Address:
Level 2,Pacific Place,88 Queensway, Admiralty
1st floor, Prince’s building, 10 Chater Road, Central
Website: leclairdegenie.com.hk
With a flush of French Restaurants, bakeries and cafes opening all around Hong Kong, along with the ever increasing population of French expats, L’éclair de Génie fits in perfectly. While many cafés and Patisserie shops, such as Eric Kayser and Passion offer éclaires, Chef Christophe Adam has truly come up with some very innovative recipes and a new spin to the classic French choux pastry. Setting a fashion statement with his elaborately decorated éclairs infused with fusion flavours, it certainly overtakes the now passé macarons!
L’éclair de Génie plays with fusion flavours that accommodates local tastes, such as Matcha Bambou and Citron Yuzu. Chef Christophe uses modern sleek decorations on his choux pastry, with not only great finesse, but taste and beauty.
Be sure to queue up early, they are sold out really quickly daily!!
Chocolat Grand Cru:
- Rich chocolate ganache filling with luxurious decorations in gold, this was a guilty pleasure that warms your stomach.
Matcha (green tea) bambou:
- White chocolate shards with matcha cream. Creamy light filling with a slight matcha flavour that is not too sweet, though could do with slightly more intense matcha flavour.
Marron (chestnut):
- Dense filling with crystalised marron sprinkled on top. Not too sweet and packed with a dense marron cream filling, reminding you of a chestnut cake. The chestnut crystals add a pop of sweetness and enhance the rich marron flavour.
Citron Yuzu (yellow):
- Tangy lemon and slightly sweet pastry cream, with a light creamy filling. The Yuzu flavour slowly comes through, adding a new dimension to the lemon éclair. The meringue and biscuit cubes on top also add a crunchy texture.
Verdict:
The choux pastry or èclair cases were a bit soft, but can be expected in Hong Kong’s humidity. It is a great little cafe serving excellent French pastry that encompasses not only decoration and taste, but also the overall experience of enjoyment. The limited supply of éclairs that are sold out daily may simply be a marketing strategy and gimmick, though it is truly something unique that you don’t often find in Hong Kong.
