Petrus' Seasonal Menu

We forgot how nice the view was from Restaurant Petrus until we got up there and paid a visit a couple months ago to check out Chef Uwe’s winter menu. And the food too, at this legendary restaurant with a legendary chef at the helm. 

Our grande feast of the evening began with a couple of amuse-bouche bites, first the tartlet with carabineros tartare and thin slices of black radish, followed by the mille-feuille crisp topped with celeriac, caramelized onions and black truffles. Both light and refreshing with a punchy touch, with acidity in the former, and earthy taste in the latter. More black truffles came our way to pair with the appetizer with leek and creamy hazelnut dressing served cold. The “Egg on Egg” dish seemed to be everyone’s favorite course in this seasonal menu and I concurred, aesthetically presented in a deep dish with boiled “initial egg” with the runny yolk and cauliflower espuma underneath. A quenelle of Kaviari caviar added to the umami flavor. It’s beautifully done with perfect balance of flavor. 

We went on with a few more seafood dishes, all excellent. The gigantic piece of scallop, which was sourced direct from Scotland by Chef Uwe, was seared and served in the rich Vin Jaune sauce topped with Jerusalem artichoke crisp on top. It’s the textbook example of how this classic dish is to be done. Same can be said about the Norwegian langoustine, done with Swiss chard and crustacean reduction sauce. The whole King Crab leg was then served, and on the side, the rest of the crab meat baked in a croissant-like pastry roll. Excellent technique to get that perfectly crispy, layered pastry shell. 

Kicking up a notch in richness was our first “main course” of monkfish fillet glazed with fermented black bean and raspberries – Chef Uwe joked that the dish was inspired by Cantonese charsiu with the similar appearance and the hint of savory-sweet flavor. I had my fair share of duck course this winter season and this one was served in the most classic way with the juiciest, tender meat with jus reduction infused with lavender. On the side was the cabbage roll and croquette filled with the rest of the duck. We finished with a cute “picnic basket” named “Mushroom Forest” as dessert platter in playful Uwe style. Love the chestnut ice-cream disguised as, well, a piece of chestnuts. 

Went with a few glasses prepared by our sommelier. Krug was excellent, as usual. I did like the Meursault with its classic mineral and rich taste on the palate, and it’s good to try this bottle of Bordeaux-style blend from Yunnan Province done in lighter style with more red fruits than black, less tannic, and a hint of coffee and plum for this relatively young vintage, well suited for the two main courses. 

More photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/g4gary/albums/72177720314550089/

When? January 23 2024
Where? Restaurant Petrus, Level 56 Island Shangri-la, Supreme Court Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong
Menu Highlights? Initial Egg, Cauliflower, Caviar 
Drinks? 
Champagne Krug Grande Cuvee 170eme Edition Brut MV (ID: 122014)
2021 Domaine Arnaud Baillot AOC Meursault 
2019 Sentiers de Xiaoling, Xiaoling Estate, Cizhong, Yunnan Province
Web: www.shangri-la.com/hongkong/islandshangrila/dining/restaurants/restaurant-petrus/