One of Hong Kong’s most renowned restaurants, the two Michelin-starred Écriture has recently completed an interior design refresh and has unveiled new signature menus. In this article, we’re taking a look at what guests can expect when they sit down for a meal.
Le Comptoir’s Two Michelin-starred contemporary French restaurant Écriture has unveiled a new interior design refresh including new furniture and tables set-up, launching in tandem with the latest seasonal Library of Flavours and Summer Vegetal signature menus.
The kitchen is headed by Executive Chef Maxime Gilbert (above), who works closely with his talented team members, including Chef de Cuisine Heloise Fischbach, Pastry Chef Cyrus Yan, and Restaurant Director Marc Antoine Compper (below).
New 8-Course Library of Flavours Menu by Executive Chef Maxime Gilbert & Chef De Cuisine Heloise Fischbach
Executive Chef Maxime Gilbert invites guests to discover his latest innovations that highlight exquisite Japanese seafood, modern French culinary techniques, and quality artisan producers in France and Japan. Priced at HK$1,980+10% for 8-courses with an additional 8-glass wine pairing for HK$1,390, the new Library of Flavours Menu begins with a selection of newly revamped seasonal Amuse Bouche: Yakitori of Mont Saint Michel Mussels glazed with peach syrup, Lamb Sweetbread Nuggets with geranium egg white mayonnaise, a playful take on Ratatouille, TARTatouille, Ecriture’s take on a Ratatouille + Tart, and Bone Marrow Brioche French Toast paired with homemade pigeon ham and pressed caviar.
A memorable bread basket is also an important element that sets the tone of a fine dining experience, which is why Pastry Chef Cyrus Yan, Chef Maxime and Chef Heloise have worked together to revamp Ecriture’s entire bread basket offering with fresh homemade sourdough bread and homemade brioche feuillete, served with French butter from the region of Pays de la Loire.
Commencing with ‘Library of Flavours’, the first course, Iwashi, Japanese sardines served raw with indigo tomatoes and a ratatouille consommé. The second course, Ebisu Oyster, features Loire Valley French beans in garlic butter, tonburi aka “land caviar”, cured in beef ham, seawater, oyster dashi, and sour cream.
Next is a supplemental option of the famous Caviar and Uni Tart (+HK$688 per person), with Royal Caviar Club Schrenkii caviar, Hokkaido sea urchin, beurre blanc, and kabu puree in a crispy buckwheat tart shell.
Savour the grilled Nishimera Trout with delicatesse potatoes, dill and pine, followed by the restaurant’s signature Akamatsu, a simple yet brilliant showcase of the rosy seabass’s natural umami using kombu, verbena, sake, lightly steam over hot stones.
Choose between the main course of French Mieral Bresse Chicken, chicken cooked whole in sourdough, served with grilled chicken thigh, sushi-rice, egg yolk, and Xiao Long Bao infused with red pepper bouillon – or Miyazaki Wagyu with Black Truffle (below), a supplemental option (+HK$788 per person) of cooked and raw wagyu beef mille-feuille with sea urchin and black truffle marmalade.
Delight in a sweet ending by Pastry Chef duo Cyrus Yan and Tia Cheung featuring Cherry, a pre-dessert showcasing refreshing sorbet cooked in syrup with elderflower panna cotta, and Buckwheat, a rich combination of chocolate sorbet, caramelised nuts and mousse.
An Ecriture experience is never complete without a selection of its newly revamped Gourmandise, featuring Chocolate Caramel Rocher, Brown Sugar Madeleines, Miyazaki Mango, Wild French Berry Tart and the crowd favourite, Chocolate Cognac Tart that is rotated and served on a seasonal basis.
New 8-Course Vegetal Menu by Executive Chef Maxime Gilbert & Chef De Cuisine Heloise Fischbach
The menu highlights Chef Heloise (above) and Chef Maxime’s highly innovative takes on the season’s finest produce, particularly vegetables, which are frequently the unsung ingredients of fine dining menus. Designed with a particular appreciation for the region’s seasonal vegetables, the 8-course Vegetal Menu is priced at HK$1,888+10% per guest and is now available from Mondays to Saturdays for dinner only (advance pre-order required for Lunch) as an alternative option to its Library of Flavours Tasting Menu.
The all-new 8-Course Vegetal Menu begins with refreshing Green Peas, served with pickled cucumber, kiwi, peppermint panna cotta, and lemon verbena oil, followed by a Zucchini Tart, served like a tatin cooked on socca (Italian savoury chickpea flour pancake) with saffron dressing and zucchini flower tempura.
The next course is the highly versatile Kohlrabi, stuffed into delicate handmade tortellini along with spinach, leek, corn and basil. Wild Mushroom Xiao Long Bao (above) presents a uniquely French interpretation of the Chinese delicacy, created with cepes papillote, girolles vin jaune, mousserons, and seaweed.
The seasonal Australian Black Truffle shines in the next course – in panettone with Eric Roy mini carrots and apricot fricassee in Raz el Hanout sauce infused with chamomile.
For lovers of Ratatouille, Écriture’s creative version of Ratatouille sees a whole pineapple tomato “en ratatouille”, wrapped in kombu and oven-roasted to bring out a robustly sweet and enticingly charred flavour. Next is Fennel, served as a palate-refreshing sorbet with aloe vera, wasabi, baby fennel salad from Eric Roy, and jasmine panna cotta.
The Écriture dessert of the season is Cherry Tatin by Chef Cyrus Yan and Chef Tia Cheung (above), made with a delicate puff pastry, almond cream, fresh almonds, and milk ice cream to balance the cherry’s tartness.
For more information on Écriture and to view the latest menus and offerings, please click HERE.
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