Words by Aude Camus
Walking into Belon these days feels like stepping into a new chapter — one that’s as graceful as it is quietly bold. At the helm is Mina Güçlüer, the Istanbul-born chef who’s just taken over the Michelin-starred kitchen. Having worked alongside Executive Chef Matthew Kirkley, Mina now brings her own touch: contemporary French cuisine filtered through a distinctly female lens and with subtle echoes of her upbringing.
I was lucky enough to try her debut menu and loved that you can choose between a carefully composed tasting menu — the ‘Séléction du chef’ menu priced at HKD 1,688 for 7 courses — or an à la carte journey, depending on your mood. Either way, Mina’s perspective comes through with delicate precision and confidence. You feel her hand in the way flavours are layered—unexpected yet elegant, feminine yet powerful.
Walking into Belon these days feels like stepping into a new chapter — one that’s as graceful as it is quietly bold. At the helm is Mina Güçlüer, the Istanbul-born chef who’s just taken over the Michelin-starred kitchen. Having worked alongside Executive Chef Matthew Kirkley, Mina now brings her own touch: contemporary French cuisine filtered through a distinctly female lens and with subtle echoes of her upbringing.
I was lucky enough to try her debut menu and loved that you can choose between a carefully composed tasting menu — the ‘Séléction du chef’ menu priced at HKD 1,688 for 7 courses — or an à la carte journey, depending on your mood. Either way, Mina’s perspective comes through with delicate precision and confidence. You feel her hand in the way flavours are layered—unexpected yet elegant, feminine yet powerful.
The foie gras with plum and Eiswein is already a star: a pressed terrine topped with Eiswein (German ice wine) gelée, served with caramelised plum slices stuffed with hand-chopped pistachios. Shaped like tiny baklavas, they taste almost like the real thing—sweet, nutty, addictive. It’s Mina nodding to both her Turkish and German roots while keeping things firmly anchored in Belon’s French identity.
Another dish that perfectly captures this new era is the brioche beef tartare with caviar. It reimagines Belon’s much-loved Cervelas en Brioche, paying homage to the restaurant’s past while signalling Mina’s direction forward. It’s familiar yet daringly new—exactly how Belon should feel in 2025.
The seared scallops with stuffed shells and manilla clams followed, and it’s one of those dishes that makes you pause. The scallops, sliced like a poultry breast rather than the usual neat coins, are seared to perfection and paired with a silky beurre blanc that delivers a sharp little kick. The clams are unexpectedly meaty, adding richness to an artful presentation that feels both playful and precise.
Equally memorable is the rouget with saffron and pastis. A notoriously difficult fish to cook, the rouget arrives flawlessly executed, its delicate flesh enhanced by the warmth of saffron—a quiet nod to Mina’s Turkish heritage. The presentation called to mind Stéphanie Le Quellec’s signature rouget cuit de peur at La Scène in Paris: refined, soulful, and a true rarity to find in Hong Kong.
The seared scallops with stuffed shells and manilla clams followed, and it’s one of those dishes that makes you pause. The scallops, sliced like a poultry breast rather than the usual neat coins, are seared to perfection and paired with a silky beurre blanc that delivers a sharp little kick. The clams are unexpectedly meaty, adding richness to an artful presentation that feels both playful and precise.
Equally memorable is the rouget with saffron and pastis. A notoriously difficult fish to cook, the rouget arrives flawlessly executed, its delicate flesh enhanced by the warmth of saffron—a quiet nod to Mina’s Turkish heritage. The presentation called to mind Stéphanie Le Quellec’s signature rouget cuit de peur at La Scène in Paris: refined, soulful, and a true rarity to find in Hong Kong.
The 14-day aged duck with apricot and bulgur wheat brings Mina’s story full circle. Here, French technique meets Turkish heart—apricots poached in Gewürztraminer (here’s the German touch) alongside bulgur simmered in chicken stock and thyme. It’s comforting yet bold, and it lingers with you long after the last bite.
Belon under Mina feels like it’s in dialogue with its past chefs yet firmly stepping into its own confident future – a future that is female! If you haven’t been in a while, now is the moment.
Belon
1/F, 1-5 Elgin Street, Central
https://www.belonsoho.com/
Belon under Mina feels like it’s in dialogue with its past chefs yet firmly stepping into its own confident future – a future that is female! If you haven’t been in a while, now is the moment.
Belon
1/F, 1-5 Elgin Street, Central
https://www.belonsoho.com/
This article is based on a complimentary dinner - hosted by Belon for selected members of the media. No money has been paid to publish this review which is entirely based on the genuine opinion of its author.
