Tucked away on the third floor of a nondescript building on Wyndham Street, you wouldn't have guessed that such a vibrant little French-Caribbean eatery even existed there. It's across from the entrance to Tasmanian Ballroom (right in the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong's nightlife district), which is why Paradis is better known for its Caribbean-inspired cocktails. Now with newly appointed Executive Chef Wes Long helming the kitchen, the restaurant is bringing focus to its revamped food offerings.
We thought we would just get a sneak peek of the new seasonal a la carte by Chef Long, but ended up trying, well, EVERY single dish on the menu (apologies for the insanely long instastory). It was definitely a dinner to remember, because given the amount of dishes served by a kitchen of only 3 chefs, each dish was somehow impeccably prepared with great flavours and meticulous plating. I noticed that while the food leaned more towards the French side, the drinks were definitely more tropical -- just the way it should be!
*Note: I haven't included all the dishes as it would probably take up half of your life to read. The below is just a quick sum-up of the dishes from cocktails, apps, mains & desserts.
So I'm not even normally a fan of cocktails in general, but the cocktail menu at Paradis was just too enticing to not try at least one. I forgot which one the one pictured is called, but it was nice and fruity, with a strong kick. A must-try signature is the Slow-Cooked G&T (HK$110), which is a mix of fruits & spices slow-cooked for hours in gin, then finished with a splash of tonic water.
One of the first appetisers that arrived was this Seared Scallop (HK$138), served with summer corn, saffron, spinach and fried gnocchi. It was delicious, but many of us couldn't differentiate the scallops & gnocchi at first because they looked so similar on the plate!
This must have been the Lobster Broth (HK$158) with clams and leek. We were obsessed with this broth, just couldn't get enough of it! Another notable appetiser we had was the Steak Tartare (HK$158) prepared in a classic style with egg yolk, crostini and addictive thin handcut fries with truffle ketchup. That one was probably my favourite app.
The mains were definitely the highlight of the meal. This Grilled Whole Lobster (HK$368) was served with grilled corn, English peas, mango cream, and grilled scallion. The Hong Kong born-and-bred lobster was SO fresh and tender, and had a nice sweetness to it.
The Jerk Roasted Pork Presa (HK$188), or pork shoulder, was just beautiful! Let me just save the trouble of repeating "tender" and "pink" now, because ALL of the meat/seafood dishes were perfectly cooked. The pork was one of my absolute favourites, served with sunchoke, rainbow chard, and thyme jus.
Pictured is the Seared Filet Mignon (HK$288) with twice-baked potatoes and bearnaise sauce. Another great main dish we had was the Duck Breast (HK$218) pictured on my Instagram, which had this amazing crispy skin that you have to try when you're here.
The first dessert that was served was this pretty Pastry Trio (HK$118) prepared for us by Paradis' seasoned Pastry Chef Natalie Leung. It featured a miniature chocolate cheese tart, basil semifredo and lemon lavender pate a choux. Each was a perfect little bite, and we loved the delicate presentation.
Paradis Restaurant & Cocktail Bar
Address: 3/F 46-48 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 3182 0105 | Email: booking@paradishk.com
Website: www.paradishk.com
Instagram: @paradis_hk