Showcasing what they call ‘sustainable cuisine’ inspired by the island nation, the latest offering from Le Comptoir presents a good first draft
When Le Comptoir’s Tri in Repulse Bay first opened, it was one of the most beautiful venues in Hong Kong—in 2015, we named it as part of the year’s top 20 restaurants list, commending its ability to transport diners from the glass and steel environs of The Pulse to the world of natural woods, bamboo and cold stones of Bali. Many years later, it has been reborn as Poem, with the group trying to recapture the magic of the seaside restaurant in the challenging space that is LKF Tower and the former home of Lily & Bloom.
It’s clear no expense has been spared with the décor, and upon entering it’s easy to be impressed by the transformation of the space—lush greenery and colourful batik dominate the walls, and there’s a thoughtful mixture of concrete and bamboo to balance the nature-meets-the-city aesthetic. The front of the room feels more casual, with a few high tables and square two-tops, and the back of the restaurant is where the drama lies—granite tables (carved from river boulders) and a large hand-woven bamboo chandelier that hangs from the second storey atrium.
Heading up the kitchen is chef Denny Sumarko, previously chef de cuisine at Tri and a Bali native. The menu is designed to incorporate as many sustainable and organic ingredients as possible, in family-style dish formats that allow for easy sharing between guests. Prices are on the mid-range scale, with many dishes around or below HK$100 and the most expensive lobster main pitched at HK$498; while staff are not quite able to make the clearest indication of how many dishes we should order, it’s easy enough to judge by the categories.