Michelin chef Olivier Elzer has a cure for our collective travel bug – a culinary trip, served one innovative dish at a time
- Guests at L’Envol are transported to various parts of the world through the chef’s interpretation of French haute cuisine
- Elzer uses seasonal produce from Europe and Asia for his dishes, which can be paired with more than 1,000 varieties of wine on offer
While travelling has become more of a possibility these days, the pandemic-era rules and restrictions involved are still preventing many of us from going on holiday. But chef Olivier Elzer, the culinary director of two-Michelin-starred French restaurant L’Envol at The St. Regis Hong Kong, has just the solution.
“Each dish has a different flavour, different aroma – I use spices from the Middle East, some produce from Japan, with French cooking techniques,” he says. “These days, it’s not so easy to travel, so at least our guests can feel like they are travelling through the dining experience here.”
It is apt, then, that the restaurant’s name translates from French as “the flight”, referencing an aircraft taking off as well as the soaring culinary highs of a memorable meal. Elzer has been at the helm of the 64-seat restaurant since it opened in May 2019, even collaborating with renowned Hong Kong architect and designer André Fu on its interiors, right down to the tablecloth selection.
And like all remarkable flights, L’Envol offers an extensive beverage list, which comprises more than 1,000 red, white, rosé and dessert wines as well as over 100 types of champagne. “We also have rare vintage and limited-edition bottles hand-picked by our restaurant director and chief sommelier, Tristan Pommier, who focuses on small boutique wineries,” says Elzer, himself a fan of champagne.
Elzer has become well-accustomed to working with other professionals in the food and beverage industry over his 27-year culinary career. He previously worked at Abbaye de La Bussière in the Burgundy region of France, and at Hong Kong‘s three-Michelin-starred L’Atelier de Jöel Robuchon.
A native of France’s Alsace-Lorraine region, Elzer comes from a family with strong roots in F&B and hospitality. “My grandfather and great-grandfather worked for the tsar of Russia. My grandfather had three restaurants in Switzerland,” he explains.
