°C
Eat & Drink

Hot Tables

arbor

In Hong Kong’s ultra-competitive dining scene, the ability of a menu’s storyline to stand out from the rest is key to success. Leave it to the coming generation

of younger, innovative chefs to break new ground in offering dining experiences that stick.

Such is the case with Arbor, a Michelin-starred restaurant perched high on H Queen’s, a luxury building with a who’s who tenant list of high-end dining operators. Arbor’s menu is created by 30-year old Chef de Cuisine Eric Räty, a rising star in the city. The Finnish native is well-pedigreed, having earned his stripes with celebrated chefs and establishments including Hans Valimanki of Chez Dominique, Aqua in Ritz Carlton Wolfburg, and Gray Kunz at Café Gray Deluxe.

Chef Räty’s cooking philosophy combines his lineage and his passion for Japanese culture and cuisine – French cooking style, premium Japanese ingredients and flavours, with a Nordic touch. Well, that sounds compelling enough for us to sample his creations.

Arbor’s décor exudes understated sophistication and opulence. An arched gateway connects the bar to an expansive dining room with high ceilings, prized artworks, and spacious seating; an outdoor terrace offers a commanding view of Central; and the wine cellar offers a collection of 1700 bottles of famed vintages and bold winemakers from the world over, chosen by world-class sommeliers and its wine-loving owner.

Arbor offers a choice of two dinner tasting menus with wine pairing: A six-course Seasonal Tasting Dinner for $1,488 plus four glasses of paired wines for $1,100, and an eight-course Chef’s Tasting Dinner for $1,888 and five glasses of paired wines for $1,300. We chose the latter.

Our dinner started with Ebisu, the flavour of the succulent Japanese oyster was nicely set off by the mild, pleasant seasoning. Caviar with Cow’s Milk Cheese was next, paired with a refreshing, light Sake Daiginjo Kokuryu, reputedly the first sake made using the French wine maturation technique.

Several delicacies followed: Kuruma Ebi, fresh Japanese king prawn in a mildly spicy, sweet and sour sauce; Kinmedai, splendid, lightly flamed alfonsino fish seasoned with a spicy sour paste and paired with Meursault 1er Cru Poruzots, Domaine Vincent Latour 2016, a nice white Burgundy with complex earthly flavours; and Morel, mushroom with Hokkaido Scallop flavoured with octopus butter and yellow sake which went nicely with the highly touted Freeman Sonoma Pinot Noir Reserve 2014.

Arbor’s signature Pigeon was next, cooked French style, and paired with the well-regarded Tignanelo 2014 red from Tuscany. Two exquisitely prepared desserts rounded out our meal: White Peach, a light dessert of peach and sorbet, and Chef Räty’s signature concoction, Soy Milk, a tasty soy custard with black soy beans. A dessert wine, Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives, Domaine Weinbach 1989 was the pairing of choice.

Our dinner at Arbor was truly special in so many ways. The variety of subtle and pleasant flavours gave our taste buds a real work out, the food was thoughtfully prepared, and the ambience offered an enchanting bespoke dining experience. Arbor is destined to make its mark in the city’s rarefied fine-dining scene, as is Chef Räty. Check it out for a memorable dining outing

 

 

Address: 25/F, H Queen’s, 80 Queen’s Road Central, Central

3185 8388

Comments

Add your comment


Please enter the Verify Code