Amber: Hong Kong

Escape the clamour of Hong Kong’s Central district to relax on caramel leather sofas at Amber in an elegantly low-lit bar on the seventh floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Guests sip cocktails that give a hint of what’s to come, combining champagne with Japanese white peach juice or French vermouth with Chinese oolong tea.

In the cathedral-like restaurant space, the breathtaking chandelier – 4,320 bronze rods suspended stalactite-like over Macassar ebony chairs and white-napped tables – is eclipsed only by the food. The training of Dutch-born chef Richard Ekkebus with Guy Savoy, Alain Passard and Pierre Gagnaire shines through in dishes that marry classical French technique with Pacific seafood and the finest meats from around the world.

Dishes include miyazaki wagyu beef strip loin chargrilled with seaweed and tomato dust; raw and cooked ‘fukuoka salt’ tomatoes and black garlic caramel; or western Australian marrons with iberico pork, pig’s trotter and pied de mouton mushrooms. Fish arrives daily from Fukuoka or Hokkaido markets, while the list of 1,100 wines range from France’s finest to sake perfectly matched to dishes by award-winning sommelier John Chan.

Ekkebus’ charm and personality form an important part of the restaurant; he has been at the helm since Amber opened a decade ago and has seen its rise into the upper echelons of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants as well as regular appearances on the global list. He recently won the Chefs’ Choice Award for Asia, proving that not only is his food loved by locals and foreigners alike, but also that he has the respect and admiration of his peers.