Two Michelin Stars for Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong restaurants

Nov. 29, 2009 - PRLog -- Celebrations are underway at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong at the Michelin announcement that Pierre restaurant keeps its one star rating while The Mandarin Grill gains its first star.  The results were announced at Thursday’s 2010 Hong Kong and Macau awards ceremony.

“The Michelin Guide is one of Europe’s oldest guides to dining and that heritage and reputation make it widely respected,” says General Manager, Jonas A Schuermann.  “It is an honour to be included in the guide and Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong is delighted that both Pierre and The Mandarin Grill have been awarded stars this year.”  

Pierre restaurant gained its first star in last year’s inaugural Michelin Guide and the renewal of this accolade is a testament to the vision and creativity of Chef Olivier Elzer who joined the team in August.  He is an exceptional talent with a passion for excellence who has already had a remarkable impact on the restaurant’s menu which he has entirely rewritten since his arrival.   The restaurant itself has seen recent physical changes with the arrival of new furniture and table settings to add to the ambience.  

Proud to have retained the restaurant’s star, Chef Olivier is already eyeing the future with plans for taking Pierre to still higher levels of excellence, saying, “Our Michelin star is very inspiring for the whole Pierre team and we are looking forward to showing diners where we will take the restaurant next.”

First-time Michelin star winner, Chef Uwe Opocensky, was visibly delighted by the award, saying that he has dreamed of winning a Michelin star since the age of 16.  “This is without a doubt the proudest moment of my career to date,” states Opocensky.  


Ably assisted by Martin Cahill, The Mandarin Grill’s Chef De Cuisine, Chef Uwe stamped his mark on the restaurant, introducing a new interpretation of grill classics that show his deft touch and outstanding talent.  Inspired by his experience of working for some of the world’s greatest chefs, Opocensky delivers the unexpected with a classical underpinning.  Intelligent, thought-provoking and always creative, his food evinces an almost whimsical approach yet nonetheless remains rooted in classical cooking traditions.  

About Pierre restaurant:
This stunning restaurant on the 25th floor is Pierre Gagnaire’s pied a terre in Hong Kong.  It was awarded one Michelin star in 2008, which it retained in 2009 [which was raised to two stars in 2009].  Pierre Gagnaire, known as the founder of innovative French gastronomy, is one of the most original and artistic chefs in the world today.  Diners enjoy a haven of contemporary luxury – in a palette of charcoals, burnt cherry, midnight blues and black coffee highlighted with silver and crystal – with exceptional views of Victoria Harbour.  The menu changes with the seasons while a private dining room offers the ultimate in exclusivity at any time of year.  

Open for lunch from 12 noon to 2.30 p.m. Monday to Friday and for dinner from 7 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. Monday to Saturday.  Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant directly on +852 2825 4001 or by email on mohkg-pierre@mohg.com.

About the Mandarin Grill
Long renowned as Hong Kong’s favourite dining room, The Mandarin Grill serves an exciting adaptation of grill specialities with a dash of progressive gastronomy from talented Executive Chef Uwe Opocensky.  High-quality organic ingredients and seasonally inspired dishes remain the backbone of the Grill while the kitchen team’s ingenious touch adds a flair of the unexpected.

Open since 1963 and completely renovated by Sir Terence Conran in 2006, the room itself benefits from natural daylight, views of Hong Kong’s iconic skyline, spacious seating and a long history . . . rumour has it that some of Hong Kong’s boldest business deals have been concluded in this very room.  To this day it continues to be the gathering place of the city’s power players, whether it be over breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Open for breakfast 7.30am to 10am and for lunch 12 noon to 3pm Monday to Friday.  Open for dinner 6.30pm to 11pm Monday to Sunday.  Reservations can be made by contacting the Mandarin Grill directly by telephone: +852 2825 4004 or e-mail: mohkg-grill@mohg.com.

About The Michelin Guide
Michelin is regarded as an international benchmark for gourmet dining. A restaurant that receives one or more stars is not only regarded as the best in its country, but also one of the best restaurants in the world.

One star denotes a ‘very good restaurant in its category,’ while two stars are awarded to a restaurant offering ‘excellent cooking that is worth a detour.’

Michelin has been in the business of evaluating and recommending restaurants and hotels for over a century. They employ full-time professional inspectors who anonymously visit restaurants and hotels, and evaluate them on a range of criteria, using an evaluation process that has been honed over time to identify consistently high-quality establishments to suit a range of budgets and across a range of styles and cuisines.


About Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is the award-winning owner and operator of some of the world's most prestigious hotels, resorts and residences.  Mandarin Oriental now operates, or has under development, 41 hotels representing over 10,000 rooms in 25 countries, with 17 hotels in Asia, 14 in The Americas and 10 in Europe and North Africa.  In addition, the Group operates, or has under development, 13 Residences at Mandarin Oriental, connected to the Group’s properties.  
Photography of Mandarin Oriental is available to download, in high and low resolution, in the Photo Library of our Media section, at www.mandarinoriental.com.  

For further information, please contact:
Katherine Anthony
Public Relations Director
Telephone: +852 2825 4060
E-mail: kanthony@mohg.com

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Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong is an icon in the world of luxury hotels, with exquisite dining options including two Michelin-starred restaurants, an award-winning spa and a location in the heart of the city that is only steps from the finest shopping and historical sights.

The winner of a stream of awards, echoes of a glamorous past add to the high style of the hotel’s luxurious interior. 501 rooms and suites offer guests the ultimate in spacious accommodation with sophisticated entertainment and business technology.

The ten restaurants and bars have been created by epicurean masters from around the world and include the Michelin-starred Pierre restaurant; stunning Cantonese dining at Man Wah and innovative contemporary European cuisine at the Mandarin Grill.

The award-wining Mandarin Spa encompasses Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda and