Jason Atherton and Jamie Oliver have both already made their marks in Hong Kong, but come September and beyond we will also be seeing the likes of Gordon Ramsay, Tom Aikens, and Rowley Leigh contributing to the dining scene. This week, we caught up with the infamous chef from Hell’s Kitchen to get his thoughts on his upcoming project.

 

Hong Kong Tatler Dining: It has obviously taken a while to get to Hong Kong – what were the main constraints and challenges you had to overcome in bringing Bread Street Kitchen to the city?

Gordon Ramsay: It’s not really about the challenges - we have an amazing collection of restaurants in London, as well as some fantastic sites around the world already.  However, we are very precious about our brand and only open when the time is right for the group, when we have found the perfect partner on the ground [Dining Concepts] who we know shares the same values as us and have a fantastic concept.  We’ve got all of that now.

 

^{The interiors at Bread Street Kitchen & Bar in London}

HKTD: With Hong Kong being a former British colony, there is clearly still a lot of interest in British chefs and food culture (particularly in the last few years). How do you think you and your restaurant will raise the profile of the UK here in Hong Kong?  

GR: The UK is one of the most dynamic dining scenes at the moment and there are some amazing chefs. It’s great to see them coming to Hong Kong. Bread Street Kitchen & Bar is an all-day dining casual concept using high quality produce to create a modern British menu. Hong Kong has a vibrant culinary scene already but it’s a nation of food lovers so I know there is room for more!

 

HKTD: How do you see yourself fitting into the wider culinary landscape in Hong Kong, and how will you contribute to it with Bread Street Kitchen? 

GR: We are very drawn to Hong Kong’s dining scene because it is always very welcoming, but also has a huge food culture. The scene is already very varied and more choice of high quality restaurants is a good thing for everyone. I might not be bringing one of my fine dining restaurants here but BSK&B will be an amazing experience; not just the food, but the room and service too.

 

HKTD: It could be argued that Hong Kong still is stuck on the idea of British food as not being worthy of their time. How do you think you can change people’s perceptions here?

GR: Are they? I think Hong Kong is open to explore new things and they should be excited about British food.  We have some great chefs and I think you’ll be impressed!

 

 

A few of Ramsay's favourite things

British drink A cup of English breakfast tea

British ingredient There are too many! We are spoilt with such amazing produce whether it be meats, vegetables, or fruits.  But if I had to choose, I would go for scallops or langoustine from Scotland, which are among the best shellfish in the world.

British dessert Apple tart

British biscuit Jaffa cake

If you could only choose one: Sunday Roast or English Fry-up? Sunday Roast