Chef Maxime Gilbert continues his exploration of the intersection of Japanese and French cuisines this summer
Having served its distinctive brand of contemporary French-Japanese cuisine from the top of H Queen's for three years running, Écriture has recently completed a light refresh of its interior to better welcome landbound diners hungry to travel through their tastebuds.
Gone are the sculptural white dining chairs, replaced by more discreet black leather chairs that better blend into the interior. Meanwhile, a bonsai perched on a round table takes the place of the long console in the centre of the main dining room to offer servers more space to manoeuvre.
See also: An Inside Look At Écriture
Coinciding with the spatial change, executive chef Maxime Gilbert and chef de cuisine Heloise Fischbach have unveiled the new Library of Flavours and Vegetal tasting menus that take advantage of produce grown during the height of summer. The new eight-course Library of Flavours menu (HK$1,980 per person) continues Écriture's focus on artisanal producers from France and Japan, highlighting the best meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables that both cradles of gastronomy have to offer.
Among the new additions are the Ebisu oyster with Loire Valley French beans in garlic butter, tonburi aka “land caviar” cured in beef ham, sea water, oyster dashi, and sour cream, a combination which features interplay between textures and imparts a deep umami; the moreish grilled Nishimera trout with delicatesse potatoes, dill and pine; and the show-stopping Mieral Bresse chicken cooked whole in a loaf of sourdough to ensure even doneness, then served with sea urchin sauce and accompaniments of grilled chicken thigh with sushi rice, and a xiao long bao infused with red pepper bouillon.
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