Pizzas, hamburgers and sushi โ these are just some of the foods that have come to define certain cultures. But a cuisine is about more than an iconic dish, and every dish contains much more than its ingredients. It can reflect not only a historic time and place, but also modernity and a chefโs creative flair.
So if Hong Kong was a dish, what would it be? That is the question put to Luke Armstrong, head chef of LโEnvol restaurant at The St Regis Hong Kong, and Alicia Castillo, pastry and bakery chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong.
โIt would be something vibrant,โ Armstrong says, acknowledging the cityโs multicultural dining scene and availability of the finest ingredients. โBut what defines me is saffron and white asparagus.โ
He continued: โIf Hong Kong was a dish, it would be charcoal-grilled Japanese Wagyu beef from Kagoshima with Loire Valley [French] white asparagus cooked en croute and a nice spring bearnaise. A distinct influence of Hong Kong, Japan and France.โ
Originally from Perth, Western Australia, Armstrong โ who arrived in Hong Kong last November after working at acclaimed restaurants in Europe, Singapore and Japan โ has developed an affinity for the cityโs mix of calm and frenetic energy.
โI like to live my life with order and chaos,โ he says. โThatโs what you see when you walk through the city; some parts are chaotic, and some parts are very peaceful.โ