About a month ago, the company I work for gave everyone a half-day off to go to the Disneyland Halloween Night Preview for the company’s annual Family Fun Day. Before going to Disneyland though, I decided to treat myself to a fancy lunch since I rarely get to try the lunch sets due to my office location and work schedule. With this thought in mind, my friend and I headed to the Michelin three-star restaurant Caprice at the Four Seasons Hotel to delight in some contemporary French cuisine.

As we had made reservations at the last minute, we couldn’t get a table near the windows. I guess it wasn’t too much of a loss since it was such a foggy day. On a good day, though, you’d have a good view of Victoria Harbour and the Kowloon Peninsula from this sixth-floor restaurant. Note that you are required to dress in smart casual attire at the very least.

The open kitchen showcases the chefs at work and I love seeing the delicious and oh-so-pretty dessert pastries being made and plated. Choose either the two- (HKD 460) or three-course (HKD 520) lunch from the set lunch menu (a 10% service charge applies).

The amuse bouche was a savoury bread-like snack containing anchovie that looked like a mini canele. It was pretty tasty but I didn’t find it particularly interesting.

I loved their breads which were served warm and I especially liked the brioche (right) which was buttery and slightly crunchy as you bit into it because of the white sesame seeds in it. The sesame seeds gave it added texture and flavour and I thought it was a nice touch in infusing some Asian ingredients in this French pastry.

Fancy salted and unsalted butter from Brittany, France.

My friend chose the Challans Duck Leg Confit and Paimpol White Bean Cassoulet, which was very tender. The white bean cassoulet had a tomato based sauce topped with some raw salad for a light and refreshing taste.

I loved my Braised Wagyu Beef Shoulder, Carrot Méli Mélo and Red Wine Sauce. The tender wagyu beef melted in my mouth, and though some might argue that the sauce masks the natural flavour of the meat, I was fine with it.

Before our main desserts arrived, we were presented with these sugary morsels of chocolates and strawberry macarons.

My friend chose the beuaitfully presented Popcorn Cheesecake and Marinated Fig Napoleon, Raspberry and Fig Sorbet. The cheesecake bits were shaped like popcorns, hence the name, and the flaky pastry that sandwiches them was so buttery and delightfully sinful. The fresh figs and raspberries, as well as the sorbet gave balance to the richness of the cheesecake and pastry. Thumbs-up for this dessert.  

Presented like a Modernist painting with its cirlces, square shapes and round structures, my Chocolate and Orange Soufflé Tart, Peppery Grapefruit Sorbet was also a winner with its delicate balance of flavours. The souffle tart was wonderfully moist when it was sliced through and the orange’s citrusy tang was a nice contrast to the chocolate’s rich cocoa. What I loved most, though, was the peppery grapefruit sorbet which surprised me with the faint taste of black pepper pairing so well with the refreshing and bittersweet grapefruit. It’s a marriage that I’d have never thought of – kudos to the dessert chef.

Just as we thought we were done with the sweets, the petit fours were brought out – (from left) nougat, mint marshmallow, and milk chocolate. At this point, I had already reached my sugar limit – I mean, this is me the dessert junkie talking – so I didn’t eat any of it. I enjoyed my dining experience at Caprice and the service was very good with the wait staff being prompt in bringing the bread, refilling our glasses, and attending to our requests.

 

Caprice
Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong
8 Finance Street
Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 3196-8860
Lunch: 12 – 2:30pm
Dinner: 6 – 10:30pm
(Children aged three and above are welcomed)