Is Classic French Cuisine Still Relevant? – 3 Michelin Star Restaurant Review

In this video we are looking for an answer. Can Classic French cuisine still be that good?
Welcome to Hong Kong. One of the most unique cities in the world.
Our restaurant for today is Caprice. The head chef is Guillaume Galliot. The restaurant is located in The Four Seasons hotel.

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My name is Alexander. I’m the co-owner of a ONE Michelin star restaurant, and I’m on a mission – to find inspiration in gastronomy. I love fine dining, good wine and sharing what I know with other people.

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Some say you can’t beat the French in the kitchen. But with the shifting sands of  time, the old makes way for the new. From molecular gastronomy to sustainable kitchens. In this video we are looking for an answer, Can old time French cuisine still be that good? Welcome to Hong Kong.

One of the most unique cities in the world. It’s made up of263 islands, but all the action is  concentrated in three places. First, the Kowloon peninsula. It’s one of the most densely  populated places in the world, and Hong Kong’s biggest residential area. Then, there is Hong Kong island,

Home to the financial district with the iconic  skyscrapers and the historic Victoria park. Finally, the biggest island – Lantau. Here you’ll find Hong Kong Disney  as well as the Giant Buddha. Officially, the city is called Hong Kong  SAR, or Special Administrative Region. Technically, it’s Chinese,

But in this area they have separate legal  systems from the rest of the country. They have their own currency, their own passport, and much of the official  business here is done in English. How did that happen? Basically, China and Britain had a rift.

In 1898, China agreed to lease  Hong Kong to Britain for 99 years. In that time, Hong Kong grew into a major  trading port and economic hub for Asia. In 1997, it was handed back under a  ‘one country, two systems’ principle. Full of both natural and man-made  beauty, Hong Kong is a tourist hotspot.

In 2019, over 56 million people came to visit. For that reason, hotels are everywhere. And there is no shortage of high end options. Including The Four Seasons. This hotel is massive. It’s a 45-storey building with almost 400 rooms, including 54 luxury suites. In the restaurant department, they score big.

With three Michelin starred  restaurants under one roof. One of them is our restaurant for today. Caprice. I head to the sixth floor and bump  into Victor Petiot straight away. The director of Caprice. Just the man I want to see. He gives me a table overlooking Victoria Harbour

And a lovely welcome drink from  a small batch producer in France. The interior here is a mix of  antiques from France and China, as well as custom pieces designed for this space. It’s stunning and almost  as beautiful as this view. I’m a big fan of open kitchens,  and here its all on display.

25 chefs are buzzing around in organized chaos. It looks amazing. I’m here today for lunch. And I have 3 options. The Set Lunch, the Signature  menu and the Connaisseur. I go for the signature for 350 euro (2,980 HKD). It kicks off with a bread service. Made from scratch of course.

I’ll take a sesame roll and a mini-baguette. The wine list is magnifique and  spans most of the Old and New World. The wine pairing with lunch is four glasses and goes for just over a 100  euro, and I go with that.

The first wine in the pairing is a pinot  gris from biodynamic Swiss producer, Klus 177. More and more, Switzerland is becoming  a player in the wine industry. That might not be the first  thing that comes to mind, but when you see it on a  map, it totally makes sense.

This is probably the first  time I try a swiss wine. Our first course is a Chef’s signature dish. Alaskan King Crab Jelly mixed with fennel cream  and Oscietra caviar from Kaviari. With a bit of gold to jazz it up.

Salty, a tiny bit sweet, and there is  just enough acid to balance it out. Gold or no gold, it’s hard to  go wrong with a signature dish. And of course the chef nailed it. Speaking of the chef, who is he? That would be Guillaume Galliot.

When he was 12, he was  already cooking for himself, because he didn’t like the  food at the school canteen. Inspired by Ducasse and Röbuchon,  he decided to become a chef. He started by volunteering at local  restaurants, offering to peel vegetables. In return he just wanted to  watch the magic in the kitchen.

After culinary school came a big jump. Working for twin chefs  Jacques and Laurent Pourcel. At the Michelin-starred Jardin  des Sens in Montpellier. By the age of 23, he had seen the  world from Europe to the Caribbean, and started his journey in Asia. In 2012, he got an opportunity in Macau.

He took over a steakhouse, and rebuilt  it into a fine dining restaurant. It was called “The Tasting Room”. It took just 7 months to get the first star here. In three years, they had two. In 2013, Vincent Thierry, the  head chef of Caprice resigned.

Caprice approached him with the  opportunity, but it was a No from Galliot. Four years later, things had changed,  and Galliot accepted the position. With an ambitious and competitive  attitude, he set himself a goal. In just two years, Caprice  earned the ultimate accolade: 3 Michelin stars. I’m in the best hands possible.

I capitalize on the wine list  and order a special bottle. Krug Grand Cuvee 161. It’s a blend of 134 wines from 12 different years. With the youngest from 2005,  and the oldest from 1990. Once it’s bottled, It’s stays in  the Krug wine cellar for 7 years.

Now that this one has been in the  bottle for 10 years, it’s perfect. This channel is like a fine wine. It gets better with age. Hit subscribe so you don’t miss a drop. Our next wine is a 2017  chardonnay from Domaine Valette. Notice the red seal on the label.

It’s French for Old Vines, and  speaks to the quality of the grape. Grape vines don’t last forever. As they age, their output decreases  but the quality gets better. Just like us. The oldest vines still used in wine production are around a hundred and fifty years  old, in Australia’s Barossa Valley. What’s in there?

