It has no Michelin stars and has never ranked on lists such as Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, but Maison Es in Wan Chai celebrates its 10th anniversary this year having survived a host of challenges in Hong Kong that have seen many other similar fine-dining eateries close down. How did it manage this?
Opened by chef Esther Sham in 2015, the aesthetically pleasing restaurant welcomes guests with a cream-coloured bicycle with a basket of flowers at its entrance, while the general ambience is akin to walking into a friend’s cottage.
The tables are well spaced, meaning you are in little danger of overhearing other people’s conversations, and the menu is full of tried-and-true favourites that Sham designed herself.
“I insist on my own style of Canto-French,” she says. “I know there was a time when serving multiple courses with tiny portions was trendy, but that was not me. I insist on hearty, well-executed comfort food. If I follow trends, then my restaurant will end when the trend dies.”
Wagyu Wellington stewed with chu hou, or fermented soy bean sauce, at Maison Es. Photo: Maison Es
Sham started working as a model after graduating from the University of California, Irvine in the US. It was on a trip to Singapore that her eyes were opened to the world of gastronomy.
Dining and Cooking