A First Look at Seasons by Olivier Elzer

A dramatic open kitchen is flanked by a length of marble from which we perch, examining every move of a well-oiled team. Delicate little French radishes dipped in homemade butter are placed on beds of crystal-clear ice, presented to us like pink jewels on crushed diamonds. A pentad of king crab – among them a pristine curl of baby lettuce encasing crabmeat with ginger mayonnaise – is carefully arranged across a moon-shaped plate. Behind the bar, chef Olivier Elzer is bent over his mis-en-place, putting the finishing touches on a tamarillo gazpacho, placing grassy green dewdrops of basil oil over the top with military precision.

Seasons is the chef’s first foray on his own, with the support of Hysan Development. It is a proud moment for the chef, who has spent the last five years working in Hong Kong – first for Pierre Gagnaire at the maestro’s eponymous restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental, then at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Landmark, where he helped the restaurant gain a place on our Top 20 Best Restaurants list for two years running. But it soon became clear to Elzer that he needed to break off on his own.

“The point of working before was to confirm everything these chefs had done before – to maintain the standards and the spirit of Mr Robuchon, or the spirit of Mr Gagnaire. But never the spirit of Olivier Elzer,” he explains. “Of course I have my own personality, in terms of person and in terms of a chef. So for me it was clear that one day I would want to do my own restaurant, my own kitchen. It’s the next step in my life.”

Beyond the counter is the main dining room proper, romantically christened the Autumn Room by Elzer. It’s his personal favourite, not only because the chef can observe all the action from his position in the kitchen, but because the season’s bounty gives him the most to work with.

The theme of Seasons (if it has not been obvious enough already) is very much centered on nature. The four separate dining areas each take after a season, from the cool grey private room (Winter) to the outdoor terrace with standalone bar (Summer; which will actually open after the eponymous season ends and autumn begins, in September). The restaurant will be serving afternoon tea from the fourth quarter of this year, in addition to lunch and dinner.

Watch the video below for Elzer’s walkthrough of the restaurant, and what diners can expect from both the interiors and the menu. 

Videography by Tyrone Wu