Finally, a French restaurant has opened in Hong Kong that prioritises a lighter touch as compared to the butter-heavy meals one can enjoy heartily in the city. The former option, now present at a new restaurant in Central, allows diners to keep a steady head for the remainder of the day, rather than falling into a food coma.
Babette newly graced Hong Kong in January, launched by the team behind Croque in Central. The chef, Cédric Tsia, possesses a curious upbringing. Born in Réunion Island, chef Cédric was raised in Paris, before making a homecoming back east to continue his illustrious cooking career.
As expected with any Amber-graduating chef in Hong Kong – so too with his experiences at Louise and BELON – Cédric masterminds the contemporary side of French dining. Sans heavy doses of butter and cream, delicate flavours come out to play.
At HKD228 for three courses, the lunch menu offers affordability and value. For the first course, we indulged ourselves with the oeuf pané (+HKD28) and poireaux vinaigrette.
The first starter, a soft-boiled egg drenched in a browned umami sauce and dusted in crisps, is a fair introduction to Babette’s culinary direction, departing from the usual formula. Light on the palate and crafted using light ingredients, the salty touch always comes to the bite.
I was fond of the poireaux vinaigrette, which brings a mélange of confit leek, gribiche sauce, egg, herbs, and hazelnut to the bowl. It is a warm vegetal bite, with touches of crisp texture introduced to whet the palate for the main course.
You might think the yellow chicken dish is overdone in Hong Kong, but judge only after you have tried Babette’s poulet jaune (+HKD38). Its skin is juicy and carries a salty touch with each bite. The protein itself lets out a soothing umami juiciness, perfectly tender and served hot.
I wished there was more sauce or jus drenched on the chicken to allow for the Niigata rice served with the protein to soak everything up. This is a quality dish I highly recommend you order.
For the second main, we ordered the polsson confit (+HKD38), a confit cobia fillet served on a bed of green cabbage and pomelo and dressed in a confit jus. A dash of salt and pepper atop the fish would be preferred to bring out the buttery flavour of the cobia, but the texture itself is rewarding; it is firm and offers a pleasant mouthfeel.
Without stuffing ourselves with heavy carbohydrates, a lunch at Babette is not nap-inducing. To finish on an even higher note, the riz au lalt arrived to share a French-style rice pudding dusted with green cardamom and vanilla. It is fluffy, not abundantly sweet, and satiates a need for sweetness to end the salty meal.
Our verdict of Babette
The online buzz of a new restaurant serving French food has translated to booked-out dinner sessions and popularity for a space dishing out contemporary French bites in comparison to Hong Kong’s traditional showing of French cuisine. I am excited to return to re-experience Babette’s light and playful approach.
Babette, Shop G03, G/F, Nan Fung Tower, 173 Des Voeux Road Central, Central, 9369 5861, book here
| Order this: oeuf pané, poulet jaune, polsson conift Menu: Babette à-la-carte and lunch menus Price for two for lunch: HKD500–600 | Atmosphere: approachable and low-key, whilst still maintaining seriousness Perfect for: weekday lunches with colleagues or date nights at the weekend |
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.
