Name, check, match

L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon There is nothing delicate about Michelin superstar, Joel Robuchon’s food here, except the way it is presented. Where other Michelin chefs seduce with their lightness of touch, Robuchon smacks you in the taste buds repeatedly with such finesse, that you walk out of this sleek bento-box-meets-lacquered-sushi bar feeling punch drunk on taste. From tangy-crisp cheese batons to a winning medley of mustard, piquant apple and beetroot salad, L’Atelier serves up a beautiful tapas style tasting menu. The white asparagus with miso emulsion is peppery, citrusy and basil sweet with the perfect hint of mesquite from some Espelette pepper powder. The sous vide duck breast from the duck mecca of Challans in France is sinfully tender and succulent with foie gras and cherry confit only heightening the gamey relish of the dish. The dessert — Le Chocolat Sensation — ought to replace anti-depressants worldwide for its tightly-coiled ability to crackle with biscuit crunch under a satin-creamy mousse and cold dark chocolate and coffee, ice cream bitterness. Easily the most ‘wow-eliciting’ restaurant on this list.

Fook Lam Moon This third-generation, family-run restaurant has been perfecting Cantonese grub since the 1940s, bears Michelin stars, and is on the San Pellegrino 50 Best list too. It remains so popular with Hong Kong’s elite that views from each floor have been obscured to foil paparazzi below. As busy as a banquet hall, Fook Lam Moon boasts delicately flavoured dishes with fresh-to-a-fault meats over a comprehensive menu of traditional delicacies. The BBQ chargrilled char siu pork is a must — fatty and tender, it leaves a hint of smoke in the mouth. The sweetness and crunch of the sautéed prawns in mayonnaise and walnuts make it a winning starter, paired nicely with the melon and fruity notes of an Elio Grasso Educato Chardonnay. I cannot recommend the roasted crispy baby pigeon enough: despite appearances, the skin of the bird crackles open to a salty, hot, dripping, and gamey yet delicate meat that is surprisingly full of flavour for such little showing. A pairing with the all-spice fragrant Tarras, Pinot Noir from New Zealand helps cut the fat with this dish. Finish off with the cloud-like hot buns filled with a runny cinnamon and nutmeg zesty custard.

8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana The first Italian restaurant outside Italy to have won three Michelin stars has truffle champion Umberto Bombana to thank for trailblazing Italian food in Asia. Kick off with homemade maccheroni in a blue lobster ragout and sea urchin for a hearty opener of al dente pasta, sweet lobster meat and creamy ocean-fresh uni (sea urchin) in a restorative sauce. The creamy mushroom risotto is divine: the loamy notes of mushroom and the piquancy of winter truffle emulsion balance to make every bite rich and moreish. The Aveyron baby lamb is a carnivorous triumph — tender and juicy in a tomato sauce, the barley and vegetables are clean on the palate, offering crunch for texture. Finish with the naughty, childhood-evoking ricotta tart with its biscuit-meets-panettone textures and gleefully sweet candied orange and pistachio within. All wines recommended by the sommelier are medium-bodied and work well to let the food do the talking.

The Fat Pig by Tom Aikens Michelin-lauded Tom Aikens’ Fat Pig is a robust ode to 1950s American diners but with the sheen and neon of a Hong Kong speakeasy. The decor belies the intense days-long marination and slow-cooking methods — a lot is Chinese in flavour profile — that go into preparing so much of the pork served here. Skip the starters and opt for the pork belly with wholegrain mustard mash with sage and apple glaze. The mash is sinful while the crackling is sticky sweet, and the belly tenderly moist. Pair it with the smoky and hoppy bacon red ale made especially for the restaurant and take home some disconcertingly adorable pork buns made cleverly to look like Aardman piglets. If you still have room, the chocolate caramel tart is all dark chocolate silk on a dulce de leche and burnt biscuit base that should make it difficult to walk home without swaying.

Govind Dhar is a journalist, currently based in Sri Lanka

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