Serge et Le Phoque (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

During our last dinner here at Serge et Le Phoque in late August, I told Charles, my new friend from Paris and the restaurant's manager, that I'd come back for another visit when the restaurant officially opened for business in early September.

Finally I managed to keep that promise. 

Serge et Le Phoque is not a household name when it comes to French cuisine in Hong Kong. At least not yet. But it's slowly gaining momentum. Led by Frédéric Peneau, the former co-owner of Le Chateaubriand in Paris, a top 50 restaurant in the world, Serge et Le Phoque is quietly rounding into form.  

The kitchen is in the very capable hands of Christophe Pelé, the former owner-chef of La Bigarrade who is best known for creating an ever-changing menu with surprising combinations and beautiful presentations.

Lunch set starts at HK$220 a piece in case you are wondering.

beetroot, quail egg, anchovy, 5/10
Lunch started brightly with a lovely salad dish of beetroot and melon served with a quail egg and anchovy on the side.

This was a classic example of Chef Christophe Pelé's great presentation skills which have made him one of the best young chefs during his days at La Bigarrade. I won't say that it tasted overwhelmingly delicious but it certainly helped to set the tone for a refreshing start to this enjoyable lunch.



salmon, miso, trio, seaweed, 6/10
Our first main course was a salmon fillet that was marinated with miso before being pan seared to medium-well. The texture was very tender with the inside still slightly raw.

I thought the salmon fillet was nicely prepared and the Japanese connection with miso and seaweed was truly clever.



pork belly, garlic puree, cabbage, pepper, 5/10
Next up was a slow-cooked pork belly with garlic puree, cabbage and pepper. The presentation was less appealing than the first two dishes and so was the overall taste.



yuzu, mango curd, 7/10
We were glad to finally see some "proper" containers used for our desserts. It was a little weird seeing a Chinese tea cup with cucumber jelly last time!

Our dessert, a yuzu foam with vanilla flavored panna cotta and mango curd was one of the more successful dish from this lunch. The depth of flavors sent our taste buds on a sweet journey leaving us with an ever-lasting impression.




Food Rating: 5.5/10

Price: $$$$

Address: B2, Tower 1 The Zenith, 3 Wanchai Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 5465 2000 

Closest Metro Station: Wanchai

View Larger Map