Peninsula Boutique (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

It took a while for Executive Pastry Chef François Delaire to settle in but after a few months on the job, he's finally making his presence felt not just at Gaddi's but our beloved pastry shop and chocolatier Peninsula Boutique as well.

A native of Paris, France, Chef François has worked for some of the world’s finest restaurants in Paris including Café de la Paix at Le Grand InterContinental and the three-Michelin-starred Le Pré Catelan. He later made the move to London to become Head Pastry Chef at the one-Michelin-starred L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, before relocating to Asia to take on the role of Head Pastry Chef at the three-Michelin-starred Robuchon au Dome in Macau, which was followed by a stint as Head Pastry Chef at one-Michelin-starred Rech By Alain Ducasse in Hong Kong.



Chef François is best known for his ability to craft out amazing, instaworthy desserts that mix traditional French pastries with a touch of modern flair. His work didn't come unnoticed during my most recent visit to the gourmet shop at Hong Kong's most prestigious hotel. Gone were long-time fan favorites Le Peninsula and Sakura, and in come fresh new faces including Raspberry chocolate, Coconut Caramel, Chocolate Madagascar, Earl Grey lemon tart and the seasonal Honey Banana.



Earl Grey Lemon Tart ($60) - As a fan of the traditional French lemon tarts, I knew I had to get my hands on one of these.
This was so adorable.



There's more to this than meets the eye. The lovely citrusy flavors of the lemon tart, infused with aromatic Earl Grey combined for a light and refreshing treat.



Honey Banana ($60) - It's a seasonal item. I like how they matched the banana mousse with lime and ginger cream.



Surprisingly, it's not that sweet. To the contrary, it was incredibly light and fluffy with subtle yet delightful banana flavor, working well with the extra kick from the lime and ginger cream.



It's a very strong first impression from Chef François. Looks like I will be back very soon for their Coconut Caramel and Chocolate Madagascar.

Food Rating: 7/10
Price: $$$$
Address: Shop 7-9, The Peninsula Hong Kong, 19-21 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852 2920-2888
Website: www.peninsulaboutique.com/hk