The evening began with a lobster with crab aspic, cauliflower foam and Oscietra caviar. Served in a tall Martini glass, the cool, savoury aspic was accompanied by creamy cauliflower foam and lobster chunks, while the caviar added richness to the starter. Grand Hyatt’s current executive Gerhard Passrugger delighted us with a sample of seasonal oysters following the lobster starter. Freshly-shucked and served on the half-shell, with six varieties from Coffin Bay to Ostra Regol and succulent Fine de Claire, the refreshing oysters needed no garnish or embellishments. The fresh and abundant varieties are also part of the new cold seafood lineup in the newly curated buffet items available at the nightly buffet dinner.

The exclusive event presented a savoury lobster soufflé as part of the meal; the beloved crustacean added complexity to the light soufflé, a welcome treat to get us ready for the main courses ahead. Guests were served former Grand Hyatt chef Josef Budde’s meaty creations, including his iconic steak and mushroom pies, plated with mashed green peas and a rich sauce. The golden pastry, light and flaky, encased a hearty stew of mushrooms and beef. Also available on the buffets’ carving trolley are meaty mains such as a classic beef Wellington, as well as whole roasted foie gras, both signatures of Budde from the early days of Grand Hyatt.  

Guests were also served freshly cooked live lobsters as part of the main course at the event. Fresh lobsters were prepared in a number of ways, including grilled, baked in herb butter, and Thermidor, where the lobster meat was cooked with onions and button mushrooms before the filling was stuffed back in the lobster halves and baked with a cheese topping.

Another highlight of the event was the arrival of another show stopper—brie cheese baked in a buttery pastry. The heavy wheel of soft cheese was encased within pastry and baked until golden brown. Carved tableside amd served with freshly shaven black truffles, the molten cheese was perfect with the luxurious shavings of truffle, where the earthy tuber adds depth to the unctuous soft cheese.

The evening rounded off with a sweet surprise from the hotel’s resident executive pastry chef James Holehouse, who presented Tiffin’s new selections at the dessert station, from its famed homemade ice creams to crepes Suzette and new cakes and chocolate selections available at the newly-launched Chocolatier counter, where guests are offered chocolates as souvenirs.

Guests attending Tiffin’s reopening dinner event included Peter Cheung, Yolanda Choy-Tang, Arthur De Villepin, Leigh Tung-Chou, Feiping Chang, Ruth Chao, Greg McNamara, Sharie Ross-Tse, Roni Hiranand, and Nadia Hariela. Check out more photos by checking out our event gallery and follow our dining Instagram channel at @tdininghk .

Tiffin, Mezzanine Floor, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai; +852 2584 7722; http://www.hongkong.grand.hyattrestaurants.com/tiffin/default-en.html