Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic Hong Kong

Some places aren’t meant to be described. Only felt. High above the city, where the lights of Hong Kong flicker like candles on a chandelier, we found a room made of dreams where every corner glows with the quiet shimmer of Baccarat crystal, and every glance out the window reminds you how far beauty can reach. A dining room not just built, but imagined. A place where time slows, where glasses catch starlight, and where a meal becomes a memory dressed in light.

@cristalroombyasp 🌟 by @annesophiepic Less

When one door — at the Raffles Hotel, in Singapore — closes, another one, on the 44th floor of Gloucester Tower, in Hong Kong, opens. I was sad to see Anne-Sophie Pic end her five year run at the grand dame, but celebrity chefs (including Ducasse) have had mixed results there. Now, we have a sibling in @cristalroombyasp that rivals its predecessor in ambition.

Not much, thankfully, is different. You are now faced with dramatic views of the Hong Kong cityscape, alongside mirrors on the ceiling (!) to amplify the effect; a (very) open kitchen where chefs in crisp whites say ‘oui’ loudly, on command; a surfeit of Baccarat, with all the chandeliers and miniature table lamps on display. The outfits that servers wear — multicolored blazers, white sneakers — may distract you from how formally they behave. In a good way: as it is in Paris, or Valence, the site of Pic’s flagship, nothing here skips a beat. Not even the haircuts.

The food, therefore, is as manicured as you’d expect. For every nascent flavor that tries to break through, something else reins it in. The woodsy sobacha that counters the salty Comte in the berlingots; the subtle use of lapsang souchong and pickled sweet purple cauliflower on frogs legs meunière. Yes there’s tea here and tea there. Tea can be challenging to work with, but Pic and her CDC, Marc, aren’t shy about it. And though these flavors don’t always land — her use of chamomile can be heavy-handed — I’d take adventure over staid retreads.

There are few concessions to Hong Kong. Pic’s play on what appeared (to me) as black-bean spare ribs is noteworthy: a roulade of pork with a peri peri sauce reinvented as an au poivre, lightened with tonka, over silken celeriac puree. It’s a knockout entree. Equally compelling is the way the kitchen recycles the celeriac: thin, raw ribbons brightened with yuzu — a counterpoint to the heady sauce.

There’s a lot going on, but few chefs have the chutzpah to go a little wild. Pierre Gagnaire’s late, great outpost at the Mandarin, in Hong Kong, reminded us that the halo of his Paris flagship could travel well. I’m happy to report that Pic has done it again. And this was lunch. Less

Back at the beautiful @cristalroombyasp on a glorious day no less! Favorites on the latest menu included the flavorful Les Berlingots with a curry flavored onion consommé, and the gorgeous Glazed Red Mullet with a tangy beurre rouge. The non-alcoholic drinks continue to be super interesting with innovative blends of teas, fruits, vegetables and coffee beans.

Our menu:

𝗛𝗼𝗸𝗸𝗮𝗶𝗱𝗼 𝗨𝗻𝗶
kuromame and Nikka coffey whisky
Chanteclerc apple jelly and nasturtium coulis

𝗟𝗲𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗔𝗦𝗣 ©
pasta parcels filled with Comté cheese aged 24 months and vin jaune
onions consommé flavoured with chamomile and madras curry

𝗚𝗹𝗮𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁
eggplant caviar and ponzu
beurre rouge flavoured with assam and buddha amacha

𝗗𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗿𝘆
“en impregnation’” with sumac
corn gnocchi and smoked tonka panna-cotta

𝗟𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗳𝗲𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰
geranium chantilly
candied ginger and crispy tuile
genmaicha crémeux
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1*, Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic
Central, Hong Kong
#supermelHK #supermelCentral Less

Back at @cristalroombyasp which has one of the most gorgeous dining room in HK! A collaboration between renowned French Chef @annesophiepic and luxury crystal manufacturer @baccarat, the restaurant has been awarded 1 Michelin Star just 4 months after opening. The latest menu features a refreshing Japanese squid tagliatelle, blue lobster with a terrific rhubarb tartlet, John Dory with a watercress coulis, and Aveyron lamb marinated with cinnamon & eucalyptus. We also had a chance to try some of its new non-alcoholic pairings which were super interesting with innovative blends of teas, fruits, vegetables and coffee beans!

Our menu:

𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗱 𝗧𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲
seasoned with Mikan and uni mayonnaise zucchini and green shiso coulis

𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘆
fire roasted with rhubarb tartlet turmeric and pink pepper sabayon

𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗗𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘆
meuniere, smoked beetroot and barberries watercress coulis flavoured with marigold

𝗔𝘃𝗲𝘆𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗺𝗯
marinated with cinnamon and eucalyptus leaves baby eggplant and olives from Drôme

𝗦𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗲
iced mochi with smoked Madagascar vanilla

𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗮
cherry sorbet, local beer crémeux cinnamon leaves and sakura
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1*, Cristal Room by Anne Sophie Pic
Central, Hong Kong
#supermelHK #supermelCentral Less

The tasting menu at @cristalroombyasp:

- Hokkaido Uni
fermented black beans and Nikka coffey whisky
Chanteclerc apple jelly and nasturtium coulis

- Le Berlingot ASP ©
pasta filled with 24 months aged Comté
Roscoff oignons consommé, Tuber Melanosporum truffle and pink pepper

- Blue Lobster from Brittany
cooked over embers
coral beurre blanc infused with douglas fir and rosemary, carrot voile

- Pigeon from Bresse
marinated with osmanthus and lightlv smoked tonka beans chestnut tartlet, persimmon, confit legs and mustard seed

- St Marcellin Cheese
iced mochi with smoked Madagascar vanilla and Tuber Melanosporum truffle

- Le Millefeuille Blanc
Tahitian vanilla and jasmine jelly
Voatsiperifery pepper cloud
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The hottest new opening in Hong Kong has got to be @cristalroombyasp - a French fine dining restaurant by renowned female chef @annesophiepic in collaboration with luxury crystal manufacturer @baccarat! The chef holds 10 Michelin stars across the world and is the only female chef in France who has 3 stars at the moment. Located on the 45th floor at Landmark, her new restaurant not only oozes elegance with its mesmerizing crystal displays but also boasts panoramic views of Victoria Harbour. Both lunch and dinner menus are available where diners can try the chef’s modern French cuisine including iconic signatures such as the Le Berlingot pasta and Millefeuille Blanc dessert!
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Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic
Central, Hong Kong
#supermelHK #supermelCentral Less