December 2020

Bookings: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day 4-course menu HK$850+10% per person

Hue, 1/F Hong Kong Museum of Art, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; +852 3500 5888

Kinship

[caption id="attachment_212535" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Potterspury Farm Bronze Turkey[/caption]

Since we're celebrating togetherness during the festive season, it seems that Kinship is the perfect place to book in your Christmas dinner. And if the comfortable setting and relaxed vibes aren't reason enough, then the Christmas menu is. It features some great classics to get nostalgic over including Potterspury Farm Bronze Turkey, Handmade Ravioli and Apple Pie Semifreddo. It's ideal for family or friend sharing and is a mix match of the best of British and American cuisine.

Available: 24 and 25 December 2020

Bookings: From 6pm onwards HK$488+10% per person

Kinship, 3/F LL Tower, 2 Shelley Street, SoHo, Central; +852 2520 0899

Zuma

[caption id="attachment_212538" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The nocturnal Christmas brunch at Zuma[/caption]

Zuma’s signature “midnight brunch”, or yashoku, is back with a festive touch. A Hong Kong favourite, the nocturnal feast will feature some of the restaurant’s classic dishes along with free-flow sake, champagne and live performances to celebrate the holiday spirit. 

Available: December 24, 25 and 26 2020

Bookings: From 7pm onwards HK$920 + 10%

Zuma, Level 5&6 Landmark Atrium, 15 Queen's Road Central, Central, +852 3657 6388

Mott 32

[caption id="attachment_212533" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Peking Turkey[/caption]

This festive season, award-winning restaurant Mott 32 has given a new Cantonese look to an international holiday classic. The restaurant’s Peking Turkey will be served with regular duck sauce and a homemade cranberry sauce as the star of its Peking Turkey set, which also includes delicacies like Minced Turkey with prawn crackers and bamboo shoot and a Shredded Turkey Salad. The other selection available, the Mott 32 Christmas set menu, blends time-honoured Chinese culinary style and Christmas traditions.

Available: Peking Turkey Menu 26 November – 30 December 2020 ; Mott 32 Christmas Set Menu
Dinner, December 25 2020

Bookings: Peking Turkey Menu HK$1,880 for full set (min. 4 pax sharing), requires 48-hour pre-order; Mott 32 Christmas Set Menu HK$1,388pp, additional $480 for wine pairing

Mott 32, Standard Chartered Bank Building, Des Voeux Rd Central, Central; +852 2885 8688

The post 10 Restaurants for Christmas Dinner in Hong Kong appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Christmas dinner can be quite the tedious task, so why not let someone else cook for you. It's been a - very - long year, so sit back and enjoy the holidays without lifting a finger. Here are our 10 favourite festive feasts in Hong Kong to book now.

FRANCIS

[caption id="attachment_212532" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The traditional Jerusalem-stuffed lamb shoulder with sauces[/caption]

For a spicy twist on family-style indulgent Christmas feast, Middle Eastern neighbourhood eatery Francis will offer a limited-run menu for dinner. Highlighting the spirit of the season, the traditional Jerusalem-stuffed lamb shoulder is the star of the meal and is served with a variety of meze, like bake halloumi and Moroccan-inspired Quail Pastilla. Different from any other menu in town, Israeli Chef Asher Goldstein's selection brings together the bold flavours of North Africa, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Available: December 24-27 2020

Bookings: Christmas set menu HK$480pp+ 10%

FRANCIS, 4 & 6 Francis Street, Wan Chai; +852 3101 9521

CHAAT

[caption id="attachment_212537" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Holiday Feast at CHAAT[/caption]

This Christmas, Chaat the Rosewood Hong Kong, the hottest Indian restaurant in town and a new favourite, is offering a vibrant holiday menu that features of the aromas and spices that characterised its elevated comfort dishes. The selection boasts Chef Manav’s clever spins on traditional Indian street-style bites and is accompanied by sharing-style bites featuring, Murg Tikka Mirza Hasnu, Dabba Gosht and Turkey Nargisi Kofta.

