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You head a successful restaurant.
Reservations are a must. Most chefs
in your position could veer off in any
direction they wanted; the owners
have your back. So, after 14 years,
what do you do? If you’re Richard
Ekkebus, the brains behind Amber
at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental
Hong Kong, you shut it all down. For
five months. Wait, what?
Now that Amber (mandarin
oriental.com; set lunch or dinner
from HK$898) has reopened, the chefprovides a few answers with a
revamped menu turned out in a
restyled kitchen, all part of an
overhauled seventh floor that also
includes a new wine bistro and two
Japanese restaurants. Like Amber’s
new dishes, its interiors are softer,
subtler, lighter and less formal—a
feeling best exemplified by the
standing counter inside the kitchen,
where diners spend one course.
Ekkebus, 52, says he wants
Amber to be a forward-thinkingrestaurant, not one just surfing the
wave of success for another 15 years.
You may have heard that dairy,
processed salt and refined sugar are
out. It’s true. “The new Amber
restores flavors to their purest
essence, unadulterated by the usual
tricks of the trade like butter and
refined sugar,” Ekkebus explains as
he hovers around his kitchen. In
lieu, plant-based oils, umami, and
agave, maple and honey are in. But
the cardinal aim was that all dishesno. (^1)
A Hong Kong favorite has reopened
and it will stir your taste buds.
TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM / AUGUST 2019 19
AUGUST 2019
REASONS
TO
TRAVEL NOW
T+L’s monthly selection of trip-worthy places, experiences and events.
Home made tofu
with heirloom
tomatoes from
Fukuoka with
salted sakura and
virgin almond oil.