How Hong Kong's ‘first cheese omakase and bar', opened by ex-Caprice GM, came to be
There was a time when gourmet European cheese was an uncommon ingredient in Hong Kong restaurants. The assumption was that local diners did not like cheese, finding it unappealing, expensive and stinky – and certainly not the preferred post-dinner alternative to dessert. Plus, it was presumed that Asians were mostly lactose intolerant.
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Jeremy Evrard set out to change that. As the general manager of fine dining restaurant Caprice when the Four Seasons Hong Kong opened in 2005, the Frenchman defied convention and introduced artisan cheeses rarely – if ever – tasted in the city.
'When I arrived five years ago, everybody told me, 'Forget about cheese, nobody eats cheese in Hong Kong,'' he told the Post in 2010.
His curation of prized fromages and high service standard soon earned loyal admirers. Undoubtedly, it helped Caprice maintain its haute reputation and Michelin-star status over the years. He ended up working there for almost a decade.
Roucou allows cheese fans to indulge in a wide selection of cheeses from France and beyond. Photo: Roucou
'At the beginning, cheese was never part of the plan,' he says. 'Caprice was supposed to be fine dining, going for Michelin stars. But the cheese cellar came along, and I was very lucky to be able to transform the place and express myself through this cheese discussion.'
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