Available: December 24 and 25 2020

Bookings: HK$1,288 + 10%

CHAAT, 5/F Rosewood Hong Kong, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui; +852 5239 9220

Aulis

[caption id="attachment_212534" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Truffle Pudding[/caption]

Aulis, the development kitchen slash chef’s table is a cosy little cavern for private and intimate celebrations. For Christmas, Chef Simon Rogan’s Hong Kong farm to table concept will be ringing in Christmas and the new year with a menu of old favourites and new discoveries. The 13 dish menu features some of chef’s classics flavours along with many innovative creations including the Pigeon with red cabbage and blackberry, Truffle Pudding, and the Smoked eel and grape tart. Some dishes take a Christmas twist for the special occasion.

Available: December 24 and 31 2020

Bookings: 13 Course Tasting Menu HK$1,280 + 10%

Aulis, UG08, Sino Plaza, 255 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay; +852 2817 8383

Restaurant Petrus

[caption id="attachment_212536" align="alignnone" width="1200"] George Bruck foie gras[/caption]

Michelin-starred Restaurant Petrus at the Island Shangri-la is offering an opulent Christmas menu that matches its elegant decor, superb view and creative concept. Executive Chef Uwe Opocensky's Winter Wonderalnd 8 course dinner menu features elevated dishes like the George Bruck foie gras, line-caught turbot, Rossini beef and salmon.

Available: 24 December 2020

Bookings: 8 Course Winter Wonderland Christmas Menu HK$2,588 + 10%

Restaurant Petrus at Island Shangri-La, Level 56, Pacific Place, Supreme Ct Rd, Central; +852 2820 8590

Castellana

[caption id="attachment_212539" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Brittany blue lobster ravioli with Burrata foam[/caption]

Castellana, the acclaimed Northern Italian restaurants that brings to Hong Kong unique products and dishes from the region of Piedmont, has you covered with an indulgent Christmas dinner. The feast includes iconic dishes and winter classics like the Uovo di Montagna (Mountain organic egg), Zuppa di cardi Piemontese e foie gras (Piedmont thistles soup with foie gras), Ravioli di astice blu e burrata (Brittany blue lobster ravioli with Burrata foam) and Gelato al tartufo bianco (White truffle ice cream).

Available: December 7 2020 until January 6 2021 

Bookings: Christmas Menu 4 Courses HK$1280 (with wine pairing - HK$1880); 7 Courses HK$1580 (with wine pairing - HK$2280)

Castellana, 10/F, Cubus, 1 Hoi Ping Rd, Causeway Bay, +852 3188 5028

Honjo

If you're looking for something nontraditional for your Christmas dinner, but still feel-good, Honjo is the place to celebrate this festive season. The modern Japanese restaurant will showcase two eclectic menus featuring four courses with some of our favourites. This includes appetising dishes that are served family style such as the thinly sliced Wagyu bathed in chorizo oil, Hamachi served with ikura, watermelon, radish and ginger ponzu, as well as the indulgent Salmon Teriyaki with charred lime and fresh chilli. The festive spread can also be paired with wines from Honjo's selection of over 200 types of wine from their cellar.

Available: 24 and 25 December 2020

Bookings: from 6:00pm to 8.30pm HK$680+10% per person; 8.00pm onwards HK$820+10% per person; additional HK$480 per person for the wine pairing

Honjo, 1/F, Hollywood Centre, Queen's Road W, Sheung Wan; +852 2663 3772

Hue

The Hong Kong Museum of Art location gives this 5,000 sq. ft. modern Australian restaurant some of the most exquisite views in Tsim Sha Tsui. Plus this newly opened restaurant has some impressive food on offer too. This Christmas, it's a four course menu with options for some premium meat, seafood, canapés and dessert dishes. We've got our eye on the Hokkaido Scallop Raviolo, Confit Turkey Leg and Pavlova.

Available: 24 to 26 December 2020

Bookings: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day 4-course menu HK$850+10% per person

Hue, 1/F Hong Kong Museum of Art, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; +852 3500 5888

Kinship

[caption id="attachment_212535" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Potterspury Farm Bronze Turkey[/caption]

Since we're celebrating togetherness during the festive season, it seems that Kinship is the perfect place to book in your Christmas dinner. And if the comfortable setting and relaxed vibes aren't reason enough, then the Christmas menu is. It features some great classics to get nostalgic over including Potterspury Farm Bronze Turkey, Handmade Ravioli and Apple Pie Semifreddo. It's ideal for family or friend sharing and is a mix match of the best of British and American cuisine.

