Celebrating romance, French style

Caprice's racan pigeon feuillet with foie gras, nori seaweed sauted artichokes in warm vinaigrette.[Photo/China Daily]

Hong Kong

Looking for a place to have an intimate, romantic dinner with sophisticated French food, great wine, superior setting and beautiful ambience? Look no further than some of Hong Kong's Michelin-starred restaurants.

When people celebrate birthdays or anniversaries, they often use it as a chance to indulge a little and splurge at one of the many high-end restaurants that are centered in the heart of Hong Kong, such as the French restaurants which have earned themselves prestigious Michelin stars.

Caprice at the Four Seasons Hotel is the only one among them to have earned three stars. Chef Vincent Thierry offers contemporary French cuisine that is crafted in an open kitchen so diners can share the experience at every moment. The food is, of course, accompanied by an excellent wine list and a helpful sommelier.

Service is attentive and the staff always friendly and knowledgeable.

The dining area sets the mood with regal crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceilings and ornate furniture. The open kitchen is definitely not traditional, but it does not deter from the grandeur of the surroundings.

For me, the delectable selection on their cheese trolley is enough to have me raving about the dining experience long after it should be a distant memory.

Both Amber at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental and L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in the Landmark come up next with two stars to their credit. Amber's dramatic chandelier is a focal point of the restaurant, while at L'Atelier, the open kitchen is the main draw.

Amber is decorated with warm tones while L'Atelier plays with light and dark and uses a dark palette with subdued lighting.

The chef at Amber is Richard Ekkebus from the Netherlands whose culinary creativity is showcased in the four-course "surprise" menu created with daily market produce, somewhat along the bistro concept.

Joel Robuchon needs no introduction. As an award-winning, world-renowned French chef and restaurateur with a total of 26 Michelin stars to his name, he is a giant among his peers. Each dish at L'Atelier is served on a plate specially designed for it.

Another renowned French chef reigns at Pierre, housed on top of the Mandarin Oriental. Glamorous and enticing, Pierre is decorated with rich blacks and violets but its main attraction is the chef - Pierre Gagnaire, famous for creating dishes using uncommon combinations of familiar ingredients. You can dine on the Turner veloute here, which the chef created specially for Tina Turner.

With such grand options available, your main difficulty will be choosing one. Whatever your choice, however, the experience will definitely be memorable.