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

There is no secret that Seasons by Olivier E has slowly creeped up on my favorite list of French restaurants in town these days. Seems like that I've been visiting this place every single month and this time, I'm even bringing my 5-month old nugget with me (thanks to their kids friendly policy).



I have always wanted to sit at the counter table to see all the chefs in full action but it's a little hard to achieve that with my nugget around.



Prawn, avocado, lobster jelly, romaine leaves - I'm probably sticking with this starter until they take it off the menu. Very lovely texture and fragrance coming from the lobster jelly and creamy avocado. Each layer has a slightly different bite and contrasting texture to it (thanks to the diced prawns) and I just love the sprinkling of espelette on top. Perfect to go with the chilled romaine leaves.  



Escargots fricassée with Pastis and tomato sauce - Jelloman wanted this dish badly and who could fault her for this (I would have taken this as my second dish too if not for the fact that I have had it a number of times already).

This is very flavorful and obviously quite addictive. That was goooodd.



White "Paris" mushroom soup, fresh goat cheese foam - Some say Epuré has got the best white Paris mushroom soup in town but looks like Chef Olivier is catching up fast. This is silky smooth and very aromatic. I like the very rich mushroom flavors though a touch of truffle (or truffle oil) would probably bring this to another level.



Chilled melon soup with mint espuma, vodka granita - I fell in love with Chef Olivier's peach and plum soup last time I was here so I was expecting the same success from this chilled melon soup not as a dessert but a starter. 



This is just the perfect cure for the nasty heat wave in the dog days of summer. Very refreshing and soothing for the taste buds. Love the way the mint espuma and vodka granita worked with the sweetness of the melon soup. Marvelous job!



Hokkaido seared scallops, tomatoes and pesto butter - For the first time this afternoon, everyone was on the same page as we all agreed on the main dish here. Well, this is a no-brainer considering how well this kitchen delivers their seafood dishes.

The Hokkaido scallops were pretty nicely done. The supporting cast of fresh tomatoes and pesto butter was good though not spectacular.



Guanaja 70% chocolate cream and Cassis coulis, pistachio ice-cream - As much as I love the peach and plum soup, I wanted to try something different this time around. So in comes the chocolate cream, cassis coulis and pistachio ice-cream.

This was just OK. I am a sucker for pistachio ice-cream (actually anything made with pistachio) so that part was alright but the chocolate cream was slightly disappointing. It felt like having a Magnum chocolate bar in a circular shape more than anything else.



Almond mousse with peach and plum soup, mango sorbet - Now I am regretting the fact that I didn't take a flyer on this dessert. Mom seemed to enjoy it very much as she raved about the perfect combination of sweetness and acidity in there.



Once again, I really enjoyed my meal here. As a matter of fact, out of all my recent visits to Seasons so far, the level of cuisine has been consistently high. Given the relatively acceptable price tag ($318 for 3-course) and Michelin star pedigree, it's difficult not to come back for more.

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