Available: 24 and 25 December 2020

Bookings: From 6pm onwards HK$488+10% per person

Kinship, 3/F LL Tower, 2 Shelley Street, SoHo, Central; +852 2520 0899

Zuma

[caption id="attachment_212538" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The nocturnal Christmas brunch at Zuma[/caption]

Zuma’s signature “midnight brunch”, or yashoku, is back with a festive touch. A Hong Kong favourite, the nocturnal feast will feature some of the restaurant’s classic dishes along with free-flow sake, champagne and live performances to celebrate the holiday spirit. 

Available: December 24, 25 and 26 2020

Bookings: From 7pm onwards HK$920 + 10%

Zuma, Level 5&6 Landmark Atrium, 15 Queen's Road Central, Central, +852 3657 6388

Mott 32

[caption id="attachment_212533" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Peking Turkey[/caption]

This festive season, award-winning restaurant Mott 32 has given a new Cantonese look to an international holiday classic. The restaurant’s Peking Turkey will be served with regular duck sauce and a homemade cranberry sauce as the star of its Peking Turkey set, which also includes delicacies like Minced Turkey with prawn crackers and bamboo shoot and a Shredded Turkey Salad. The other selection available, the Mott 32 Christmas set menu, blends time-honoured Chinese culinary style and Christmas traditions.

Available: Peking Turkey Menu 26 November – 30 December 2020 ; Mott 32 Christmas Set Menu
Dinner, December 25 2020

Bookings: Peking Turkey Menu HK$1,880 for full set (min. 4 pax sharing), requires 48-hour pre-order; Mott 32 Christmas Set Menu HK$1,388pp, additional $480 for wine pairing

Mott 32, Standard Chartered Bank Building, Des Voeux Rd Central, Central; +852 2885 8688

The post 10 Restaurants for Christmas Dinner in Hong Kong appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is one of the world’s most exciting culinary capitals, where good food is more than abundant. In that light, we’ve put together a few of our tastiest tidbits and most memorable morsels that are worth tracking down to try.

Castellana

In a new seasonal menu, titled 'Castellana Tour of Italy', a series of dishes are presented to celebrate Piedmont cuisine in a new light; many of which combine top ingredients sourced from around the world. On this occasion, we sampled Tagliatelle ai ricci di mare which puts together homemade tagliatelle, cooked perfectly al dente, with Japanese sea urchin enhanced by a squeeze of fresh lime and spicy olive oil, cherry tomatoes and basil. The result is luscious and creamy, but not overly rich: an indulgent pasta dish that was enjoyable to the last bite.

Castellana, 10/F, Cubus, 1 Hoi Ping Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong; +852 3188 5028

Arbor

It's always a joy to revisit two-Michelin-starred restaurant Arbor and savour chef Eric Räty's innovative cuisine. This season brought with it a wealth of dishes that once again, honours the natural flavours of its produce. Case in point is the Roasted Brittany pigeon. In a wonderfully flavourful dish, the breast meat is crusted with Okinawan sugar and Sichuan peppercorns. It's then paired with an assortment of mushrooms which include a peppered onion chutney-stuffed morel, meaty maitake and its puree, seaweed soy chutney with truffle, and a pigeon jus infused with fermented enoki mushroom juice. It's also served with a pigeon leg on-the-bone and pickled burdock.

Arbor, 25/F, H Queen's, 80 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong; +852 3185 8388

Petrus

If you have yet to visit one-Michelin-starred Restaurant Petrus at Island Shangri-La since Chef Uwe Opocensky joined, now is the time to do so. The seasonal menu, also driven by Head Chef Bjoern Alexander, is ripe with the very best ingredients of the season and focuses on organic produce too. The new favourite is the Lobster aged in bone marrow on rice served with a broad bean chawanmushi. Warming and moreish, the dish holds a balance of savoury and sweet notes from the seafood with touches of freshness and texture throughout.

Petrus, Level 56, Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2820 8590

Somm

The Landmark Mandarin Oriental's wine and sake led restaurant does it again with their classic menu accented with modernity. Take the beef tartare; the popular appetiser that uses fresh beef with both crunchy and creamy components. At Somm, the beef used is the free-range and grass-fed Polmard heritage cattle, known for its deep and rich flavours. It's paired with the piquancy of shishito peppers, which add a slight kick, before it's grounded with velvety shiso mayonnaise. It's best enjoyed on top of sourdough shavings for added crunch.

