This neo-Parisian restaurant which made its name up the road under chef Daniel Calvert, has a newish home and first-rate newish chef in Matthew Kirkley (ex L20 in Chicago, Coi in San Francisco and Amber in HK). Kirkley's approach to modern French food is informed by local sourcing that celebrates the best of Asian provenance, and classical training that is as uncompromising as it is brilliant – technically spot-on and precise in both execution and presentation.
Start with Hamachi Nicoise or crepe soufflée with caviar. Main course signatures include turbot with beurre cancalaise or a reinvented and very classy pigeon pithivier. Finish off with a brilliant brie de Meaux with black truffle or a chocolate hazelnut cake that looks or tastes nothing like what comes out of our kitchen. Wash it all down with a glass of Vouvray Sec or, if you're upping the ante, a glass of chilled Saint-Aubin.
And what of the new restaurant? Well, there's more space, an improved kitchen and whole layers of added refinement courtesy of award-winning designer Joyce Wang Studios. Brushed plaster walls, cobalt panelling and an oceanic colour palette interplay with curvaceous counters and banquettes. The pared-down look spells ambition, for sure, but it also provides a canvas that pairs modern day bistro with Hong Kong glitz, against which the food on the plate is allowed to shine.