We will know in a second, but the thing next to it gives it away. Do you know what this tool is? It’s called a truffle shaver. Our next course is langoustine seared in butter with mushroom and mint in a signature yellow wine sauce.

And of course topped with lots and lots  of precious white Piedmonte truffle. The langoustine is just right and this sauce is  so good I could drink it straight from a glass. A rare Madiera wine is next. It’s from 1875 but still has lots of life in it.

How can a wine that old still be good? A combination of quality, process and storage. and of course a big amount of  sugar and acid helps a lot. Winemaking on the Portuguese islands of Madeira  dates back to the end of the 15th century. Before heading to the New World or East Indies,

This was a common place for  ships to stock up on supplies. One of them was wine. But not just any wine. This was fortified with grape spirits. And for good reason. First, it kept the wine from  spoiling over the long voyages.

Second, it boosted the alcohol, so the  ships didn’t have to store as much. Later, they discovered the heat and movement  of the ship gave the wine a unique flavor. The sailors loved it, and by the end of  the 17th century, so did everybody else.

This madeira is a malvazia so  it’s sweeter but just as nice. The server tells me this is the  paired special for the next course. Believe it or not, this is French onion soup. Both hot and cold. Hot soup, cold ice cream. One bowl. My tastebuds go wild.

It reminds me of comfort food, but it’s not. It’s fine-tuned to the max but  the soul is still in there. With the Madiera, it really comes alive. Amazing dish. The server says this next one is a show stopper. Mashed potato and caviar. Surrounded with the chef’s  signature champagne sauce.

He tells us this is our one way ticket to heaven. Interesting choice of words. I’ve heard this before. At another classic French  restaurant with 3 Michelin stars. Inside another Four Seasons Hotel. Can you guess where? That’s right. Le Cinq. And these two gentlemen came straight from there.

Every person I met who trained  at Hotel George Fifth Paris has been ultra-professional with  elegance, movement and sophistication. Without exception. It’s more than a hotel. It’s an educational institute in my opinion. Some might not care about the little  details, but I really admire them. Take for example, how they dress. Well dressed people.

Nice accessories here and there, And bespoke shoes, which colors  were inspired by Chateu D’Yquem Turns out, it was true. This is heaven. The pairing of potatoes and caviar is a classic, but its the sauce that made me swoon. The ingredients are simple,

But they find balance in the champagne  sauce, without overpowering the caviar. I also enjoy the simpicity of the potato. I’m not sure if they can top this. To go with this course we enjoy a  nice wine from the island of Corsica. This one is a 2019 vermentino  from Domaine de Vaccelli.

It has bright minerality and gentle spicyness that works well with the  creaminess in the heavenly dish. I had a chance to visit the attached Caprice  Bar and it has an amazing atmosphere. Just like the restaurant, they  are serious in what they do.

The cocktail menu changes every three months  to represent the season’s best ingredients. Next is wild caught sea bass in a light  seafood consummé, with ginger and coriander. Such beautiful presentation. The wine is a 2011 riesling from  the Alsace region of France. Together they make a nice light pair.

With the main course coming, I am  served a glass of Chateau d’Yquem. One of the biggest wines in the world. But this is a lush dessert wine. So why is it served with our main course? Often, a wine is chosen to  complement a certain dish. Here, they flipped the script.

Our server explains that the Chef created  this duck dish to play with Chateau d’Yquem. And he changes the dish to according  to the vintage of the wine. This one is from 1987. The duck comes all the way from France, and is cooked using a French technique

Which keeps in the blood so  the meat stays fresh and juicy. Before carving we take a look. It’s served with baby carrots,  saffron and fresh mandarin. It comes with a duck sauce dressed up with  a special honey from the Sultan region. More wine arrives well suited to duck.

This one is a 2021 Chambolle Musingy pinot noir. The meat is succulent and tender and the  vegetables keep it fresh and balanced. This is as perfect as it can be. Before dessert, another rich  and warming dessert wine. At this point, I’m full, and so is my table. Look at all this wine!

But we aren’t done. Next is a classic French cheese service. From Creamy and extra creamy to strong  and stinky and everything in between. With dried apricots and  walnuts to refresh the palette. Looks delicious but it’s just too much for me. The pastry team here at Caprice  is made up of seven people.

So you know they are serious about sweets. Let’s see if I can squeeze some in. Here it is. 6 layers of sweet indulgence. I love chocolate, so I make  a little room for this one. I love how they cap this cocoa sorbet  with a bit of gold leaf luxury. Amazing dessert.

As we are getting ready to go,  we have a guest at our table. Chef Galliot himself! I always like a good chat with people like him. He is in good humor, but you can tell  he is serious about what he does. With today’s lunch he’s proved it. A true professional.

As the petit fours come, we know  the end of our meal is really here. Another home run from the pastry team. These look more like ornaments than food. The bill arrives, and my wallet becomes  lighter to the tune of r 1400 euro. So can an old time French  restaurant still be THAT good?

From the service side, absolutely. This was serious, precise, and  fantastic service that you rarely see. You can tell the local people were also  trained on professional French hospitality. They have created a perfect system. Many try, but only a few really can. And those who can will always  have a place in gastronomy.

In my opinion, a classic, elegant French  restaurant will never go out of fashion. And Chef Galliot just confirmed it. And that does it for this episode. Thank you for joining me! If you like this video, hit subscribe. See you next time.