We are big fans of French-Med eatery La Petite Maison – so much so that we named it one of our best meals of 2019!
While we’re in the thick of the COVID-19 panic that has recently hit Hong Kong, we headed to LPM for a hearty dose of its simple yet sophisticated flavours in the form of the eatery’s three-course Déjeuner d’Affaires business lunch ($448/person). In true LPM fashion, each dish is served sharing style when it’s ready. Each diner gets their pick of two hors d’oeuvres from a selection of eight and a choice of main course. To really gild the lily, add on dessert ($60).
Burrata with datterini tomatoes and basil
Salt cod croquettes
We tried nearly all the hors d’oeuvres (lucky us), with our favourites being the burrata with datterini tomatoes and basil, featuring the creamiest burrata this side of Italy in this iconic combination, the salt cod croquettes with oven-roasted pepper relish for a savoury, salty flavour bomb, the unique deep-fried zucchini flowers and sage with anchovies and the veal-stuffed Mediterranean vegetables, mainly for the oh-so-flavoursome veal stuffing. The only hors d’oeuvre we’d skip is the green lentil salad, which was boring and bland in comparison to its tablemates (those show-offs!).
For our mains, we first chose one of LPM’s signatures – the whole baked sea bream en papillote with lemon, herbs and olive oil. We’ve had this dish at the LPM branch in London and were dazzled. In contrast, this version was a bit underwhelming, both in the presentation and flavour of the fish itself, though we did really enjoy the herby topping and side of tart fennel.
On the other hand, we loved the homemade pappardelle with veal ragu – delicious al-dente pasta ribbons in a creamy (yet somehow still rather light) meat sauce.
Although we didn’t have it on this occasion, we’d also recommend the signature lamb cutlets with smokedaubergine for a main. These meaty babies are normally grilled to a tender rose blush and go so well with
the smoky eggplant purée.
For dessert, there can only ever be one choice for us: the French toast with spice ice cream. The creation of this dish is a laborious process for the chefs at LPM, with even the soft and spongy brioche itself baked in-house. A beautiful brick of the brioche is served lightly caramelised with a honey coating – divine, especially when paired with the delicately spiced ice cream.
Verdict
La Petite Maison’s business lunch offering is definitely on the high side of the lunch-price spectrum, but on the weekday we visited, it was reasonably full of folk, like us, escaping to the Riveria for a hour or two. No matter the time of day or what menu we order from, LPM remains chic yet laid-back, charmingly serving up honest French-Med dishes that pack a punch.
1/F, Stanley Street, H Queen’s, 23–29 Stanley Street, Central, 2887 1113, book online
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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