FEBRUARY CHEF FEATURE: FREDERIC CHABBERT
This month in the spotlight we have Frederic Chabbert of 2 Michelin Starred Petrus from the Island Shangri-La in Hong Kong. Having just dined at Petrus in December of 2009 (our annual Michelin food trip saw us in Hong Kong) we experienced his genius first hand.
Being big foodies, one might think that going straight for the tasting menu would be the obvious choice, just as how our good friend and one of the assistant food and beverage directors at the Island Shangri-La might have spotted when we were carefully reading the menu. 
It was rather distracting choosing from the menu, as the Petrus not only offers great intimate service compliments of maitre d’hôtel Patrice Le Nouvel and exceptional food. It also “wows” you with its breathtaking view of the Victoria Harbour that absolutely stuns you. Making you wish that the night would never end.
And the choice of wines available is absolutely amazing as Petrus does have one of Asia’s largest Wine Cellars with big labels from Chateaux Petrus and other great houses. Earning them 8 consecutive years of recognition from the Wine Spectators Best Award of Excellence. However at the end of the day, the most sought after would be the food and how the identity of the chef is shown in the dishes.
Everything on that night’s menu seems to draw you in with its mystique and traditional flair. How can you not be attracted to those attributes as Frederic Chabbert has a way of placing his starred background into his well-designed menu not to mention showing his sincerity in his food.
Having trained in some of the finest establishments after his culinary academics in Souillac, it includes big names like 2 Michelin Starred Le Cerf in Alsace, 1 Michelin Starred Le Pont de L’Ouysse in Lacave. Not to mention the starred Le Roussillion in London and of course Alain Ducasse’s 3 Michelin Starred Le Louis XV in Monaco. One would not expect anything lesser from Frederic than the best and I can assure you that he does not deliver anything less than magnificent. Some of the dishes served were extra special for me as it touched me nostalgically. Taking me straight back to my young days in the kitchen. It is not a matter of doing really great classical dishes, but it is a matter of being able to make those dishes relevant for today and yet keeping the historic charm and splendour of yesterday in it. And Frederic is a true master of it. And this was one of the first few things I said to him and thanked him for when we spoke nearing the end of the meal.
Hong Kong is not his first Asian outing, arriving at the Island Shangri-La from restaurant Lafite at the Shangri-La in Kuala Lumpur. He brings not only the knowledge of his extensive Michelin Starred background but also his knowledge of the Asian palette to Petrus. 
The continued success of Petrus proves his genius in the kitchen. When the first Hong Kong Macau Red Guide was released for 2008 Petrus was awarded with a Star and soon after was promoted to 2 Michelin Stars in 2009. We are certain that the 3rd Star will not be too far away.
There are so many diverse food styles to choose from today, however Frederic says it best, noting that sometimes it is just the simplest of dishes which, is able to bring us happiness. And you can be certain that you will feel nothing lesser than that after your experience with Petrus and being well taken care of by Frederic Chabbert and his amazing team.
We hope you enjoyed this month’s feature, and a special thank you to Ms Ilona Yim, Director of Communications of the Island Shangri-La and Nicholas Liang, Assistant F&B Director of the Island Shangri-La for without whom this post would never have happened.
Please follow the link here for more photos on our dinner at Petrus!
Happy Fooding everyone!!
