by Aude Camus 
 
La Petite Maison is one of those places who’s been on my radar since their opening in Hong Kong a year ago but which I haven’t visited yet until very recently.  But I did eventually make that trip to Southern France just a few weeks ago and God, I wish I had done it earlier! A spacious restaurant with a quite unique and exuberant decoration mixing contemporary art and some “Belle Epoque” touches, a friendly staff, a beautiful bar preparing my newest favorite cocktail in town (I’m telling you all about it just a little later), a cute terrace, a vibrant atmosphere and a cuisine infused with the yummy flavours of South of France … what’s not to like? 

I have to tell you; I loved the place so much when I first went for lunch that I then went back for dinner just a few days later. But why don’t we order a cocktail so that we can sit back and relax while I’m telling you all about the French Mediterranean and Niçoise dishes I’ve tried and loved? Don’t even have a look at the cocktail menu, I know all the cocktails are pretty appealing but believe me you want to order the Tomatini (HKD 145), also described as “the essence of La Petite Maison”. 

A vodka-based cocktail served with fresh tomato (not tomato juice, the cocktail is actually made using a fresh half tomato shake with the other ingredients), balsamic, cane sugar, salt and pepper. This little thing is my newest fav cocktail ever. It is so good! And highly dangerous. It purely tastes like biting into a fresh tomato bought from a farmers’ market in the South of France. Speaking of biting into a fresh tomato, if you are wondering why there is a tomato on our table, it’s actually for you to make your own little salad before kicking-off the meal. A touch of lemon squeeze, a generous amount of their delicious olive oil, a pinch of salt and you are ready to dig in. Well, now I am definitely in the mood for food! 
 
One thing you’ll notice is that service at La Petite Maison is just on point. Both the general manager, Romain, and the restaurant manager, Chili, are navigating between tables, having a nice word for each and every one and making sure everything is going well while the rest of the staff is no less friendly and caring. Mediterranean hospitality in the heart of Central … loving it!
 
But onto the food now. The menu offers French Mediterranean cuisine and if you love this cuisine as much as I do, you’ll be delighted to find some flavorful classics on it such as the Pissaladière (HKD 88), the Petits Farçis Nicois (HKD 148) which I absolutely loved, the Tapenade (HKD 48), the Ratatouille & Feta (HKD 128) and the perfect Beignet de Courgettes (HKD 178) also known as deep fried zucchini flowers and super yummy because crispy and light but not greasy at all. 

My suggestion is to order a few and share so that you get to try as many different things as possible. 
 
For the main, I have been a very bad food writer because I ordered the exact same thing the two times I went. But that Whole Sea Bream Baked in Papillote with Lemon (HKD 448) is honestly to die for! 

I know it’s massive but it’s for sharing. As a side, you might consider the very yummy skinny fries or the super pornfood and oh so creamy gratin Dauphinois. 
And yes, I hear you, I am pretty full too but believe me it would be shame not to at least order the Pain Perdu (HKD 118) because it definitely is a highly comforting and addictive treat. 

Choco-lovers might also consider theMousse auChocolat Chaud et Glace à l’Orge (HKD 118), a very decadent warm chocolate mousse (pretty similar to a soufflé). And, if you are looking to treat yourself but want something slightly lighter, my pick would be the Gâteau au Fromage Blanc (HKD 118), an airy cheesecake. What a feast! 
 
Ok so diner at La Petite Maison is a real deal but I have to say lunch is also quite a serious affair there and their set lunch Déjeuner d’Affaires (HKD 498/person) is equally yummy: a choice of two starters, one main to choose between a selection of their most popular ones and you can add HKD 60 for a sweet ending. 
 
Well, La Petite Maison is going to see me quite a lot in the next few months … I have to make-it up for this entire year I missed since their opening! 



 
La Petite Maison Hong Kong
H Queen’s, 23-29 Stanley Street – Central 


 

This write-up is based on a complementary lunch for two hosted by La Petite Maison Hong Kong. No money has been paid by La Petite Maison Hong Kong for publishing this review. The diner also mentioned in this article has been paid by the author. 
 

 

The chef, who recently turned 40 and has now been living in Hong Kong for over a decade, is a well-known personality for all the foodies in town thanks to its former Michelin Star restaurant Seasons by Olivier E, opened after he left his role as Head Chef of L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Hong Kong (3 Michelin Star Restaurant). Michelin Star, something the Chef definitely masters, having gain 18 of them so far. I had the chance to be one of the very first to have lunch at L’Envol and loved it, I had to make this gourmet break last a bit longer so decided to sit with the chef! 
 

Hi Olivier, very lovely meeting you today. Can you tell me a bit more about your background? Who are you? How did you end up here in Hong Kong and what have you been up to over the past 10 years? 

