I have been itching to come back to Gaddi's ever since new Chef de cuisine Albin Gobil took over the helm a few months ago. After spending 10 years at Joel Robuchon and Helene Darroze at The Connaught in London, the 29-year old up-and-coming chef was ready for the next challenge. I have heard nothing but good things about his cuisine since his arrival at the prestigious French restaurant at Peninsula Hong Kong but seeing is believing. They will have to really convince me that he's for real.
Like my previous meals at Gaddi's, things started off with some exquisite bread from their bakery. I honestly think they have the best bread in any fine-dining restaurants in town and that includes three-Michelin starred Caprice. Their brioche with ham is my all-time favorite and the milk bun with charcoal isn't far behind.
Lunch got off with a brilliant start thanks to a trio of lovely nibbles. First, there was the beetroot cone with ricotta cheese. The kick of acidity got my taste buds awaken in a hurry.
It was followed by a squid-ink crispy pita topped with salmon roes and dill, and a small tomato gazpacho tartlet.
While I was still busy taking photos of the three nibbles, a further amuse bouche arrived in the form of a seaweed jelly, beautifully decorated with cauliflower cream and smoked eel on top.
A gorgeous dish that I had the honor of having two since little nugget wanted no part of it.
First up for me was hamachi tartare served with radish, green apple and small dabs of avocado.
A scoop of basil ice-cream on top provided some nice variation of temperature to the hamachi.
While I was enjoying my starter, little nugget also got his spaghetti carbonara ($288). It was the first time I ordered a pasta dish at Gaddi's. In fact, I didn't even know they have all these off-menu items for kids.
The second dish of the tasting menu was pan-seared Hokkaido scallop.
It was superbly matched with a rich and tangy sauce made with cockles. I really enjoyed the creaminess of the sauce working brightly with the flavors from the scallop, cockles, celeriac and bottarga. And there was the hint of finger lime to provide the dish with a sublime finish.
My main dish was hake which was hidden underneath a layer of crispy potato strings.
The design of this dish was very similar to the scallop dish I had earlier. Serving with the hake fish was creamy shellfish bouillon and an array of ingredients including French white beans, mussels, tomatoes and seaweed. The crispy potato strings made it slightly more interesting but it was otherwise a very safe dish that tasted reasonably good yet without much surprises.
Executive Pastry Chef François Delaire has been a great addition to Peninsula Hong Kong's culinary team since his arrival in 2018. He never failed to amaze me with his creativity and artistic sense, as shown in this beautifully decorated dessert.
Madagascar chocolate mousse and oolong tea sponge, served with vanilla ice-cream. A perfect finish to a remarkable meal.
Little nugget was really behaving himself this afternoon so I got to quietly enjoy my cup of tea.
And some chocolate.
I had a very nice first impression on Chef Albin Gobil's modern French cuisine this afternoon. Everyone has been saying how Gaddi's has slowly shifted from the grand daddy of traditional French fine-dining to the modern French restaurant today. Some thought it's a step backward but I certainly didn't see it that way. Traditional haute cuisine is often praised for its richness, suavity, balance and elegant presentation. I can still see these qualities in some of today's dishes, just that the techniques and interpretations have evolved immensely over the years, and there were also influences from other cuisines.
I haven't said this for a long long time but I'm really happy with this meal at Gaddi's today. This is going to be interesting when Christmas finally arrives. Could Gaddi's finally find themselves back in Michelin's good books? If I were a Michelin inspector today, they would definitely have one star to boot in the upcoming release. That's my honest opinion. Looking forward to coming back again pretty soon!
Food Rating: 7/10
Price: $$$$
Address: 1/F, The Peninsula Hong Kong, 22 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852 2696-6763
Website: www.peninsula.com/en/hong-kong/hotel-fine-dining/gaddis-french-restaurant
Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 2:30pm, 7:00pm - 10:30pm (Tue - Sat)
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