Award-winning Singaporean chef Edward Voon, the mastermind behind innovative French fine-dining restaurant Auor (pronounced “hour”) in the heart of Wan Chai, welcomes the autumn / winter season by unveiling an exciting new weekday set lunch, Saturday champagne set lunch + dinner tasting menu that nods to Asian holiday travels.
Auor’s imaginative signature dinner experience of the Six Rounds (HK$1,380+10%) is a procession of layered tastes that respect the seasons. Chef Voon’s culinary philosophy at Auor revolves around time and showcases the diversity of nature. While honouring French fine-dining traditions, he is steered by the vast and vibrant flavours of Asia – his homeland, and the place that holds his fondest memories.
THE SIX ROUNDS – CELEBRATING LIFE’S MOST HEARTFELT MOMENTS
Radiating goodness, the six-course tasting menu follows the rhythms of the seasons and the circle of life. Named for meaningful moments in the chef’s journey through life, each ‘Round’ realises a perfect balance of ritual and avant-garde flair. Dishes embody French techniques as well as Asian diversity and are generally populated by the fruits of the sea.
Round #1 (Awakening) melds luxurious delicacies: caviar, scallops, and abalone. Wild French scallops from Brittany is served raw with Asian herbs such as Thai basil, coriander, and daun kesum, along with virgin olive oil, fish sauce and lime zest. Meanwhile, live abalone from South Africa is steamed with ginger, sake, and mirin, while a vegetable jello is prepared with lobster consommé, roasted bell peppers and fennel. Finally, the dish is garnished with smoked oyster cream, pickled cucumber gel and Royal Cristal Caviar. The accompanying freshly baked citrus brioche is served with a Singaporean-inspired chilli dipping sauce.
Singapore’s daily torrential rainstorms spurred the chef’s appreciation of nature’s life-affirming power, and this intensity is captured in the Round #2 (Rain) dish of mud crab au gratin with Malabar pepper. Mud crab is first cooked within a thick broth of shellfish, comté cheese and double cream, while the aromatic black pepper sauce is created with baby chillis, salted beans, curry leaves and Malabar black pepper. The dish is finished with beurre-blanc butter sauce, black pepper paste, and red wine vinegar gel.
Onto Round #3 (Colours): a vivid revelation of how imagination can transform nature’s simple gifts into complex sensory stories. Chef Voon reimagines the rock lobster from Western Australia, fried for a unique texture, that is served with pickled celtuce and a green apple ‘curry’ created with the juice of green apple, lime leaves, palm sugar, coconut cream and fish stock.
Round #4 (Diversity) has long been a watchword for Chef Voon, gleaned through his many travels in Asia. His belief that elements of different cuisines can be united in one compelling taste is seen in an entrée of five-spice pigeon. The pigeon, after marinating for several days, is fried and then charcoal-grilled before serving with eggplant in spicy and garlicky bean sauce, pickled red radish, mixed greens with ginger vinaigrette, fragrant Koshihikari rice and Shaoxing wine sauce.
Chef Voon deftly pairs prime produce from all over the world with an Asian sensibility for an ever-evolving repertoire of layered contemporary dishes that reflect the maturity of his cuisine today. This is evidenced by Round #5 (the Soul) of the Six Rounds – where marinated and charcoal-grilled pork collar is served with arcon jelly noodles and Cantonese bouillon of pork bones, Hunan ham, pork skin, chicken feet, and kombu. The bouillon is cooked for over six hours, and finished with truffles, pickled green pepper sauce and cold butter. A supplemental option of fish maw cooked with veal jus and dashi is available at +HK$280.
The alternative main course is Wagyu Striploin ‘Satay’ at a supplemental price of +HK$280, featuring the finest charcoal-grilled wagyu striploin from Australia glazed with homemade satay sauce made with onion jus, turmeric, and tamarind.
The Six Rounds come full circle to culminate in Round #6 (Memory), an artistic dessert course that speaks to the chef’s impressions of the past and his Asian upbringing. Prepped by a pre-dessert palate cleanser of black dates ‘Nan Zao’ sorbet and pear jelly, where the dates are steamed blended, strained, cooked with pear and lime juice to create sorbet, the meal concludes with an homage to one
of Hong Kong’s most famous desserts. Chef Voon’s elaborate interpretation includes homemade glutinous rice roll dusted in peanut flour, baked, then served with peanut ice cream, peanut tuile and a special Vitagen sauce made with Vitagen and sweet glutinous rice wine.
Six wine pairings by the glass (HK$880+10% per person) selected by Auor Restaurant Manager and Wine Director Cherish Ho perfectly complement the Six Rounds.
The Six Rounds (6-courses) are priced at HK$1,380+10% per person, while the Winter Wonders (4-courses) is priced at HK$1,080+10% per person, available on Tuesday to Saturday only at Auor.
NEW SEASONAL SET LUNCH ON WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY
Indulge in the delectable flavors of Auor’s new winter seasonal lunch menu, available from Wednesday to Friday. For HK$168+10%, enjoy a satisfying 2-course meal featuring prawn ‘laksa’ and coconut pandan dessert. Alternatively, opt for the 3-course option priced at HK$368+10% or the 4-course option for HK$488+10%.
Begin the culinary journey with either a refreshing Abalone Salad paired with tomatoes and ginger vinaigrette or the enticing French Scallop with choy sum and butternut velouté, followed by the next course of delicate Sea Bream with lentils du puy in a flavorful Szechuan bouillon. In the third course, choose between the tantalizing Mala Yellow Chicken accompanied by fragrant rice and pickles, the savory Obsiblue Prawn Noodles ‘Laksa,‘ or the succulent Wagyu Striploin ‘Sate’ with red wine sauce (subject to a supplement of HK$280). Conclude your meal on a sweet note with a delightful combination of coconut, pandan, and gula melaka.
NEW DECADENT SATURDAY CHAMPAGNE LUNCH
Starting from 4th November, Auor is proud to present their new Saturday Champagne Lunch Set, a 5-course culinary experience priced at HK$780. This menu, which mirrors their popular seasonal weekday lunch, boasts a selection of courses with a few luxurious upgrades. For those seeking a further elevated experience, a 4-glass wine-pairing add-on is available for HK$428 per person or opt for the free-flow Auor Champagne for HK$580 per person.
Begin with the Abalone Salad, a combination of tender abalone, juicy tomatoes, and a zesty ginger vinaigrette, which leads into the next course of French Scallop, accompanied with butternut velouté and a decadent serving of hybrid caviar. Guests can then savor the delicate flavors of Sea Bream, complemented by lentils du puy and an aromatic Szechuan bouillon. For the third course, diners have the choice between the fragrant Mala Yellow Chicken with fragrant rice and pickles, or the succulent Wagyu Striploin ‘Sate’ with a luscious red wine sauce (supplement of HK$280 applies for the latter). To conclude this remarkable culinary journey, indulge in the Coconut, Pandan, and Gula Melaka dessert.
Auor serves dinner from Tuesday to Saturday from 6:30pm to 11:30pm (last orders 8:30pm), and lunch on Wednesday through Saturday from 12pm to 3pm (last orders 2pm). For reservations at Auor, please visit HERE or contact the restaurant directly.