Bon appétit – as if anyone needed telling

With the glorious celebration that is Le French May upon us once again, Adam White throws his not insubstantial weight behind the proposition that ‘living to eat’ is really not a bad idée at all.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the French May festival in Hong Kong. at’s an impressive three decades of bringing the best of French culture, arts, music and dance to the city.

Yet there’s a problem.

For over time, Le French May has grown beyond its semantic borders. Increasingly, this festival has found that the month of May cannot contain it – and like Napoleon’s Grande Armée crossing into Russia in 1812, it’s gone beyond its borders and strayed into June. And just like that ill-fated expedition, it’s an unmitigated disaster that shakes your faith in the prowess of the French.

My objections are linguistic. Some holding forth at the bar might lament the sliding of language into “could of” and “circle back”, but I’m what they call a descriptivist: language use changes over time, and that’s just ne. But still. Our words mean things. Turning May into a two-month period is enough to make a Grammar Napoleon out of me.

So be thankful that the FCC does Le French May correctly: a month-long promotion, a month-long celebration of what Julia Child would call the Art of French Cooking.

Because it’s not necessarily the arts and culture of France that have su used the world in the 20th and 21st centuries. Rather, it’s the food. Western kitchens owe almost everything to French cuisine, from preparation and cooking techniques to the “mother sauces”, to something as fundamental as the way a modern kitchen runs. Auguste Esco er’s brigade system broke the work of creating food down to its fundamentals, bringing a military e ciency to the kitchen that has been adopted across the world, in Michelin-starred establishments and our very own FCC. is is elegantly presented: herb-rimmed triangles of beautifully smooth, subtly avoured salmon mousse. Can you ever really taste champagne in cooking? Regardless, this is a silkily textured triumph. Dotted to the side are avour-punches of smoky salsa and tart lemon compote, with a few dabs of caviar for the hell of it. e genius touch to my mind is a topping of crispy sh skin, a wonderfully Hong Kong take on crispy toast points. It’s the most re ned dish of the night.

Which is why I think it’s excellent that during Le French May at the FCC, we’re not bringing in guest chefs from elsewhere, but letting our home team shine instead. On the menu for the month is a series of dishes selected by our very own chefs: meals which excite them this May.

We assemble for a tasting at Bert’s. F&B Manager Michael Chan starts us o with a classic Kir Royal –champagne spiked with crème de cassis, always a winner – and the house “French-ini” cocktail, a touch sweet for my taste. George arrives with laden plates.

2. Bouillabaisse – Chef Cheung King Chun

A warming, avour-packed sh soup. Generous portions of tender salmon and sea bass, alongside shrimp, mussel and squid, o set by a pleasingly toothsome assortment of smalldiced vegetables. It’s served with garlic bread, the perfect culinary sponge.

Paired with: Pierre Chainier Les Clacaires Sauvignon Blanc: a classic sauv blanc, dry and zesty.

3. Roasted chicken with herb butter – Chef Yip Chi Chong

I’m not sure I can tell you what exactly chervil tastes like, but I can tell you that it certainly features in the very-Frenchindeed compound butter that’s rubbed underneath the skin of this roasted chicken. e result is richly savoury, with no extra jus needed: that herb butter is more than enough. An assortment of just-right vegetables keeps you honest.

Paired with: Heritage de Baroncourt Rouge, Languedoc: lightly spiced, softly tannined.

4. Crab Thermidor with angel hair – Chef Cheung

King Chun

Serving seafood in its own shell is the kind of thing that’s only ever done in a restaurant, which is why a ermidor always feels a little special. is is a cheesy, creamy, very HK-feeling take on the dish: spoon it out over the lightly dressed angel hair pasta and dig in. Cubes of pepper and courgette provide a welcome crunch.

Paired with: Mirabeau Classic Rosé, Provence: fruity, bright and rich with the idea of summer days.

5. Baba au rhum – Chef Andrew Lau is one is just about as good, with beautifully spiced syrup and a raisin-heavy cake. e cream lifts the whole a air, cutting through the sweetness with soft, rich dairy.

A good rum baba is a very good thing indeed: a boozy, syrup-soaked cake, cut with Chantilly cream. It’s a signature of multi-Michelin-boy Alain Ducasse, and, to shamelessly name-drop, he once served me one himself.

Paired with: Chateau La Rouquette AOP Monbazillac: complex, fruity and honeyed, and a lovely accompaniment to the baba.

It is a meal that says France and Hong Kong at the same time: in many ways the perfect menu to be served at the FCC for Le French May. We give thanks to Esco er, and also to the chefs who are a little closer to home.

Michael appears from the wings, o ering up another glass of wine – and doubtless another beyond that, too. I say “yes” to the rst, but that’s it. Unlike Le French May, or Napoleon at Borodino, I hope I’m getting better at knowing when to say “enough”. n

Hong Kong born and raised, Adam White is Associate Content Director at Cedar Communications, where he is in charge of content for Cathay. He is a former FCC board member of slightly too many years’ standing and previously worked at the SCMP’s Inkstone and ran city-living bible HK Magazine.