businesstraveller.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018
Tucked away in Causway Bay,
Japanese restaurant Kishoku is
famous for its omakase (chef ’s
selection) offerings, and has
recently launched a Winter
Hotpot Dinner set, which begins
with a chilled miso toro (tuna)
appetiser, infused with smoke
and decorated with edible pink
flowers. This is followed by a large
sashimi platter, given a gorgeous
autumnal presentation with
leaves and twigs.
Next come individual hotpots.
The chicken meatball hotpot has
a tasty white broth, but we highly
recommend the Wagyu beef hotpot, with a deliciously
sweet soy soup base. The hotpots come with extra soup and
an onsen egg to dip the meat in before eating – try adding
the egg to the soup at the end to create a fluffy scrambled
egg mixture.
After the hotpot is seafood stone pot rice, a delicious dish
with melt-in-your-mouth uni (sea urchin), lightly seared
scallops and fish eggs that burst in the mouth, plus plenty
of fiery wasabi. The final savoury dish is madai fish soup,
followed by a dessert of persimmon pear, rock melon and a
crunchy strawberry roll.
We also tried a few non-set menu dishes, and recommend
the signature toro “sandwich” – two thick, juicy pieces of
tuna with caviar and gold flakes wrapped in seaweed; and
the sushi platter, featuring kinmedai fish, karei fish topped
with fish liver, and Wagyu sushi with foie gras.VERDICT The food and drinks at Kishoku are exquisite. We
loved the careful presentation of the dishes as well as the
inventive concepts. The signature gins are an added bonus.
A great way to impress clients or friends. Craig BrightParisian super-chef Yannick Alléno opened his first Hong Kong
establishment in August 2017. The cheerful bistro-style eatery
is surprisingly affordable given its high-end location in Central’s
Prince’s Building. There’s an open kitchen, island bar and two seating
areas with booths and tables. Stylish black-and-white photos line the
walls, while stainless-steel tables and paper table mats reminded me
of my favourite café-bistros in Paris’s Montmartre district.
Starters include obvious staples like onion soup and oven-
roasted Camembert alongside some more intriguing choices. We
opted for Caviar de lentilles et blinis (“Beluga” lentils with nutmeg
crème fraîche and warm blinis; HK$88/US$11) and Bouchées
de champignons de Paris aux escargots (snails baked in a Paris
mushroom cap with parsley and garlic butter; HK$158/US$20).
The flavours were smooth and delicate, the snails fantastic, the
lentils perhaps a little bland, needing slightly more nutmeg. From 12
mains, we plumped for“Pilafaela” de noix de coquille Saint-Jacques
(sea scallops cooked over simmered rice pilaf in an aromatic broth;
HK$288/US$37) and Navarin printanier d’agneau (lamb shoulder
ragu with seasonal vegetables; HK$348/
US$45). The scallops were cooked to
perfection but it was the meatiness
of the pilaf rice – cooked in a chicken
broth – that most impressed me. The
lamb, meanwhile, was smothered in fresh
carrots, green beans and peas, flanked by
tasty new potatoes and swimming in a
delicious sauce – superb, hearty fare.
The signature dessert, Saint-Honoré
(caramelized choux pastry, kirsch custard
and Chantilly cream; HK$88/US$11) was
sinfully good, especially with its creamy
combinations of texture.
The wine list is exclusively French; we
tried a crispy sauvignon blanc and an
excellent merlot-cabernet franc blend.
VERDICT A great place that largely
succeeds in replicating a typical Parisian
bistro. The hearty French fare is cooked
very well, presented nicely and very good
value. A fun place for an enjoyable meal in
the heart of Hong Kong. Jeremy Tredinnick
TRIED AND TESTED HONG KONG RESTAURANTS
Terroir Parisien
Kishoku
HOURS
Daily 11.30am-2.30pm,
6pm-10.30pmPRICE
Around HK$1,500
(US$192) for a three-
course meal for two with
house wine and coffee.CONTACT
Shop M20-M24,
Mezzanine Floor, Prince’s
Building, 10 Chater Road,
Central; tel 2522 9990;
yannick-alleno.comHOURS
Daily 12pm-3pm,
6pm-11pmPRICE
Winter Hotpot Dinner set
HK$880/US$113 (chicken);
HK$1,080/US$138 (beef )CONTACT
5/F, Zing!, 38 Yiu Wa
Street, Causeway Bay;
tel 2893 0333;
kishoku.hk73