Jimmy’s Kitchen is back – but will Hong Kong give one of its most iconic restaurants of old a second chance?
- Jimmy’s Kitchen has reopened in Central’s Pedder Building with a new look, slimmed-down menu and comprehensive wine list
- Some signature items have survived, such as the chicken supreme Kiev and baked Alaska, but others, such as the oysters Kilpatrick, are noticeably absent
The closure of Jimmy’s Kitchen in 2020 felt like the city breaking up with a long-term partner.
We’d had fun from the 1960s to the 90s, but with more world-famous chefs opening Michelin-star restaurants in Hong Kong, the city outgrew the localised versions of European dishes that Jimmy’s offered.
By the time of its closing, the 92-year-old restaurant no longer stood for sophisticated dining as it did decades ago.
We were sad to see it go, but thought it was for the best.
However, Jimmy’s isn’t done with Hong Kong. The restaurant’s operators always said it would be back. Now, with its reopening on the mezzanine floor of the Pedder Building, in Central, Jimmy’s is upholding its promise to the city.
Jimmy’s Kitchen now has loftier premises compared with the windowless basement it previously occupied on Wyndham Street, the last of its many addresses during its almost century-long run.
Natural light streams into the bar side of the restaurant and a small vertical garden lines the foyer wall before the entrance, giving a refreshing, contemporary ambience.
In its heyday of Hong Kong’s industrial rise, Jimmy’s stood for a place to see and be seen. It was popular among the city’s self-made class, including shipping magnates, bankers and anyone else who could afford to be among such wealthy company.
However, with the removal of wine duties in Hong Kong in 2008, and the arrival of the Michelin Guide in the city in 2009, world-famous chefs and well-stocked cellars drew much of the clientele away from Jimmy’s.
At the new restaurant, gone is the famous thick tome of a menu, replaced by a six-page, simplified version that contains signature items such as chicken supreme Kiev, Jimmy’s chicken madras and baked Alaska. We’re also ecstatic that the popular Jimmy’s pickled onions remain.
However, some favourite staples are noticeably absent, such as the oysters Kilpatrick, which has been replaced with oysters either from Belon or Ireland accompanied by a mignonette sauce.
At the restaurant’s helm is chef Russell Doctrove, the previous group corporate chef at Maximal Concepts, who has been behind amazing restaurants such as Limewood, in Repulse Bay, and the now-closed Fish and Meat, in Central.
Doctrove brings modern British and continental styles to the old menu, introducing a new crudo (raw fish or seafood) bar that features lighter dishes such as king crab leg with a citrus hollandaise brûlée, and bluefin tuna with roasted aubergine and toasted buckwheat, and warm starters like Angus beef mince on toast.
We sampled the chicken a la king with a side of rice; there is an added tartness to the creamy dish, which made the rich sauce even more delicious.
The baked Alaska is not as big as before, which makes it much better for smaller parties. The ice cream’s flavour has been given a revamp, with two layers of cherry and pistachio ice cream giving a gentle floral aroma that contrasts with the toasted meringue coating.
There is now a comprehensive wine list that boasts 150 labels of old and new world wines.
An elegant marble-topped bar comes with an exciting line-up of East-meets-West cocktails including the Jimmy Borscht Mary, Far East Mule, Canton Old Fashion, and Strawberry Omelette, as well as classics like lychee martini and espresso martini – at a reasonable-for-the-location price of HK$140 each.
Now that Jimmy’s Kitchen has returned with a makeover, slimmer menu and new address, will Hong Kong give it a second chance? Judging by the booked-out dining room on the Tuesday we visited, things seem promising.
But we do not expect the restaurant to regain its once star-studded status. Maybe it will become a place for long-term, low-commitment, casual dining?
