On the 40th anniversary of Tatler Dining Guide, Feuille executive chef Joris Rousseau explains why challenging conventional wisdom compels customers to return
Among the newest additions to Hong Kong’s dining scene is Joris Rousseau, the executive chef of Feuille, a vegetable- forward, fine-dining restaurant by the decorated French chef David Toutain. From his kitchen, Rousseau tinkers with ferments, gels, micro-greens and mylks, all in the service of Toutain’s contrarian vision of gastronomy where plants play the leading role and meat is relegated to the supporting act.
As a child, Rousseau spent every weekend cooking at the family farm in the French countryside with produce his relatives had planted themselves; when it came to picking a professional path, he chose culinary school over a promising rugby career. Since graduating, the born-and-bred Parisian has cooked at some of France’s most prestigious restaurants—Le Grand Véfour, Arpège, Pavillon Ledoyen and Cheval Blanc Courchevel to name but a few—under the likes of culinary greats Guy Martin and Yannick Alléno.
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Prior to Feuille’s opening, Rousseau spent six months working closely with Toutain in Paris to develop the restaurant’s tasting menu, which is based on the anatomy of a plant: from roots to stems and finally, flowers and fruits.
“To establish a lasting presence in this city, I believe that a restaurant should prioritise innovation and continually strive to push the limits, offering unique and exciting culinary experiences,” Rousseau tells Tatler. True to his word, the dishes at Feuille have quickly captivated the imagination of Hong Kong diners by establishing a new French-inflected cuisine that eschews the meat- and cream- heavy recipes usually associated with Gallic gastronomy for light, yet nonetheless flavourful creations.
Cue unconventional dishes like locally sourced spiny lobster cooked over charcoal in front of the guest and served alongside pumpkin purée and pumpkin gnocchi; as well as a bread course served with dill pil-pil, as unctuous as butter yet fully vegan.
It’s this willingness to challenge conventional wisdom and delight diners that will mark out the best from the rest, says Rousseau. “The ability of a chef to conceptualise and execute innovative ideas that captivate customers is paramount. This creativity serves as a magnet, compelling customers to return to the restaurant, and be eager to discover what new offerings await them.”