For two weeks every year, one Michelin star French chef Jacques Barnachon closes his resort/restaurant L’Etang du Moulin, located in a remote forest and river area of the Franche-Comte region (close to the Swiss border), for a short winter break.
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Chef Jacques Barnachon
Instead of going on vacation this year, he decided to spend that time opening a restaurant in Hong Kong. The result is La Saison, located on the third floor of The Cameron building in Tsim Sha Tsui. Chef Barnachon designed the menu, while his protégé Florian Muller will be based in Hong Kong as its executive chef.
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Offering French fine dining with a touch of Asian influence – Barnachon has travelled extensively around Southeast Asia – the focus will, as its name suggests, be on seasonal ingredients and speciality produce from the chef’s home. Barnachon will be tweaking the menu every three months.
“My way of cooking is very simple,” the chef says. “I start from a simple base. In my hometown of Bonnetage, we have a really big kitchen 20 metres long, so the smaller kitchen in Hong Kong is a challenge.”
“The Franche-Comte region is mostly known for its cheese but we also have very good smoked ham and sausages like Morteau. Frog legs is another speciality. The season for them is only five weeks in March and April.”
However, he won’t be serving any in Hong Kong because the long transport diminishes their freshness and the local critters don’t have the same flavour.
For the opening night’s tasting menu, Barnachon demonstrated his talent with other fine dishes with classic flavours and a contemporary touch.
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Cream of Cauliflower with Morteau Sausage soup
A Cream of Cauliflower with Morteau Sausage soup (HK$110), served in a martini class for the evening’s tasting portion, was a mellow emulsion to whet the appetite for more, with bits of morteau sausage providing a savoury texture contrast.
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Sea Bream Tartare with Hokkaido Sea Urchin and Caviar
A revelation was the Sea Bream Tartare with Hokkaido Sea Urchin and Caviar (HK$208). It’s part French, part Japanese and all delicious as the sashimi grade fish alternately carried the taste of the yuzu jus, bits of shiso leaf and salty caviar and sea urchin for a refreshing mouth parade.
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Pan-seared Foie Gras with Roast Apples and Jura Wine Jus
More simple and traditional is the Pan-seared Foie Gras with Roast Apples and Jura Wine Jus (HK$298). La Saison offers a very generous big portion of foie with a nice sear and solid body that doesn’t fall apart or melt into fat when cut. A truly decadent cold weather treat.
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Langoustine Ravioli with Shrimp Broth
The Langoustine Ravioli with Shrimp Broth (HK$420) was less successful. The shrimp was firm and tasty, but the weak deconstruction of ravioli combined with a bouillon soup that should be lighter makes this dish a weak point for customers used to the elegance of wonton soup.
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Beef Tenderloin with Mashed Potatoes, Truffle And Red Wine Jus
All reservations were forgiven when the servers presented the night’s best dish, Beef Tenderloin with Mashed Potatoes, Truffle And Red Wine Jus (HK$560). The chef explained the loin was slow-cooked at only 57 degrees Celsius for hours wrapped in a plastic film to seal in the moisture. The result is a soft, melting meat that just feels luxurious in the mouth. The chef also explained he uses a particular spud from home that is naturally fluffy when cooked so he doesn’t need to overload it with butter for creaminess, which means you can dig in with the red wine sauce with less guilt.
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Guanaja Chocolate with Spices Ginger Bread Ice Cream
Dessert was Guanaja Chocolate with Spices Ginger Bread Ice Cream (HK$128). The spicy ginger is a very Christmasy flavour and Guanaja is one of Valrhona’s top bitter chocolates but the result is let down by an overcooked cake.
All in all, some misses and some big hits. Considering this is the kitchen’s first ever meal, it’s a very good start.
FIND IT
La Saison
2/F, The Cameron, 33 Cameron Road
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
www.lasaisonbyjb.com
