Dining

dining What sweet dreams are made of

Paul Lafayette’s Toni and Christophe Younes reflect on a decade of Hong Kong’s favourite dessert brand. By Apple Lee

When French-born entrepreneur Toni Younes started Paul Lafayette with his son Christophe Younes a decade ago, there were only a handful of Western-style bakeries and patisseries in Hong Kong. At the time, if you were craving quality French pastries, you’d have to get your fix at luxury hotel bakeries. “When I first came to Hong Kong in the 90s, I noticed a shift in the taste palettes of the new generation of consumers. There was a growing appetite for the younger Hongkongers to try things that were new and exciting,” says Toni.

In 2009, almost 20 years after Toni had arrived in Hong Kong, he opened his first French patisserie in K11 Art Mall in coincidence with the mall’s grand opening. Paul Lafayette is one of the first bakeries to bring French macarons to the city. To this day, these colourful confectioneries remain what the brand is known and loved for.

Christophe Younes

“Macarons are a pillar of French heritage.

They are also great for gifting because of how colourful they are,” says Christophe.

“When we first opened, a lot of people thought we were selling colourful cookies. It took us a few months to convince our customers that these are macarons. Not many Hongkongers had heard of macarons before or seen something like that, so they were curious of what they were and wanted to try them.”

Besides macarons, creme brulee was another major hit at Paul Lafayette. The brand sells on average more than 1,000 creme brulees every day and hosts an annual Creme Brulee Festival every summer.

“We’ve always focused on offering great macarons and creme brulee since day one. We believe that to have a successful brand, your customers need to remember you for your key

products – and those have to always stay the same,” says Toni.

To ensure the quality of its patisserie remains consistent, Toni and Christophe insist on using the same supplier for its ingredients. Even when the price of Madagascar vanilla beans continued to increase year-on-year from $800 per kilogram 10 years ago to $8,800 for the same amount today, the pair still works with the same supplier to make sure the flavour of its creme brulee stays the same.

This commitment to consistency extends to their retail locations. While shops tend to move around a lot in Hong Kong, Toni and Christophe are determined to keep their boutiques at the same address – even if it means higher rents.

“We want our customers to remember where we are and know where to find us,” says Toni.

As with many other businesses in Hong Kong and around the world, it has been a tough time for Paul Lafayette during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, especially when uncertainty runs high on when the crisis will end.

“As a brand, we have survived the past few months because we have a very strong local customer base. Since our inception, we

have always focused on creating a brand for Hongkongers. Our first shop opened in Tsim Sha Tsui, and to this day, over 80 percent of our customers are locals,” says Toni.

Looking into Paul Lafayette’s next decade, the father and son duo is excited to keep pushing the boundaries of French dessert and innovating with new products.

Creme Brulee

The patisserie is currently in the works of launching new mooncake gift sets for MidAutumn Festival in October, which will bring Western influences to the traditional Chinese baked good.

Further along the line, the brand has set its sights on expanding throughout Mainland China and Asia.

dining News Dining news

Former Chôm Chôm chef goes solo

Former Haku chef Agustin Balbi has joined forces with Jia Group to open his first standalone restaurant Andō. The new restaurant pays homage to Balbi’s roots from Spain and his culinary training in Japan. 1F, Somptueux Central, 52 Wellington Street, Central.

andohk.com

Veteran Vietnamese chef John Nguyen, formerly of Chôm Chôm, has opened a modern Vietnamese restaurant showcasing Northern regional cuisine and craft cocktails. Named Xuan, the all-day eatery, complete with al fresco seating and hard walnut wood furniture, exudes a warm and inviting aura. Highlights from the menu include the braised beef tongue salad and cơm gà Hoi An chicken rice. Probably one of the most famous Vietnamese dishes, the pho here features Angus prime rib, braised beef tongue and oxtail, steeped in 24-hour simmered

Spanish meets Japanese

beef broth. G/F, 18 Lun Fat Street, Wan Chai.

Less is more

Soil to Soul is K11 MUSEA’s latest opening, serving contemporary Korean vegetarian cuisine inspired by the country’s temple food. The restaurant’s focus is on traditional vegetarian Korean recipes using natural, organic and plant-based ingredients, based on a food philosophy dating back a thousand years to the Goryeo dynasty. Helmed by certified temple food master chef Gu Jin Kwang, who previously worked under renowned Korean Buddhist nun WooKwan, Soil to Soul’s menu includes nourishing lunch sets, six and eight-course tasting dinners, along with a variety of à la carte selections, bar snacks and drinks. Make sure to try out its ginseng salad, turnip dumpling and mung bean pancake. 704, 7/F, K11 MUSEA, Tsim Sha Tsui.

Summer cocktails

Stay cool as the heat turns up

Red Sugar

Travel back in time with Red Sugar’s new cocktail menu ‘Our Little Time’, which showcases a collection of concoctions inspired by the postwar era of Hong Kong. Kerry Hotel’s popular rooftop bar has launched 11 new cocktails, all presenting key elements from the 60s to 80s. The terrace bar, overlooking the Victoria Harbour, has also just launched a new Sundown Sessions available every Saturday and Sunday for two hours of free-flow bevvies and tapas. Level 7, Kerry Hotel, 38 Hung Luen Road, Hung Hom.

shangri-la.com

Maison Libanaise

To welcome summer, Black Sheep Restaurants’ Lebanese canteen is bringing back its ‘Frosé All Day’ special. Made from churned frozen rosé wine and fresh raspberry purée, then topped with a sprig of vibrant mint, frosé is available all day by the glass. Guests can take the celebration further and enjoy an exclusive food and drinks pairing on the roof of the restaurant, with two glasses of vibrant frosé alongside a hearty lamb manoushe to share between two. The offer is available on weekends and public holidays from 3-7pm.10 Shelley Street, Central.

maisonlibanaise.com.hk

Rubia

Known for its exceptional steaks and tapas, Rubia’s relaxed, taberna-style, ground floor bar makes it the perfect place for after-work drinks. Its new two-for-one happy hour features Galician draught beer and cider, new cocktails and a dedicated gin selection to pair with local Spanish cold cuts, cheese and snacks. Don’t miss the restaurant’s new tropical flavours, which includes Longan Potion, made with longan-infused Absolut Vodka and fresh lime juice; and Manzana Acida, a concoction of Lola & Vera, Quenz Hierbas, Estrella Cordial finished off with apple syrup. UG/F and 1/F, C Wisdom Centre, 35-37 Hollywood Road, Central.

rubia.hk