Chef Nicolas Raynal, it has to be said, is not comfortable in front of the camera. The helmsman of the new Le 39V glances uneasily at the looming videographer as he prepares yet another dish in the glare of the studio lights.
Explaining his natural inclination to shun the limelight, he says: “I chose kitchen life for a reason.” Indeed, Raynal couldn’t be further away from the new breed of epicurean mega-egos that dominate the current crop of cooking shows, including The Chef’s Table. An apparently simple Frenchman from the landlocked Clermont-Ferrand region, Raynal began his career as a restaurant junior, climbing his way up the culinary ranks until he was hand-picked by the award-winning Chef Frédéric Vardon to work in Paris’ legendary Golden Triangle.
Vardon is the acknowledged visionary behind the original Le 39V, a renowned Parisian eatery that has merited a Michelin star every year since its 2012 launch. Situated on 39 George V Avenue, the restaurant prides itself on presenting neo-classical French cuisine that blends the sincere and the modest with the delicate and the contemporary.
Recalling his early years, Raynal says: “After working at Le 39V, I moved to Lausanne in Switzerland, but kept in touch with Vardon. Three years later, he called me and invited me to oversee the Far East branch of his restaurant – so here I am.”
Raynal arrived in Hong Kong in June 2017, playing a key role in the launch of Le 39V that following September. Summarising a clearly hectic few months, Raynal says: “It was my first time in Asia. I had a lot to learn and I had to do it fast.” Not least, the fastidious chef had only a few months to familiarize himself with the Cantonese palate, as heset about customising Vardon’s dishes in line with local tastes.
Outlining the scale of the challenge, he says: “We soon realised we couldn’t just transplant Parisian recipes here. Hong Kongers want extremely hot dishes and they are only too willing to send back food that’s too salty or too rich.
“While in Europe, you can predict what diners want – usually more of the same thing – here in Hong Kong, you have to be more experimental, with customers always open to tasting something new.”
For us, our particular ‘something new’ began with an Amuse-bouche of curry lobster spring roll, balanced precipitously on a small glass bowl of parsnip cream – a suitable prelude to a truly French-Cantonese affair.
Appetisers came in the form of seafood, a suitable nod to Hong Kong’s coastal location and its marine heritage. The juicy Roasted Scallops from Hokkaido (HK$620) then proved most delicious, as did the accompanying black truffle shavings and artichoke Jerusalem tortellini.
The Blue lobster in ‘Pot au feu’ (HK$630) was next up, a dish notable for its novel use of bistro cooking methods (pot au feu stew), as well as its substitution of the traditional prime ingredient (beef) for a more seasonal one (a hefty portion of lobster). A consommé of the latter was poured into the bowl, dousing the appurtenant seasonal vegetables and small raviolis with its nourishing warmth. The final starter came in the form of a Roll crab with crunchy radishes (HK$460), all immersed in a saffron sauce, generous and satisfying.
Of the mains, Le 39V’s bestseller ever since it first opened its doors is its Pigeon from France (HK$620). Although not normally huge poultry fans, we were soon won over by Raynal’s roasted and smoked pigeon breast creation.
To follow was Lamb from France (HK$590), a classic option for those who want a touch of the familiar – perfect morsels of confit (slow-cooked) shoulder with eggplant, roasted rack and saddle, tastefully garnished with anchovies.
The desserts, perhaps thankfully, were decidedly on the light side – the Soufflé (HK$250) with passion fruit, creamy calamansi and yogurt sorbet was baked to light-as-a-feather perfection. On a warmer day, however, a better option might be the Iced nougat cake (HK$240), a nutty concoction fetchingly topped with hazelnuts, pistachio and chestnut honey. Topping it all off, of course, were the mignardises, fast becoming staples of all the finest Francophile saloons.
For all its pomp and circumstance – impressive eagle-eye views and perfectly executed wine displays – the Hong Kong branch of Le 39V retains the best on offer from its Parisian mothership, while ably fusing that with subtle tastes of its eastern setting.
Overall, the restaurant manages to nimbly manoeuvre its way through a series of self-set culinary challenges, emerging wholly unscathed, largely on account of the able stewardship that comes courtesy of Raynal. As both chef and manager, he is clearly far from peaking, with his future progress likely to fascinate the city’s many foodies.
Le 39V. Shop A, 101/F, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui
(852) 2977 5266. le39vhk@jcgroup.hk
www.jcgroup.hk/le-39v-hong-kong
Text: Julienne C. Raboca