Auor
Chef Edward Voon (formerly of Le Pan), has embarked on his first solo venture with Auor. Merging over 30 years of experience in French cuisine with sprinklings of Chef Voon’s own Chinese culture, Auor is what he refers to as a “transition cuisine”. “This is a culmination of my journey, my experience and my training, where my French spirit mixes with my culture and upbringing.” One such exemplary dish? The abalone with xiang zao lu wine, somen noodles, shiso and bonito. “Drunken abalone is an all-time favourite dish of mine. This preparation is really technical – it’s a pain to do this sauce because there are so many different aspects involved, but it’s important to me to showcase this side of gastronomy”. The abalone is soaked in xiang zao lu wine and the bonito jelly is made from a bouillabaisse which is prepared with a vast assortment of seafood. The resulting dish sees a succulent abalone bathed in this rich umami sauce that has added fragrance from the shiso. “It gives this wonderful balance between East and West with everything coming together.”
4/F, 88 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai; auor.com.hk
Tuber
Chef Umberto Bombana’s latest culinary adventure brings his truffle expertise to Kowloon. Situated in K11 Musea, Tuber spotlights all varieties of truffle with innovative new preparations using premium ingredients, including abalone. “I enjoy abalone and it’s an ingredient people in Hong Kong love and consider very luxurious, yet it’s not often used in Italian or Western cuisines. The texture is really special and it’s a good challenge to make it appealing in a fine dining context.” Using Hokkaido giant abalone that’s now in season, Chef Bombana slowly steams the shellfish before topping it with abalone liver jus, zucchini puree and an emulsion made from 36-months aged Comte cheese. “The distinctive umami from Comte cheese is not part of Italian cuisine but chef Roland Schuller who heads Tuber’s kitchen felt it would add a unique element to the dish and I agree. The zucchini puree balances the dish to let the abalone take centre stage.”
Shop 113A, Level 1, K11 Musea, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; octavo.com.hk
Plaa
Plaa is the latest restaurant to join ZS Hospitality’s impressive arsenal of eateries, marking a first for the group as a refined seafood concept with Thai influences. Chef Richie Lin and Ian Kittichai have incorporated seasonal seafood across the menu, while each dish is imbued with a complex melange of herbs and spices from traditional Thai recipes. The charcoal-grilled abalone takes inspiration from the Thai street food staple Guai Tiao Ruea (boat noodles), which originally contains pork and beef, pig’s liver and blood. Plaa’s rendition replaces the meat with abalone, and adds a rich guai tiao abalone liver sauce. “I love the texture and versatility of abalone – it goes well with everything”, says Chef Kittichai. Chef Lin agrees, adding that when braised in sauces, abalone will take on the essence of the sauce and become succulent and juicy. “That’s how the idea of pairing abalone and the rich guai tiao sauce came up”, Chef Lin explains. For the two chefs, it’s all about taking the nostalgic, beloved street food flavours and elevating them with high quality ingredients and meticulous cooking techniques. “We aim to showcase the essence of Thai flavours by deconstructing traditional recipes and recreating dishes with refined touches and premium ingredients.”
2/F, 8 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central; plaa.hk
Photography: Samantha Sin
Styling: Ella Wong
Editor
Carina Fischer