Somm, 7/F, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, 15 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong; +852 2132 0033

Tin Lung Heen

During a recent lunch at The Ritz-Carlton's two-Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant Tin Lung Heen, we enjoyed the dim sum and barbecued Iberian pork with honey signatures. However, the highlight this time was the unassuming double boiled soup. Filled with the rich essence of chicken and nourishing fish maw, the soul-soothing soup receives the maximum extraction of flavour from the sweet and aromatic baby coconut. A must order if you enjoy soups, and one worth going up to the 102nd floor for.

Tin Lung Heen, Level 102, The Ritz-Carlton, International Commerce Centre (ICC), 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong; +852 2263 2270

The post The Top 5 Dishes We Ate in May 2020 appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

It’s recently come full circle for German-born chef Uwe Opocensky and his 15 years in Hong Kong. His stellar reputation at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong for more than nine years saw him overseeing all culinary operations at the hotel, where he made a deep impact with his menus at Mandarin Grill + Bar, and as the launch chef of The Krug Room – with his super-imaginative take on fine dining.
After his Mandarin stint, Opocensky became executive chef of Beef & Liberty restaurants, redefining the gourmet burger purveyor’s menus in Hong Kong and mainland China; while in this position he also launched his own cosy Sheung Wan restaurant called Uwe. Then, in September, he returned to the hotel world, to become executive chef at the Island Shangri-La.
But it’s not only been a return to the hotel industry, Opocensky explains at the Admiralty hotel. “I started my career in Hong Kong at the Aberdeen Marina Club, which is managed by Shangri-La, so from that point of view it’s a full circle – as the group owner [Robert Kuok] said when he saw me here, ‘Welcome back home!’
“In life, I think you figure out things you’re good at and what you prefer to do – and hotels is more my field,” says Opocensky. “It’s a field I know pretty well and I feel comfortable to be back in it. There are obviously a lot of challenges in the market at the moment, but the hotel group is embarking on an evolution towards where they see hospitality heading and I’m very excited to be part of this."

Although Opocensky visits each of the Island Shangri-La’s eight food operations – including the coffee shop (Café Too), Japanese (Nadaman), Cantonese (Summer Palace) and western (Lobster Bar & Grill) restaurants – once or twice a day, since coming on board in September, a significant focus has been on honing one of Hong Kong’s grand dames of classic French dining: Restaurant Petrus.
So what exactly is Opocensky’s vision for the restaurant with him now at its helm? “Petrus has a classical approach and I want to take this further, with a commitment to quality,” he says. “We’ll always be steeped in French cuisine, which is in the restaurant’s nature; focus will remain on seasonality – and I want to bring in really unique ingredients and experiences, but in as simple a manner as possible, so that people don’t see how much work we’ve put into dishes but let the ingredients shine.

[caption id="attachment_204590" align="alignnone" width="1427"] Uwe Opocensky[/caption]

“A plate of food is an expression of what you are as a restaurant. I’ve introduced a lot of new cooking techniques – fermentation and others – to the restaurant, so I’m glad and lucky that the kitchen team here adapted to these very well.” Opocensky’s 33 years of experience have exposed him to some innovative styles that he can draw from in a way that best befits Petrus; the most edgy he was involved in was kitchen time at both Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in the UK and Ferran Adria’s El Bulli in Spain: two the world’s most influential contemporary nerve centres in recent culinary history.
At the time of writing, lunch menus presented options of two to four courses, with two selections in each course; dinner comprises three to five courses, with three listings to select from in each. Each course option also has at least three meticulously prepared components. Menu descriptions are brief, allowing the notably warm waiting staff to elucidate more fully. and with most courses served tableside from a serving trolley, it’s often Opocensky himself or Chef de Cuisine Bjoern Panek (who previously also worked at Uwe) who add not only a touch of culinary theatre to the proceedings but also elaborate on the dish ideas and sources of the often very special ingredients.
Take the dish simply called Beetroot, for example. The vegetable itself is grown in Hong Kong and is the second harvest of seeds from a producer called Row 7, the brainchild of US chef Dan Barber, multi-awarded for his two Blue Hill restaurants, who collaborated with vegetable breeding and seed specialists. Opocensky serves it three ways: first as a northern- Italian-inspired sliced, cured, smoked and air-dried bresaola, with slices arranged so that it appears like a rose, atop a thin layer of soft goat’s cheese; accompanying this are charred wild pepper leaves (foraged in Hong Kong) suggested as small wraps in which to contain the beetroot, as well as melba toast with beetroot purée, salad leaves and herbs, and a side salad smattered with freeze-dried beetroot powder.
On the dinner menu is the dish known as Prawn – of course, there’s so much more to it. “We have a beautiful red prawn from Spain,” the chef explains. “We grill the heads and keep the rest raw. On the side we serve a [prawn] garum, which is an old way of fermenting – it was invented by the Romans; we do this in-house in a whisky barrel and it takes about six weeks at 58.6 degrees [Celsius] – we have to be very precise.

