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(Bloomberg) — Hong Kong isn’t missing for polished French bistros, and because the competitors sharpens, Belon is seeking to acquire an edge with a change within the kitchen. At simply 29, Istanbul-born Mina Güçlüer has stepped into the position of head chef, making her one of many youngest to steer a high restaurant within the metropolis, and amongst a small variety of girls working Michelin-starred eating places in Asia.
Her imprint on the menu is displaying up within the type of cooking rooted in French approach that includes native substances and parts from her Turkish background. That’s most obvious in her East-West twist on the roast duck: sourced from Guangzhou, dry-aged for 14 days, and served with apricot and bulgur wheat. The dish anchors Black Sheep’s month-to-month “Plated” deal, an early-week prix fixe menu at HK$428 ($55) per particular person.
My visitor and I booked spots for a Monday evening. Right away, we have been pleasantly stunned by the New York jazz bar aesthetic: suppose sophistication in shades of blue and grey. In reality, nothing about Belon visually resembles a conventional Parisian bistro. Nonetheless, the muted colour palette didn’t detract from the fastidiously crafted and scrumptious meals. One other spotlight was the employees, who have been extremely attentive and beneficiant.
After a complimentary glass of champagne, we started with the ceviche-style fluke (gentle and zesty on the tongue) and have been charmed by our waitress into ordering chef Mina’s signature brioche beef tartare (HK$398) to share. That was adopted by the aforementioned duck after which we ended with a sinful mille-feuille (HK$198). Our invoice, together with service, totaled HK$1,658.
The vibe: Up to date stylish within the coronary heart of Soho. The general atmosphere is stylish but intimate and laid again, with tables fitted to as much as 4 folks. Belon welcomes sensible informal apparel.
Who’s subsequent to you: The mix of assorted promotions introduced out {couples}, mates, colleagues in addition to households.
Are you able to conduct a gathering right here? Sure, completely. There’s sufficient house between the tables to permit for formal conversations and the nu jazz soundtrack is a refined contact within the background.
What we’d order once more: The brioche beef tartare with caviar is a crowd favourite for good motive. The buttery, melt-in-your-mouth dish is excellent regardless of its unassuming look. I additionally don’t have any regrets about indulging within the newest dessert providing – a colourful strawberry and Chantilly cream mille-feuille deal with.
Have to know: Belon is on the primary ground of 1-5 Elgin Avenue. Its entrance is discreet, and the door to the stairway is tucked away between Fukuro and Ho Lee Fook. The restaurant serves dinner day-after-day from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friends who want to immerse themselves within the motion of the kitchen can reserve the chef’s counter (seats as much as 4 folks) for what appears like a novel front-row expertise.
This overview was initially revealed in Hong Kong Version, a weekly publication. To subscribe without spending a dime, click on right here.
See our opinions of different Hong Kong French bistros: Jean-Pierre, Babette, La Terrace by Louise and Lala. Tell us you probably have any eating places you’d like us to overview. Drop us a line at hkedition@bloomberg.web.
Extra tales like this can be found on bloomberg.com
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