I first visited Belon in Hong Kong back in 2019. The cute French bistro in Soho nailed the perfect combination of top notch food in a warm, cozy, and casual environment. At that time, I wrote in my blog post, "I can't wait to go back." Though something called a pandemic put a stop to dining out, we did enjoy delivery from Belon several times in the past few years.
This past summer (August 2023) was our first time back. Aside from the name, the Michelin star, and the signature roast chicken, it's a completely different restaurant.
Previous executive chef Dan Calvert moved to Tokyo to head up SÉZANNE at the Four Seasons. New executive chef Matthew Kirkley (formerly Coi, Amber) came in. The restaurant also left its small digs in Soho and moved into a much bigger, much fancier space in Central.
Our foodie friends were visiting from out of town, so we wanted to find a place that was special and different. We were certainly curious about Belon, so we decided to try out this new 2.0 version of this restaurant.
There's a chef's tasting menu and also an a la carte menu with "entrees" (appetizers) and "plats" (mains). We opted for the a la carte menu, choosing to each order an appetizer and then sharing the signature roast chicken along with some other "plats".
Bread
According to Chef Matthew Kirkly, the bread, signature roast chicken, and mille feuille (dessert) are remnants from the old Belon. So in some ways, it maintains its French bistro charm with these classic dishes.
Cervelas en Brioche with Truffle Gastrique
Belon's Signature Truffle Roast Chicken
We remembered the roast chicken well from our last visit in 2019, so we decided we just had to have it again.
Belon uses local "Three Yellow Chicken", which is one of our favorites.
The chicken is indeed perfectly executed, and has a huge layer of truffle-goodness right underneath the skin. The mashed potatoes were decadent, and reminded me of the Joel Robuchon's ultra creamy mashed potatoes.
Haha, Bryan loves chicken feet at Chinese restaurants, and it's no different here! He was happy they kept the chicken feet on . . .
Aside from these carryover French bistro dishes, the rest of the menu has changed. Overall Belon has morphed into more of a high end French restaurant from its former casual French bistro self.
Sweets
The desserts were beautiful and created with such precision and care. We enjoyed them all.
General Thoughts
The new Belon is lovely. The service was great, the ambiance was comfortable, and the food was very good. Near the end of the evening, our friends had to relieve their babysitter, and thus had no choice but to bring their two elementary school kids into the restaurant. The restaurant was amazing. They didn't miss a beat and immediately set up a table for the kids (right next to our table), even giving them some sparkling water. I was impressed.
Belon has kept some bits of its old personality, but has refined itself in a lot of ways. The new space certainly changes the overall feel of the restaurant, as does the menu and the service.
For us, old friends who hadn't caught up in a long time, it was perfect. It was quiet so we were able to talk, yet we weren't afraid of laughing out loud. We could really relax and enjoy each other's company while enjoying exquisite dishes.
Belon Hong Kong
1F, 1-5 ELGIN STREET, SOHO
+852 2152 2872
