I don’t like the word fusion. On paper, every worldly cuisine has seen an accepted or forced influence from colonising or budding nations and their food. England’s national dish is chicken tikka masala, Brazil’s flavours have Portuguese influences, South Korea’s fuses Chinese flavours, and South Africa’s fare is part-Dutch, French, and Malay.
Today, the cuisines of France and Japan are inseparable and a wearily common trope in fine-dining restaurants across Hong Kong.
Since the late 1800s, following Japan’s Meiji restoration, Japanese chefs have ventured to Paris to train on the fine-dining techniques of French cooking. The 1960s saw a culinary exchange between the two nations, a joining of French nouvelle cuisine and kaiseki-style Japanese meals: sophisticated techniques, farm-fresh ingredients, and art-incarnate on the plate.
In Japan today, French restaurants with Michelin stars number 73, the third-highest number after traditional Japanese restaurants, which stand at 302. Only 106 sushi restaurants in Japan have Michelin stars, as of the 2024 Michelin Guide.
WHISK, Ta Vie, Takumi by Daisuke Mori, ZEST by Konishi, Tirpse – French-Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong are plentiful, but the concept can often appear tired. Are French techniques and Japanese ingredients the best pairing we can produce in Hong Kong? I ventured to the hidden Ankôma to answer this begging (rhetorical) question.
Only eight seats dot the counter at Ankôma, with a patio catering to á-la-carte dining. My tasting menu – catered to my pescatarian and non-pork- and non-shellfish-eating needs – began with quaint tuna tartare and smoked eel amuse-bouches, a good introduction to the sleek cooking foundation of the restaurant.
The first dish, saba, brings together apple-cider-vinegar-marinated mackerel with hints of green apple slices and vinaigrette, wasabi, and sakura cress. The three bites from this dish are delicate and boast an enjoyable sour-sweet combination, playing with the palate. Strong start from the off, chef!
Not on the regular tasting menu, I was served a snapper-mousse dumpling with an addictively good ratatouille consommé, topped with bonito ham. The ratatouille tastes exactly like the Pixar film should: smoky, herby, and grounded in an umami kick. It is a warm dish that hugs you tight – trust me, you’ll be begging for more.
The star of the show came with the pasta, an ornate wheat-pasta creation whisked with white truffle paste and tsukudani, or mirin-coated seaweed paste, and topped with sturgeon caviar. Not only pretty to look at, this pasta dish at Ankôma tops the list for strong sea flavours and memorability. It’s a showstopper for a reason.
In addition to the normal menu, I was served a portion of golden threadfin that impressed me. Serving a fish mousse coated in cherry tomatoes, salty fish flavours, and tangy tomato colours paints the plate with a beautiful umami-meets-sour profile.
The seaweed powder on top is applied simply for looks, but the fish is graciously firm, with a light peppery touch and sea-salt taste. Swipe chunks into the tomato-fish sauce and you’ve got a memory in a dish.
As a fine-dining restaurant with French qualities in Hong Kong, a roast chicken dish is clearly a must, and Ankôma uses locally sourced three-yellow chicken to wow. The chicken is paired with Japanese Hokkaido Nanatsuboshi rice, infused with chicken oil, and served with a vin jaune sauce.
I commend the restaurant for the simplicity of the recipe. The sauce is buttery and salty and aids the rice to grow on you with a stronger poultry touch. As for the chicken, the chef team make efforts to evenly cook the bird so as to keep the skin from being overly roasted. In the end, the skin remains delicate to bite, with a salty touch.
Dinner ended with the pistachio tart, created with pistachio-almond crunch, ganache, and mochi and served with pistachio ice cream. Is it an overload of pistachio flavours? Yes. Does the tri-combination work together? Yes. Will it tip you over the edge to the point of no return? No, thankfully not.
Our verdict of Ankôma
With 10 courses stretching over three hours and priced at just shy of HKD1,500 per diner, Ankôma offers a good blend of France and Japan on the plate. The chefs work silently in the small dining room, but their creations are loud in taste. This French-Japanese restaurant stands as an economical choice for fine-dining without sacrificing quality.
Ankôma, 5/F, Kam Lung Commercial Centre, 2 Hart Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2981 1688, book here
| Order this: the tasting menu is the only available option, so go for that Menu: Ankôma tasting menu Price for two: HKD2,960 | Atmosphere: not jovial, but not quiet. The chefs maintain good connections with the 16 nightly guests. Ankôma is relaxing too. Perfect for: a blend of France and Japan on 10 plates in Tsim Sha Tsui |
This review is intended to offer an individual perspective on the dining experience and should not be considered as a definitive judgement of the restaurant’s overall quality or reputation. The views expressed in this review are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions of Foodie.