Before moving to Hong Kong, I was the Chef at L’Abbaye De La Bussière in Burgundy, a place where I had been awarded with my first Michelin star in 2007, only 8 months after the opening. I spent around 3 years at this place and knew the second Michelin star was potentially coming which meant I would have to stay at L’Abbaye de La Bussière for another 2 or 3 years. You can’t really leave a place after gaining a Michelin Star … inspectors don’t like that at all. I wasn’t sure this was what I wanted. Back then, my wife (who is today my ex-wife) and I were thinking about moving abroad and we decided it was the right time to do so. At the same time, Pierre Gagnaire was looking for a Chef for his Hong Kong restaurant and I flew all the way here to meet him in 2009. 
 
I had never been to Hong Kong before and had no idea what to expect. For me, Hong Kong was the city from the 1970’s Jacky Chan movies. Needless to say that landing here was quite a shock! But my first few days were so intense that I didn’t really had time to think about it.

 

Are you still in touch with Pierre Gagnaire?
Yes, I am. He was slightly angry at me for leaving him in 2012 when I went to work at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Hong Kong but it’s old story now and I am very proud to say he is the one who basically brought me to Hong Kong. 
 

You very openly speak about your Michelin stars. Is it something that you are proud of? Something you’ve always been dreaming of?
Of course it is. 
 
 
Today, being a Chef is quite trendy. Do you see it as a positive or negative thing? 
A bit of both, I guess. I like it that more and more young people are willing to learn and train to become chefs. But I don’t like it that some TV shows have them believe that being a chef is being a star and is something you can achieve in 2-3 months. I’d love those show to focus more on the hard work it takes to be a chef. 
 

Speaking of TV shows, is it something that you would be open to explore?
Never say never. 
 

You didn’t choose the easiest way to make it where you are today, right?
True. But it was my choice. Working with the greatest chefs but also the toughest one was something I wanted. I do not feel at all that I should be hard with my team just because people didn’t make things easy for me. I am not like that. And times have changed! Not to mention I’m not a local so I have to understand how people here work and feel. Something I’ve come to realize quite quickly is that here, unfortunately, people are less driven by passion than money. Being a good captain is about understanding your team and adapting to them. And whenever I find someone who is passionate about what he/she is doing, I definitely make sure to make him/her feel like I’m the right person to help him/her grow! 
 

Not being a local … has it been an issue for you? Or on the contrary, do you think that being French has been an asset?
Being French has definitely been an asset. It’s absolutely not the same being a French chef in France and a French chef abroad. I’m proud of where I come from and I’m doing my best to be a good ambassador. 
 

Has your cuisine changed over the past 10 years spent in Hong Kong?

Chef Alain Passard once said that you only reach culinary maturity around 50. I am only 40. If we were to do this interview again in 10 years my cuisine will again been different from today. Like it is different today from what it was 10 years ago. Of course, Hong Kong has influenced my cuisine. And it has influenced it in a different way than any other country would have only because clients are always different from one country to another. You can’t just say “French cuisine is like that, whether you like or not”, you have to find the little things which make it appealing to local palates. 
 
Is Hong Kong a thought market?
Absolutely. There is such a wide variety of restaurants here, it’s not easy to stay competitive. Take 2 and 3 Michelin stars restaurants here in Hong Kong, you’ll see that the average bill is 30 to 40% lower than the same restaurants in France, but our product cost is 30 to 40% higher. The only cuisine that Hong Kong people feel like it’s ok to pay an expensive price for is Japanese cuisine. But they wouldn’t be ready to pay that money for French cuisine, so we have to understand that and adapt. 
 
Something I am really impressed with is the culinary memory of local people. For example, I went twice to a restaurant with the same people and the second time we were there I’ve heard someone saying “Pecking Duck tonight isn’t up to standards” whereas for me, even as a Chef, the difference with the first time was really hard to notice. They have a very precise memory of what things should taste like, 
 

Is a Michelin star something you are aiming to, here at L’Envol?

Yes. I’ve always had stars wherever I’ve worked, and I am proud of it. I also think this is one of the reasons why they brought me on board. We’ve also decorated the restaurant and built the menu with that in mind. 
 
We’ve been open for a month only and we are already very full, so we are pretty happy with it. Knowing that we haven’t yet done any marketing communications as I first wanted us to be fully operational. People coming at the moment are hearing about us thanks to the word of mouth which is great. 
 

One last question, can you share your favorite foodie places in Hong Kong?
I do love Caprice and Guillaume is one of my best friends here in Hong Kong (editor’s note: follow this link to read our interview of Guillaume Galliot). I was so proud of him when he was awarded with the third Michelin Star! Of course, I love L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon. For Japanese food I think Sushi Mori is great but it’s very expensive, so you’d better have something to celebrate. In a completely different style, I also love heading to Yat Lok on Stanley Street for roasted goose. Simple, cheap and yummy. And to fix my French food cravings, I usually visit one of the bistros opened by my friends Jérôme and Olivier who run French Creations (editor’s note: we interviewed them recently, find the article here). This is what I love about Hong Kong, you can have it all!