Eric Räty has plenty of fans of his work from his post at Café Gray Deluxe at The Upper House. Now, working in collaboration with Nicolas Boutin of one-Michelin-starred ÉPURE, Eric is the chef de cuisine at new restaurant Arbor, due to open next week in the brand-spanking-new art-focused building on Queen’s Road Central, H Queen’s.
Eric, tell us all we need to know about Arbor.
As our restaurant’s name is Arbor, our inspiration comes from nature in different perspectives, combining French cooking techniques with seasonal Japanese products. Arbor, a name that channels a haven of trees and the forest, is a tranquil beacon rising above Central that provides a scintillating destination for nature-rich gastronomy, fine wines and the loftiest standards in hospitality. My roots from Finland will also be seen with small twists in flavour combinations, since I literally grew up in the forest. For example, we are currently working with wild pine shoots, which will to be combined with Japanese kumquats and other creative ingredients.
This is the type of cuisine I love to do. Moreover, Arbor is located in Central’s bustling business hub amidst the concrete jungle. Our vision is about contrast, as we aim to provide a tranquil venue for diners where they can relax, unwind and thoroughly escape the grinding pace of the city. We envision a breakthrough style of innovative French fine dining that still focuses on using French cooking techniques but with hints of creative flair and eclectic ingredients. We use a lot of Japanese ingredients because Japan is a leading country in terms of culinary standards in Asia, and we believe that the result will set a sublime standard of quality and gastronomic artistry.
What’s your favourite element in the new place?
Definitely the inspiring location in the middle of the busy Central in Hong Kong. The surrounding fuss on the streets and the art galleries just downstairs at H Queen’s provided good energy and inspiration for our dishes. You can feel totally relaxed and comfortable once you arrive at our restaurant on the 25th floor.
Will it have a kitchen as beautiful as ÉPURE‘s?
Definitely, but I don’t want to compare since ÉPURE’s focus is more on contemporary French cuisine with premium ingredients, mainly from France, while Arbor focuses more on innovative French cuisine that uses a lot of premium Japanese ingredients. As always, we aim to provide top-quality food, wine, service and ambience for our guests, but the style of Arbor and ÉPURE will be very different. People can come to rest, relax and feel like they are at home while enjoying seasonal cuisine that they would be happy to eat every day.
And the official opening date?
We will be officially launched in mid-April.
25/F, H Queen’s, 80 Queen‘s Road Central, Central, 3185 8388, reservations@arbor-hk.com
For more hot stories like this, like Foodie on Facebook