Go gourmet with a vengeance this May
The 26th year of Le French May in Hong Kong and Macao coincides with the 10th edition of Le French GourMay.
France is famous for a broad array of artistic disciplines including the visual arts, classical and contemporary music, theater and cinema as well as the culinary arts.
Music has always had its own niche in France — from the boulevardier, or stylish man of yesteryear such as Charles Aznavour to the inimitable chanteuse Edith Piaf who with her powerfully emotive rendition of La Vie En Rose captured the hearts of lovers the world over.
Of course no one can deny how well-loved French food and wines are in many parts of the world, including Hong Kong. A number of food outlets here remain faithful to French indulgences during Le French GourMay 2018.
Adding a chic Parisian element to Elgin Street in Central, the Bouchon Bistro Francais offers the ambience of a typical French bistro with its reflective charm. The special lunch menu includes a commendable salade nicoise or a toasted goat cheese salad that is just scrumptious. There’s a really good cheese selection for dinner and the key main dish items include steaks and a very Scotch lamb shoulder, braised in white wine and served with potato gratin. Also on offer is that most famous of all French dishes — bouillabaisse, a magical combination of fish and seafood with aioli. Be warned that calling it a “seafood stew” would be like referring to the Eiffel Tower as a bunch of iron girders!
Several other outlets around town are offering special food dishes and chef’s creations to go with the wines of the Provence-AlpesCote d’Azur region.
Adjacent to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, restaurants at the Renaissance Harbour View Hotel include the Cafe Renaissance, offering a seafood buffet packed with many premium items. The Mirage Bar and Restaurant offers an indigenous three-course Provence wine-pairing dinner during this period of celebration. There’s also an unusual winepairing experience at Dynasty, the hotel’s Chinese restaurant, where Cantonese delicacies are paired with an elegant Chateau d’Astros Rose 2017 wine. This is sure to be an experience to remember.
In Tsim Sha Tsui, The Langham Hong Kong is going all out, charting a culinary journey across all five of its acclaimed dining outlets to allow diners to sample the gastronomic excellence of the Provence-AlpesCote d’Azur region. And there’s an extra incentive to indulge in during May that is linked to your wine order (Chateau d’Esclans Whispering Angel Rose) — the chance of winning two round-trip air tickets to Nice.
At The Langham’s three-Michelinstarred T’ang Court, a lavish eightcourse tasting menu ranges from premium braised abalone with Beche-de-Mer to baked seafood rice with cream sauce in crab shell. The T’ang Court’s signature dishes are paired with a distinguished selection of E. Guigal Southern Rhone wines. This exclusive wine-pairing menu is available from May 1 to 31 for lunch and dinner.
In the hotel’s basement, the Main St. Deli is offering a French burger, a glamorous one-of-a-kind replete with foie gras, caramelized onion, comte cheese in Dijon mustard, black truffle dressing and served with French fries — ooh la la!