Enroute To BIBO For A Vive La France Dining Experience

You dine with Puiforcat French silver champagne cups and cutlery and eat off French porcelain by Raynaud, Haviland and Bernadaud from Limoge. You are surrounded by amazing artworks by Banksy, Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Daniel Arsham and Aya Takano. Not to mention that the restaurant space is from its origin 1930’s vintage office – the Compagnie Generale Francaise De Tramways that built the Hong Kong tramline, mylifestylenews enroute to BIBO for a Vive La France dining experience……

The arty interior with endless art pieces display.

Opps……! The secret is out! We have just discovered one of the best brunches in Hong Kong, but our qualification starts with quality over quantity and this place reeks of quality in every possible way. To reference this, the restaurant menus and management business cards are fashioned in the same style as the old Hong Kong tram ticket, plus the menu is also replicating a part of the old tram company office stationery.

Also, the chairs are uniquely designed as a vintage art piece that you really want to take them home. While the main drawcard is the food, we got side-tracked by all the beautiful things that we truly couldn’t stop soaking up the atmosphere.

The long bar and the arty art painting on the wall.

BIBO is definitely a dining destination for those of you who appreciate the finer things in life, and even if you don’t, you will still get that special feeling from the moment you enter through the gold copper door on Hollywood Road. Tips……You need to find the secret button in order to help yourself in by getting the door open.

So how was the actual Sunday brunch? Diners come to BIBO to enjoy the very best of seasonal French gastronomy and that is why it also has the distinction of being the only Relais & Chateaux appointed venue in Hong Kong.

This membership recognizes a certain excellence in hospitality, although in France the member also provides accommodation, but they can also be awarded based on a destination restaurant. It is not the type of brunch that delivers all you can eat, but rather a stunning tour de force of flavours and presentation that we thought was perfection personified.

Essentially, it is a set lunch with a difference. Firstly, there is the free-flow of French champagne, with a choice of either Dom Perignon or Ruinart Blanc De Blancs. Naturally, as it is a brunch, you may want to also enjoy the free-flow fresh juices, coffee and tea. You get to have as many French pastries as you want and they are seriously good (must save some rooms for it). 

 Puiforcat French silver champagne cups and cutlery and eat off French porcelain by Raynaud, Haviland and Bernadaud from Limoge are used in BIBO.

Art work displayed by renown artist from around the globe was carefully curated to suit the mood of the restaurant.

Limoge Chinaware are exclusively created with different patterns especially in printed hands on the series of plates displays different rings wore on fingers.

With the gorgeous French jam, you can indulge in croissants, pain au chocolat and raisin swirls and then they bring the bread basket with the most fabulous in-house French sour dough we have ever tasted, that is chewy and fluffy at the same time we thought we were already in bread heaven!

After this overload, because you seriously cannot stop eating any of these pastry items, it was time to test out the menu as we were craving for some warm dishes after a few glasses of champagne that would possibly surprise us with mush anticipation. There is a saying in hospitality “under promise and over deliver”, the kitchen and front-of-house staff did this with verve, if nothing else.

To begin the sequence of eating, we started with a trio of dishes: <La Saint Jacques> Hokkaido scallop tartare with a Brittany oyster served over lemon granitee and yuzu hollandaise; <L’oeuf de Poule> A  fried Japanese Taiyouran egg with assorted condiments and a <La Raviole de Foie Gras> Foie gras ravioli with shimeji mushrooms and fresh herbs. The oyster was deliciously briny and the scallop are freshly enlightened with the tangy marinates while the hollandaise was a divine creamy sauce with that yuzu kick to it that created a great melding of textures and flavours.

The egg dish was deep fried in light texture bread crumbs and the yolk was done a beautiful deep yellow nearly golden color and was just on the point of not being runny. A lovely dish to also begin the day with some crunchy chestnut mixture to give some depth.

The ravioli was simply gorgeous. The pasta parcels exploded with a richness of flavor and a smooth creamy texture of the foie gras, with the porcini mushrooms adding a nice earthy counterpoint.

The main courses were so hard to decide as they leave u no room to drop any of them but wanting to have them all, but we settled with the <Guinea Fowl> which was the special of the day, a <Lobster Risotto> and <Le Burger> A Wagyu Beef Burger with Foie Gras. Soooo decadent, but Sunday only comes once a week, so why not. The first taste was the Guinea Fowl and it was a superbly tender and juicy dish with a delicate gamey flavour, sat on a bed of beetroot puree and leeks to offset the rich palate.

The Australian Wagyu beef burger with pan-seared foie gras, pickled onions, bell peppers and rocket was quite rich in flavor and was the right choice to eat last. The beef was loaded with juicy flavor, not too dry yet with a hint or chargrilled burnt crust from the outside and the foie gras similarly oozed a richness that was almost too much, but somehow seemed right with the beef together with the home-made fries gives a superb accompaniment.

Next was the Risotto with perfectly cooked Arborio rice, the lobster combined the forming juices were to die for, as nothing was imbalanced and the whole dish had a delicacy about it that impressed us.

The desserts were classically French and we were offered to try three different items, starting with the <Les patisseries> Assortment of delicate traditional French pastries including a macaroon, caramel éclair, lemon tart and two different choux pastries. The second delicacy was the <La rose et la framboise> A raspberry jelly topped with a rose mousse in one glass and fresh lychees on a champagne granitee in another glass. This was a beautiful combination of delicate flavours and textures to savour, with a fragrance to match.  Lastly, the <L’Assiette de fromage> A selection of French cheese from Antony family, a selection of two perfectly ripe cheeses. All were perfectly executed, simply delicious and the consistency of the food quality as well as the presentation was better than what we expected, hats off to the chef and his team.

We deliberately skipped breakfast thinking we need to save our appetite, but who knew how high the bar is? BIBO has set it very high. The end result was the food cooked with love and grace and we could truly describe the whole experience as unpretentious as the staff really want you to understand the history and atmosphere of the space and explain the food in as much detail as possible. As you feel no matter how precious the food may look, it is there for your enjoyment. There is an air of distinction to this dining destination that you will want to return, time after time.

Tried & Tested:

Location: 4/5

Design & Decor: 5/5

Food & Beverage: 4.5/5

Service: 4.5/5

Value For Money: 4.5/5

Highlights:

Design & Decor

Menu Selection

BIBO

G/F, 163 Hollywood Road

Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Tel:+852 2956 3188