Taking a short respite from the traditional Chinese dining options in Hong Kong, I secured reservations at the Restaurant Petrus. Perched at the top of the Island Shangri-La hotel, this restaurant exudes an elegant feel, reminiscent of a French fine dining experience in Paris, but without some of the attitude. The views are magnificent (ask for a table by the window, but in reality the whole restaurant is laid out in a thoughtful way that gives nearly every table an amazing view).
The service was impeccable, although there was a bit of hovering. Pleasant live music from a pianist played at just the right level.We elected to go a la carte (rather than one of the several tasting menus - which, incidentally, were quite reasonable even when paired with wines versus many cities with this type and quality of restaurant), and I personally chose to indulge in the seasonal white truffles, which they had crafted a few dishes around.
But first things first - the wine list. Very impressive. A 10,000+ cellar (including, of course, several pages of carefully selected verticals of Petrus) with both inexpensive and exorbitant wines. I opted to sample a Bordeaux I was unfamiliar with from the spectacular '82 vintage - Chateau du Tertre. I would record it a bargain (but it did end up comprising a plurality of the total bill) versus its comrades from that year; solid earth tones, and opened up nicely. We also had an inexpensive (about $150 US) 2002 Heitz Zinfandel after we finished with the French splurge, which was quite nice.
Once we placed our orders, we were treated to a wide selection of rolls (which were not of the caliber of the place - good, but not great) with an interested array of salts to sample with the unsalted fresh butter. This was a fun aspect of the bread service, with six sea salts and two types of butter to mix and match.
The amuse bouche was a very nice lobster ravioli, served on a spoon with some savory broth. But I was already clamoring for my truffle special.
The waiters arrived and unveiled in the formal way our silver-capped plates, and I was shocked to see the very generous portion of white truffle that had been shaved onto my risotto. The risotto was cooked plainly, with no special flavorings or spices, but was perfectly al dente and smooth. It highlighted what must have been a half of a good size truffle, whose thick shavings tiled across the entire wide bowl of risotto. I was almost distracted from the taste by concern that my credit limit would be exceeded for such a dish when it came time to pay!
For an entree, I had a wild duck with roasted vegetables. This came in two services, the first the duck breast, which was gamy but excellent. The second even better - they had taken the duck (which had been filleted table side) and confited (is this an acceptable verb?) the legs. Delicious.
My dining companions were also gracious enough to share a bit of their choices: a Wagyu sirloin, with a strong salty flavor and buttery texture (but not too fatty as you sometimes see in the Asian market) and a large veal chop, crispy outer skin with a delectable meat inside. Both were excellent and I would probably go with the Wagyu on my next visit.
To end, we sipped some 1977 Port (which they were nice enough to pour by the glass, despite it being sold bottle-only) and noshed on a selection of five fine cheeses. My only complaint with the end of the meal is I never got my hands on a dessert menu; I think our greedy eyes betrayed us when the cheese trolley came by, and our Chinese waiters couldn't imagine anyone taking a further dessert course.
Petrus is a very fine experience, and my compliments to the chef Frederic Chabbert for creating a restaurant that clearly stands up to any of the Paris elite in terms of quality, service and atmosphere. Interestingly, any members of the Shangri-La club receive 15% off dining - an amazing deal as they take this off not just the food but also the wine. Hard location for a foodie in Hong Kong for longer than a day or two to miss.