[caption id="attachment_204591" align="alignnone" width="1475"] Opocensky's minimalist dish called Prawn[/caption]

“Another ingredient that’s all about simplicity is in our Potato dish. It’s a Hokkaido potato, which took me seven years of knocking on a farmer’s door with a bottle of sake to get it into Hong Kong. I got it for the first time last year – in Japan, it can take a really long time to secure ingredients; I’m going back soon to see him, to make sure we have a supply for next year.
“It’s all about relationships. I’ve got an organic farmer in the UK who went to Japan to get a special kind of deer – sika deer – and brought it back to organically rear it in the UK; and we take all six that he produces each year.” I try this and the meat is sweet – neither as dense in texture nor as robust in gamey flavour as some venison; Opocensky serves it with tart red cabbage based on his grandmother’s recipe (“though she might not like what I’ve done with it,” he says with a laugh), and a creamy savoy cabbage.
While Opocensky may be known for modern ingredient-led cuisine, via some whimsical experimentation at The Krug Room, his foundations were in a very traditional domestic repertoire. “I got into cooking through my grandmother and mother,” he recalls. “In Germany it’s a very big family tradition at Christmas time to bake cookies – kids would often be around while this went on at home to get a few sweet tastes during the process, but my family had other ideas for me – they thought I should help to make them, and from that point really I’ve never looked back. Since then my life has always been around the kitchen. And from when I was about 12 or 13, after learning more cooking from my mother, I was crystal clear that that’s where my future would lie.”
We live in an age where chefs are expected to come out of the kitchen and interact with the diners, which Opocensky embraces, but we’re also accustomed to seeing critical comments appear on social media. “There’s a lot of debate about how chefs should act towards criticism and anything else,” says the chef. “I think it’s better to hear criticism – or that someone’s really enjoyed something – face to face, rather than read it on social media when it’s already too late to react to praise or negative feedback.
“In life, nothing is perfect. In the kitchen and in service, we get a one- time chance to get it right. But sometimes, we can slip – a customer and chefs or waiters have to accept that. If something isn’t perfect in the kitchen I won’t let it go out and that might mean someone needs to wait; we’ll say, “Sorry, we just need a little more finishing on your dish, you’ll just have to wait another 10 minutes please ...” and we’ll have immediate feedback from the table – which is better than, say, a diner waiting with no explanation who might post about this on social media. It’s all part of hospitality – dealing with people’s emotions at the time.”
While it may be early days for Opocensky, one very strong vote of confidence already secured for his morphing Petrus was the awarding of a Michelin star in December’s new Hong Kong and Macau guide for 2020. Expect more such accolades to follow.

The post Chef Uwe Opocensky’s Epicurean Elevation at Restaurant Petrus and Throughout Island Shangri-La appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

It's official: newly appointed Island Shangri-La Executive Chef, Uwe Opocensky, will oversee kitchen operations for the luxury hotel's eight restaurant and bar offerings. This includes the Lobster Bar & Grill, Nadaman, Michelin-starred Summer Palace, and of course, Hong Kong's treasured haven for haute cuisine Restaurant Petrus. Here, Opocensky will play an integral role in leading the team and spearheading a new culinary direction at the French fine-dining restaurant.

[caption id="attachment_171878" align="alignnone" width="2268"] Prawn | Spanish / Red / Garu, / Grilled Bread Supplement 188[/caption]

The post Uwe Opocensky Joins Island Shangri-La as Executive Chef appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

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