Praise Cheeses! | South China Morning Post

There may be debate about whether Hong Kong is a true “wine hub,” but there is no denying that oenophilia in the city has really blossomed in the past decade. Slower to catch up have been the tasty cheeses that pair so well with vino. But in the last couple years, fine fromage has finally made an impact on our dining tastes. Here are our favorite places to get a slice.

The Cheese Room at Classified

Hong Kong’s first walk-in cheese room with controlled temperature and humidity. Cavernous in size, it’s a world away from your standard-issue deli cheese counter. It stocks around 40 varieties, around half of which are French from Jean d’Alos of Bordeaux, who supplies to most of France’s grand chateaus. The remaining 50 percent are British, supplied by London-based supplier Neal’s Yard. Curator and cheese specialist Jean-Baptiste will gladly help you select your favorite fromage. If he’s not around, each cheese is carefully labeled and includes a suggested wine to pair with it. New batches arrive once a month, and unusual choices include the Cados (Camembert marinated in calvados), the robustness of which is softened with a sweet apple-flavored rind. It’d go well with a cider or a chardonnay. To try a bit of everything, come with a few friends and share their cheese platter: $150 for three varieties, $227 for five and $390 for seven.
108 Hollywood Rd., Sheung Wan, 2525-3454

Cheese Room at Caprice

The Big Cheese at the Four Seasons’ French restaurant is manager Jeremy Evrard. He’s got a serious passion for French fromages, and he shares his love of artisanal cheese culture with the Caprice Cheese Room, which opened earlier this year. “Cheese culture is very convivial,” he says. You can share a platter over some wine and it’s not nearly as formal as a four-course sit-down dinner.” It’s affordable too; for $190 per person, you get a cheese platter of around five artisanal cheeses, with bread and condiments, such as homemade pumpkin jam and orange marmalade. Order a bottle or two—try a crisp, dry Sauvignon blanc which always goes well with the creamy goat cheeses that are best enjoyed in the summer (cow cheeses come into their own in the fall).

You can’t visit this particular room without trying the Rolls Royce of French cheese: a four-year-old Comté. It’s available in just 11 restaurants around the world, and Caprice is the only place you can find it in Asia. It’s creamy yet sharp and spicy, with a crystallized, almost crunchy texture. The less faint of heart (and healthy of artery) should sample the Colombier from the south of Burgundy. It’s powdery and slightly tart, and comes paired with a dollop of triple cream. Too much dairy? The fatness of the cream actually balances out the acidity of the cheese, and the aftertaste comes up much softer.
6/F, Four Seasons Hotel, 8 Finance St., Central. 3196-8860

Classified Mozzarella Bar

The main focus here is—you guessed it—mozzarella. The south Italian cheese arrives twice a week and is served with specially selected tomatoes and rocket. Varietals include Boccoccini, the cute little balls of baby mozzarella, the famous Burrata and Bufala di Campana, or buffalo mozzarella. There’s Fidele, which is harder, and Mandara, which is salty and creamy. You can also get dishes like bacon-wrapped, deep-fried mozzarella and mozzarella ice cream.
31 Wing Fung St., Wan Chai, 2328-3454

Peccato

If you’re looking for more than mozzarella, try the lovely cheese platter at Peccato, where you can sample five to six varietals of Italian formaggio. Chef Jérôme Billot’s hand-selected cheeses include Provolone from Sicily (with a mild, smoky flavor), a fresh cream-like ricotta, served traditionally with a blueberry fruit coulis or olive oil. Then there’s the Gorgonzola with walnuts and dried fruit, and Fontina, a mild, milky soft cow cheese from Piedmont, and a soft buffalo mozzarella if you ask specially. And don’t forget to try their 24-month Parmegiano Reggiano, flaking and sharp with its salty, crunchy mineral sediment.
37 Elgin St., Central, 2525-0919

Spuntini

Tucked away down a little side street in Wan Chai is Spuntini, the Italian eatery-cum-luxury grocery store from El Grande restaurant group. Try the Greek goat cheese on offer, served with olives and a drizzle of golden olive oil. Like their popular buffalo mozzarella, the goat cheese leans towards the mild side, and as suggested by Spuntini’s manager, pairs well with fruity whites such as the Italian Caldora chardonnay or La Boule Blanche from France.
4-6 St. Francis St., Wan Chai, 2528-1060

Annapurna

The laid-back Nepali bar and restaurant dishes out authentic Nepalese fare, including yak cheese served as slivers on a light salad. It’s surprisingly mild, with a fresh, salty milk flavor, but worth a try as—according to proprietress Meenu—her brother has to queue up for two days to get this artisanal Nepali cheese from a Himalayan bazaar.
G/F, 59 Staunton St., Central, 2857-2966 

Tastings

The pneumatic wine bar offers a Chef’s selection of usually a nutty Brie de Meaux, a stinky blue and Parmegiano, with French bread, crackers and grapes, all for $138. You can also enjoy your own platter. Try a buttery, salty Tomme; a sweet, almost caramel-like Pyrénées Brebis; or a rich, herby Chartreux from the counter for $168, which comes with toasted rye bread.
27-29 Wellington Street, Central. 2523-6282

Pop Bites

This little restaurant has bags of ambiance and a super cheese platter for $150. Choose three out of six, such as the blue Stilton, a mild, white Jarlsberg from Norway, or a zesty, bright-orange Old Amsterdam. It comes with crackers and black olives.
UG/F, 3-5 Old Bailey St., Central, 2525-4141. 

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