With nearly 60 bakeries in eight countries around the world – from his initial outpost in Montmartre, Paris, to the latest openings in Hong Kong and Dubai – Gontran Cherrier has taken the world of patisserie by storm since launching his first bakery in 2010. In particular, the master baker’s croissants – golden, glistening and flaky on the interior, giving way to a soft and buttery interior – are hailed as amongst the best in the world, with Chef Cherrier debuting a raspberry “cloud” (meringue topped) croissant that’s exclusive to the 852.
At the newly opened Gontran Cherrier flagship at K11 MUSEA – the largest in Asia – you can watch (and smell) these croissants and other goodies such as pain au chocolat, brioche and kouign-amann being baked at the open-plan kitchen (2,000 croissants are baked daily), purchase them to take away or sit down to chow down at the large wooden communal table in the laid-back restaurant area.
Or, if you’re not particularly in the mood for something sweet, we recommend stopping by for a meal in the adjoining dining room. We weren’t sure what to expect from Gontran Cherrier’s restaurant menu – has the chef mastered both sweet and savoury? – and were more than pleasantly surprised by the freshness and quality of the dishes we sampled, which included:
Tomato salad ($128): this one just goes to show that beautiful ingredients can make or break a dish. The tomatoes used here are changed seasonally and are complemented by a homemade fig jam that brings out their natural sweetness. Tomato + burrata + pesto = a match made in culinary heaven. We loved the toasted olive ciabatta slices served on the side too.
Note that the portions pictured here and for all other dishes were adjusted to be smaller tasting sizes, so you have an idea of how generous the actual portions are.
French onion soup ($78): a classic for a reason. This comforting, aromatic, cheesy soup had a great depth of flavour from the oh-so-sweet slow-cooked onion. We think this paired with the tomato salad would make a perfect lunch.
Squid-ink risotto ($120): creamy and rich, the rice had just the right amount of chew and was punctuated with fresh, flavourful bites of seafood including squid and shrimp. This was the heaviest dish of the lot we tried, so we recommending sharing this one.
King prawn linguine ($130): this dish would be our pick of the pastas. The plump, garlicky prawns were cooked to bouncy perfection, and they paired well with the buttery, lemon-laced sauce.
Verdict
Gontran Cherrier’s restaurant offers a great spot for a lunch or dinner break while shopping or browsing at K11 MUSEA. We liked it so much, we’d even make a detour if we find ourselves in the area and are craving well-executed, won’t-break-the-bank French-style comfort food. We’ll be back to try the the four-cheese grilled sandwich ($80) when we really want to indulge. We only have two suggestions: we wish the restaurant opened earlier for breakfast and it would be nice to see a set lunch menu on offer. Otherwise, GC is effortlessly easy dining at its best.
Shop B205–207, B2/F, K11 MUSEA, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, TST, 3468 2430
This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.
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