Awesome Alto: Rooftop restaurant serves up delicious dishes and divine design
There are many rooftop restaurants in Hong Kong. So what sets apart Alto, a contemporary grill house situated on the top floor of V Point Tower in Causeway Bay? To begin with, it’s the stunning interiors designed under the expert guidance of Tom Dixon, an award-winning British designer whose works have been celebrated the world over.
Taking inspiration from Alto’s restaurant grill and sweeping views of mountains, sea and the sky, Tom Dixon blends four classic elements of earth, air, fire and water to create an unique decor. While a monochrome backdrop frames the panoramic view of Victoria Harbour, a canopy of 230 signature gold Mini Melt lights add to the festive feel. The blackened timber table tops, molten metal brass fittings, green marble and terrazzo stone add to the glamour as well. It’s easy to say that this is a place that would see those Instagram likes shoot up!
Moving on to the food, guests are spoilt for choice with a plethora of sumptuous options, from superior USDA Prime and Argentinian grass-fed beef to French-Asian inspired mains including sous-vide chicken breast and sous-vide salmon, an eclectic spread of starters, side dishes and salads, such as yellowfin tuna tartare, grilled halloumi with pickled cauliflower and tomato with smoked almond romesco.
Of course, as dessert lovers can testify, no meal is complete without a decadent desserts, and Alto is equally well stocked in that department, featuring an array of drool-worthy dishes like banana cakes, mixed berry trifle, dark chocolate caramel tart.
With such Instagrammable interiors, delectable dishes and artisanal cocktails, it’s no wonder that Alto is soon becoming such a popular destination for Hongkongers.
French-Asian sensation Le 39V combines haute cuisine with HK know-how
Main dining room at Le 39V
Chef Nicolas Raynal, it has to be said, is not comfortable in front of the camera. The helmsman of the new Le 39V glances uneasily at the looming videographer as he prepares yet another dish in the glare of the studio lights.
Explaining his natural inclination to shun the limelight, he says: “I chose kitchen life for a reason.” Indeed, Raynal couldn’t be further away from the new breed of epicurean mega-egos that dominate the current crop of cooking shows, including The Chef’s Table. An apparently simple Frenchman from the landlocked Clermont-Ferrand region, Raynal began his career as a restaurant junior, climbing his way up the culinary ranks until he was hand-picked by the award-winning Chef Frédéric Vardon to work in Paris’ legendary Golden Triangle.
Chef Nicolas Reynal heads Le 39V in Hong Kong
Vardon is the acknowledged visionary behind the original Le 39V, a renowned Parisian eatery that has merited a Michelin star every year since its 2012 launch. Situated on 39 George V Avenue, the restaurant prides itself on presenting neo-classical French cuisine that blends the sincere and the modest with the delicate and the contemporary.
Recalling his early years, Raynal says: “After working at Le 39V, I moved to Lausanne in Switzerland, but kept in touch with Vardon. Three years later, he called me and invited me to oversee the Far East branch of his restaurant – so here I am.”
Le 39V offers stunning views
Raynal arrived in Hong Kong in June 2017, playing a key role in the launch of Le 39V that following September. Summarising a clearly hectic few months, Raynal says: “It was my first time in Asia. I had a lot to learn and I had to do it fast.” Not least, the fastidious chef had only a few months to familiarize himself with the Cantonese palate, as heset about customising Vardon’s dishes in line with local tastes.
Outlining the scale of the challenge, he says: “We soon realised we couldn’t just transplant Parisian recipes here. Hong Kongers want extremely hot dishes and they are only too willing to send back food that’s too salty or too rich.
Blue lobster in ‘Pot au Feu’ ($630)
“While in Europe, you can predict what diners want – usually more of the same thing – here in Hong Kong, you have to be more experimental, with customers always open to tasting something new.”
For us, our particular ‘something new’ began with an Amuse-bouche of curry lobster spring roll, balanced precipitously on a small glass bowl of parsnip cream – a suitable prelude to a truly French-Cantonese affair.
Appetisers came in the form of seafood, a suitable nod to Hong Kong’s coastal location and its marine heritage. The juicy Roasted Scallops from Hokkaido (HK$620) then proved most delicious, as did the accompanying black truffle shavings and artichoke Jerusalem tortellini.
Roll crab with crunchy radishes ($460)
The Blue lobster in ‘Pot au feu’ (HK$630) was next up, a dish notable for its novel use of bistro cooking methods (pot au feu stew), as well as its substitution of the traditional prime ingredient (beef) for a more seasonal one (a hefty portion of lobster). A consommé of the latter was poured into the bowl, dousing the appurtenant seasonal vegetables and small raviolis with its nourishing warmth. The final starter came in the form of a Roll crab with crunchy radishes (HK$460), all immersed in a saffron sauce, generous and satisfying.
Of the mains, Le 39V’s bestseller ever since it first opened its doors is its Pigeon from France (HK$620). Although not normally huge poultry fans, we were soon won over by Raynal’s roasted and smoked pigeon breast creation.
Pigeon from France ($620)
To follow was Lamb from France (HK$590), a classic option for those who want a touch of the familiar – perfect morsels of confit (slow-cooked) shoulder with eggplant, roasted rack and saddle, tastefully garnished with anchovies.
The desserts, perhaps thankfully, were decidedly on the light side – the Soufflé (HK$250) with passion fruit, creamy calamansi and yogurt sorbet was baked to light-as-a-feather perfection. On a warmer day, however, a better option might be the Iced nougat cake (HK$240), a nutty concoction fetchingly topped with hazelnuts, pistachio and chestnut honey. Topping it all off, of course, were the mignardises, fast becoming staples of all the finest Francophile saloons.
Soufflé ($250)
For all its pomp and circumstance – impressive eagle-eye views and perfectly executed wine displays – the Hong Kong branch of Le 39V retains the best on offer from its Parisian mothership, while ably fusing that with subtle tastes of its eastern setting.
Overall, the restaurant manages to nimbly manoeuvre its way through a series of self-set culinary challenges, emerging wholly unscathed, largely on account of the able stewardship that comes courtesy of Raynal. As both chef and manager, he is clearly far from peaking, with his future progress likely to fascinate the city’s many foodies.
