Following Our Tradition

We followed our “long-time family tradition” of eating at Caprice of Four Seasons Hong Kong during the long Chinese New Year holiday to kick-off another year of feasting and drinking. It was a pity that we didn’t get to meet chefs Guillaume and Nicolas at the restaurant this time as both were on leave on that day, but his sous chef Suveg Kavatkar and the teams took good care of us with a well-delivered, sumptuous meal.

We started with a pair of cold appetizer – first was the slab of cold-smoked Balik salmon topped with caviar, almond silvers, dill and mango coulis on the side, followed by another caviar dish, this time, with picked Alaskan king crab, avocado puree, baby coriander and shrimp consommé jelly. Both were rich yet refreshing, especially the latter, loaded with umami flavor balanced by the hint of herbs.

We moved from caviar to black truffles with our next two courses. One couldn’t go wrong with the combination of seared scallops with mushroom puree, Comte mousse and shaved Perigord black truffles which were in season right now, and the dish was punchy and perfectly executed. I first thought the second dish would taste somewhat similar but it’s different, this time with a piece of sole fillet topped with finely chopped truffles with the creamy mash potatoes and chicken jus, plus more shaved truffles on top. It was lighter than the first but still with that earthiness from the truffles and I loved the firm texture of the fish and the overall combination of flavor.

I have seen our main course of pigeon in pictures before on social media and glad we got to try that this time ourselves. The whole Racan pigeon breast was first brought to our table in the cocoa pod in which it was roasted, then returned to the kitchen to be carved and served with jus reduction, pumpkin puree, salsify and a small piece of seared foie gras. The pigeon was packed with a deep smoky, nutty flavor from roasting in the cocoa pod and topped with cocoa nibs, and the pumpkin puree provided the right balance in sweetness. It was a hearty winter dish and I thought that worked well with the Rhone Valley wine we picked from their menu with the same hint of chocolate/cocoa flavor on the palate and good fruitiness.

Following our main course I thought we were served a particularly large platter of cheese. “Chinese New Year special”, we were told, with six different kinds which we enjoyed with the rest of our bottle. The last course was a repeat of something we had before, Chef Nicolas' "Trilogie de Chocolat" with three different kinds of chocolates (white chocolate included) in various form and textures and gold leaf garnishes, a dish we have learned first-hand how it was done previously. It is one of the sweeter desserts in chef's repertoire and given I love everything white chocolate, that's one of my favorites too.

More pictures here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/g4gary/albums/72157690586598572

When? February 18 2018
Where? Caprice, Level 6, Four Seasons Hong Kong, 8 Finance Street, Hong Kong
Menu Highlights? Racan Pigeon from Maison Bellorr, Cooked in Cocoa Pod, Pumpkin Purée, Salsify, Natural Jus
Drink? 2006 Cotes du Rhone Villages Cairanne “La Perdendaille” Les vins de Vienne
Web: www.fourseasons.com/hongkong/dining/restaurants/caprice