Chef Tiffany Lo, Pierre Koffmann alumna, opens her first restaurant in Gresson Street
With its cheerful green facade and neo-bistro vibes, Jean May by chef Tiffany Lo is the kind of restaurant you’d immediately feel comfortable in. Unfortunately for Lo, the opening coincided with the worst Covid-19 outbreak in Hong Kong since the beginning of the year. While the chef managed to soft open for a short while, introducing friends and family to the modern French bistro concept, the recent government restrictions have sent the team scrambling to adapt—even before official opening, they’ve had to quickly pivot to create a new takeaway offering (with highlights such as confit chicken and leek terrine, and raspberry and almond tart) given that restaurants will not be able to operate dine-in services at dinnertime.
See also: Your Guide To Restaurant And Bar Operations During Hong Kong's Dine-In Ban
In any other circumstance, we imagine Jean May to be lauded among the food community, so it’s a shame that the pandemic has put the brakes on the independent chef’s project. Lo, who worked previously with the legendary Pierre Koffmann in London, is bringing her representation of comforting French food to Hong Kong, matched with natural wines. It’s very reminiscent of the neo-bistro style of dining that took Europe by storm several years back, with pared back interiors, blackboard menus and a simple, straightforward approach to local and seasonal ingredients that uses the best parts of traditional French technique and contemporary innovation.
Below, we speak to Lo about the journey so far and what you can expect from the restaurant when things hopefully resume a semblance of normalcy—with any luck, Jean May will officially open some time in August.
What is Jean May all about—how would you describe it to a first-time visitor?
Jean May is a neighbourhood bistro where diners can enjoy a meal of hearty and flavourful dishes we lovingly prepare, with the freshest ingredients. The moment they arrive, they will be greeted warmly with a relaxed and cosy atmosphere and a friendly front-of-house team.
Tell us about your mentor Pierre Koffmann and what you learned from him.
Pierre Koffmann is a chef of chefs and godfather of French cuisine in the culinary world. His cuisine is classic, timeless and flavour-based. I thought it was a ‘lost’ dream to work in his kitchen when he closed his three-Michelin-starred La Tante Claire where so many great chefs had trained in. But he came out of retirement to open Koffmann’s at the Berkeley and my dream to work with him came true. The flavours in his dishes are unforgettable, including his world-famous pig’s trotter, pistachio soufflé, and scallops with squid ink sauce. His kitchen is known to be one of the toughest ones and I have learnt an incredible amount of skills; from how to extract flavours to running a restaurant from behind the stove.
