Exquisite service, incredible food, attention to detail – a beautiful restaurant in the heart of Central whisked us off to the French Riviera without having to catch a plane. Located in the art-themed complex of H Queen’s on Stanley Street, LPM Restaurant and Bar is a modern brasserie awash in elegant whites, and one of the go-to places in the city for fine French-Mediterranean food minus the fuss or undue flourishes.
Casting off the gloom of a fifth Covid wave in Hong Kong, on a bright winter’s day, we arrive at the stylish, handsomely white-tableclothed restaurant for a lunchtime tasting. Entering through an open patio that seats 14, we are immediately struck by the expansive dining space (LPM accommodates 104 in total), modern architecture and relaxed, welcoming vibe. The interiors are a sunny delight, dotted with carefully curated contemporary artwork from the South of France and its environs.
Modern French gastronomy may not be hot at the moment, but that doesn’t bother head chef Maurizio Pace. “Our food is timeless,” he says, “You really can’t eat a bad French meal, and we’ve designed a classic menu with a contemporary twist. It is labour-intensive, detail-oriented and the execution is flawless.” Armed with more than two decades of culinary experience across Italy, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong, Pace steers clear of trends to create new, bold flavours amidst an informality unfamiliar in most traditional French restaurants. Each mouthful here, is an unapologetic food adventure, one that is not easily forgotten or recreated elsewhere.
From a menu exhibiting a wide confluence of classics, the chef prepares four courses of earthy fare for this vegetarian. Once seated, the server comes forth with a plate of Italian tomatoes, lemon and olive oil to “make your own salad”. Ripe and bursting with flavour, it’s an entertaining start to escape the wait for entrées which are prepared in the open kitchen.
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We begin with Endive Salad with Gorgonzola and Caramelised Walnuts. Bitter and twisted, endives are an acquired taste, but once you’re accustomed, there’s no looking back. Sliced and bathed in a tangy dressing of mustard, mayonnaise and olive oil, the chicory is topped with apple slices, a mound of cheese and crispy caramelised nuts.
Our taste buds thus shocked out of hibernation, we’re ready to dig deep into Black Truffle with Burrata. Fresh, milky burrata cheese flown straight from Italy is served with a drizzle of olive oil and a generous shaving of European black truffle. This delicious marriage of earthy, aromatic ingredients can be savoured all winter long.
Homemade Gnocchi with Cherry Tomatoes is a humble, comforting dish – flavourfully packed with herbs but not piled with cream, and most importantly not leaving a sinking feeling in the mouth like some pasta creations. It’s served with the right amount of piquancy, warmth and salt, and I can imagine children getting wild for it.
LPM offers an exhaustive wine list, as well as cocktails that are beyond impressive. Bar Manager Benjamin Boyce, stirs a complex, magical potion for Beauty and the Beast, a mildly sweet and invigorating mix of Ketel One vodka, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, strawberry, fennel cordial and yellow Chartreuse.
The heady cocktails are outdone by the calorie-dense dessert of Vanilla Cheesecake with Berry Compote. A faultlessly smooth, unassuming wedge comes with the promise of airy lightness, the thin crunchy base and the tartness of mixed berries prove to be exactly the sort of old-school sweetness I’d wage a fork-war over.
The undisputed simplicity and freshness of ingredients here, prepared with love and respect, make you crave for a leisurely Saint-Tropez holiday, and it’s this ability to captivate and transport diners that has built LPM such a solid local clientele.
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LPM Restaurant and Bar. H Queen’s, 23-29 Stanley Street, Central. (852) 2887 1113. lpmrestaurants.com/hongkong
(Text: Nikita Mishra Pictures: LPM Restaurant and Bar)