Flight of French fancy

We love bringing you memorable dining experiences that capture the very best of Hong Kong’s dynamic culinary scene, and as a Cathay member, you can enjoy access to member-exclusive menus when you dine at selected partner restaurants in Hong Kong. Become a Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard holder, and you can gain access to even more exclusive dining offers. 

Most recently, we’ve partnered with L'Envol , the two-Michelin-starred restaurant at The St. Regis Hong Kong in Wan Chai, to create a French haute cuisine-inspired menu for Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard - Priority Banking and Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard - Priority Private cardholders. Curated by L’Envol’s celebrated culinary director Olivier Elzer , it features many of the restaurant’s signature dishes, comprising premium ingredients and rich flavours and textures, with an extensive wine list to pair.

Taking flight

L'Envol, which means to “take off” in French, shares Cathay’s spirit of discovery and exploration. The restaurant serves creative interpretations of fine French cuisine, beginning each meal with an assortment of hors d’oeuvres accompanied by a selection of bread and butter – the latter comes in two flavours: champagne and caviar. 

The Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard - Priority Banking and Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard - Priority Private five-course menu begins with a dish that L’Envol is famed for: Brittany razor clams à la marinière. Chef Elzer’s penchant for combining caviar and razor clams is brought to the fore here. The clams are cooked in a warm, hearty broth that gives them a rich, full flavour, while generous dollops of caviar and caviar cream at the base of the broth add a rich, briny umami that accentuates the natural sweetness of the clams. 

A symphony of flavours and textures 

Next is a dish of pan-seared Normandy scallops. While Chef Elzer's love of combining French and Japanese ingredients will be well known to frequent diners at his “Yakifrenchy” restaurant Clarence , his choice of Normandy scallops over the more typically favoured Hokkaido variety is deliberate. The added bite helps to carry the complex flavours of a roasted scallion velouté. Sweet yet slightly nutty in undertone, the scallops, accompanied by confit scallop roe, are perfectly complemented by the creamy velouté, resulting in a harmonious composition of sweet, savoury and smoky flavours.  

This dish is followed by salt-steamed kinmedai, served in artichoke barigoule with black truffle. The kinmedai is a beautifully delicate, sweet fish that is steamed on a bed of salt and artichoke leaves to bring out its natural flavours. The barigoule, on the other hand, strikes a balance between the rich umami of the truffle and slight acidity of the artichoke, adding depth to the dish. The course is complete with potato gnocchi and artichoke, with crackling fish scale for some playful textural contrast.  

Spreading the love

Shifting the focus to meat, the next course begins with the wonderfully tender charcoal-grilled M9 Wagyu beef braised oyster blade. It’s served with a rich, aromatic Vandovan sauce, containing a mixture of spices that give the dish a subtle heat. The addition of a miniature crispy soufflé heart adds a winning touch – showing Chef Elzer is all about the love.

There’s a second beef dish of 16-hour braised oyster blade that sits on a bed of mashed potatoes – the lengthy preparation results in an extremely tender meat that melts in your mouth. The interesting contrast between the two dishes showcases the versatility of the oyster blade.  

Landing on a sweet note

A pistachio soufflé with Gouloise ice cream and caramelised pistachios provides a sweet ending to the meal. The soufflé is light, airy, and holds its form perfectly – especially impressive given that it is layered with a crème mousse underneath. It is served with a scoop of Gauloise ice cream, the sweet herbal liqueur giving the ice cream an earthy note, and drizzled with caramelised pistachios that add a delightful, buttery crunch. 

To complete the dining experience, a selection of assorted chocolate delights is served as petit four, providing a deliciously indulgent end to an exceptional dining experience. 

The 5-course menu at L’Envol is available from now until 31 July, priced at HK$2,088 Also during this period, Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard holders will receive a complimentary glass of house wine or fresh juice when ordering a selected 3-course set lunch or dinner at The Drawing Room. Learn more here.