If you want to experience world class chefs in Asia, Hong Kong is certainly a top destination. We are blessed with top talent from all around the world, with significant representation from France, the UK, Italy, and Japan, just to name a few.
Alain Ducasse is arguably one of the most famous chefs in the world. Bryan and I are no strangers to his cuisine, having tried his flagship, 3-Michelin star eponymous restaurant in London as well as his more casual Las Vegas outpost, Rivea.
The French-born Monaco-naturalized chef received his first three-Michelin star award when he was just 33 for Le Louis XV in Monaco. He made waves back in 1998 when, at the young age of 41, he became the first chef in 60 years to hold six Michelin stars at once (three apiece). He’s the only chef to ever have 3 Michelin stars for three different restaurants at once (Paris, Monaco, and New York in 2005 and once again Paris, Monaco, and London in 2010). He currently holds the second most Michelin stars of any chef in the world, second only to Joel Robuchon.
Ducasse has since built an empire, including two cooking schools in Paris (one for the general public, one for chefs), multiple books, and dozens of restaurants around the world, including Paris, Monaco, Tokyo, Las Vegas, Italy, and, yes, Hong Kong.
Rech by Alain Ducasse Hong Kong is a French restaurant located in Tsim Sha Tsui inside the Intercontinental Hotel. The hotel’s location right on Victoria Harbour facing Hong Kong Island means that Reche has some of the best views in all of Hong Kong.
We came here for dinner one night with some of Bryan’s colleagues, who were visiting Hong Kong. We were treated to a delight seafood-focused meal featuring exquisitely prepared food with a French focus yet some influence from around the world.
To Start . . .
I love trying different types of bread at the beginning of a meal. Both the flatbread and the baguette were excellent. The goldfish shaped butter added a nice little Asian touch.
Amuse Bouch consisting of a dollop of mashed potatoes with olive oil and pesto.
Seafood Platters
The restaurant focuses on seafood, and includes many different types of impressive seafood “towers” with a variety of seafood, such as crab, langoustines, clams, lobster, and various types of raw oysters. A Royal Platter for two has a generous variety of seafood for HK$1980. A smaller Crustacean Platter of langoustine, pink shrimp, and blue lobster costs HK$1280. We opted for a raw oyster plate, tasting some ‘Saint-Michel’ oysters from France, which were were quite pleasant. Raw oysters run between HK$390 and HK$490 for a set of six.
Starters
My favorite dish of the evening is also a signature dish. Called the “Club” (HKD240), this appetizer “club sandwich” features layers of crab salad and thin crackers served with baby Romaine lettuce and dollops of mango. I really enjoyed how the flavors of this light and refreshing starter came together.
Another refreshing starter was the Gilt-head Bream Ceviche with leche de tigre or “tiger’s milk”, the citrus marinade in which the fish is marinated.
Fish & Shellfish / Whole
The waiter recommended the Dieppoise-style sole fillet, a whole fish which the waiter then filleted for us. It was tasty, though I found this preparation to be a bit boring and the least interesting out of all the dishes of the evening.
Meat & Poultry
Despite being a seafood-focused restaurant, Reche has a small but solid selection of meat and poultry. Bryan’s colleague really wanted steak, so he ordered the Rossini Beef Filet (topped with foie gras!) which came with puffed potato crisps.
Cheese & Sweets
Rech highly recommends what they call “Our famous whole Camembert” (HK$120), an entire disc of creamy cheese which was perfect for sharing.
Although the desserts looked great, we were quite full and were equally content with eating chocolate from their manufacturer in Paris and nibbling on some madeleines at the end of the meal.
General Thoughts – Rech by Alain Ducasse Hong Kong
The food at Rech is well-executed and very good, though definitely expensive. I was a bit underwhelmed with some of the dishes, such as the simply pan-seared sole (which was fine, but a bit boring), and the ceviche, which was lovely but did not blow me away. My favorite was probably the “Club” which had a lovely combination of flavors expressed in a creative way.
The restaurant does seem to cater to various types of people, with its “Rush to Rech” 6PM -8PM menu, weekend lunch menu, and even a children’s weekend lunch menu, complete with “free flowing drinks” (flavored milk, juices, mocktails) and a nice set of starters, mains, and even animal-shaped desserts.
In general, the quality of the ingredients is very high and execution is good. It’s a great place to eat if you want fantastic views, well-executed fresh seafood prepared in classic ways, and price is no object.
One of my favorite parts of dining at Reche is the ability to watch the nightly 8PM light show on Victoria Harbour right from our seats. The views of the Harbour and the Hong Kong skyline are phenomenal.
For dinner, I think this place is most fitting for an important business meal for an out-of-town visitor to Hong Kong. The ambiance and views are amazing, and the food is well-executed, and the service is great as well.
Rech by Alain Ducasse Hong Kong
InterContinental Hong Kong
18 Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui
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Alain Ducasse (London)
Rivea by Alain Ducasse (Las Vegas)
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Epure Hong Kong (1 Michelin Star French)
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