Seasons by Olivier Elzer (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

I decided to change things up a bit for Mother's Day celebration this year. Instead of having the usual Chinese food with mom (which is very boring), I opted to get her re-acquainted with French dining this afternoon. It's been a while since she last had a formal French meal so I was hoping that Michelin starred Seasons by Olivier Elzer would bring a bit of  pleasant surprises for her.



During the booking re-confirmation over the phone, I tried to add a couple of guests to my reservation but was immediately rejected as the hostess explained that they could no longer squeeze anybody in. They were absolutely most definitely packed she said. I could certainly understand that as it's Mother's Day and my request was a bit last-minute anyways. But when I showed up at the restaurant this afternoon, I was a bit shocked to see a half-empty dining area (and it was almost 1pm already). What happened there???




Anyways, after we settled down a bit, I started going through the motion, reading the menu, explaining to mom and ordering quickly as mom was starving.

Starting things off for the both of us was one of the signature dishes - prawns, avocado and lobster jelly, served with some chilled romaine leaves.



I can definitely see why this is touted as a house specialty. The three layers including the avocado cream on the bottom, prawns in the middle and lobster jelly up top worked so well together and the temperature was just perfect. Very refreshing and it certainly got my palate awaken up.



Soup was next and since asparagus is in-season, I thought I couldn't possibly go wrong by ordering the white asparagus velouté for the both of us. This was silky smooth, creamy and rich with white asparagus flavors. The bacon foam and croutons put together a nice finishing touch.



I love all of Joël Robuchon's fricassee dishes and looks like his protégé, Chef Olivier Elzer is not bad with these as well. It's my second time having his escargots fricassee with Pastis and tomato sauce and it hasn't missed a beat!



Love the tangy Pastis and tomato sauce. The escargots had very nice texture. Only if they have a bit more flavors, it would be perfect!



I had trouble picking out my main course and at the end, I decided to take on the chef's special which was a duck leg confit. Interestingly enough, they tried to put a Cantonese spin on this classic French dish by putting Chinese preserved vegetables on the bottom. It was a little weird to be brutally honest but I found it pretty tasty.



Dessert was just excellent this afternoon. I didn't want anything too heavy and the almond mousse with peach and plum soup and mango sorbet was exactly what the doctor ordered. Very light and delicate.



Mom ordered the hazelnut and praline mille feuille with dulcey ice-cream and I managed to steal a scoop from her. I have always loved hazelnut (and walnuts) and even more so for praline. So this was simply perfect for me. The pastry was airy and crisp the way it should be done. Perhaps I should've taken a flyer on this myself!



It is a very satisfying meal for mom and myself. 5 courses only set me back for $478 per head and that's just excellent value for money, especially on a Mother's Day.

Food Rating: 7/10
Price: $$$
Address: Shop 308, 3/F, Lee Garden Two, 28 Yun Ping Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Causeway Bay
Tel: +852 2505-6228
Website: www.seasonsbyolivier.com