← Back to Top 50 French Restaurants Outside France
Two Michelin stars and a French kitchen that works without a gram of butter — fly in for the sea urchin in lobster jelly and book a month ahead.
Why Amber Ranks #13 French Outside France
Richard Ekkebus took butter, cream and lactose off the menu at Amber in 2019 and kept two Michelin stars anyway. That single decision is why the room sits at #13 on our Top 50 French restaurants outside France: it is classical French cooking stripped of its most obvious crutch, rebuilt on vegetable reductions, shellfish stocks and oils where a Parisian kitchen would reach for a beurre blanc.
Ekkebus, the Dutch culinary director of The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, opened the restaurant in 2005 and has run its pass ever since. The signature has barely moved in that time: sea urchin in a lobster jelly with cauliflower and caviar, a cold, layered dish that reads as Japanese in its restraint and French in its construction. It is the course every regular orders and the one Hong Kong's critics keep returning to.
The technique is the argument. Without dairy, sauces have to carry flavour through concentration rather than fat, and the kitchen's langoustine and Hokkaido sea urchin courses are built that way. The wine list runs deep into Burgundy and Champagne, the sommelier team is among the city's strongest, and the two stars in the MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong Macau have held across the reinvention.
The Signature: Sea Urchin in Lobster Jelly
If you order one thing, order the sea urchin. The Hokkaido uni sits suspended in a clarified lobster jelly over a cauliflower cream made without a drop of dairy, finished with a spoon of caviar. It is the dish that made Ekkebus's name in Asia and the clearest evidence that French luxury survives the loss of butter. Pair it with a glass of Champagne; the kitchen will guide you from there into the langoustine and the seasonal tasting courses.
How to Book Amber
The dinner tasting menu runs roughly HK$2,888 per person, with a set lunch from about HK$1,288 that is the smart way to test the kitchen before committing to dinner. Reserve four to eight weeks ahead for a prime Friday or Saturday table; weeknights open up closer in. Book through the Mandarin Oriental's dining portal or the restaurant directly.
The dress code is smart elegant. Amber occupies the seventh floor of The Landmark Mandarin Oriental at 15 Queen's Road Central, in Hong Kong's Central business district, which makes it as workable for a closing dinner as for an anniversary.
Who It's Not For
Skip Amber if you came to Hong Kong for value — this is the top of the city's price ladder, and the set lunch is the only gentle entry point. It is also not the room for diners who equate French cooking with rich, butter-forward classics; the entire premise here is the opposite, and a traditionalist may leave admiring the technique more than the pleasure. For a louder, more theatrical night, the city has flashier tables.
View Amber on Restaurants for Kings →
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the chef at Amber?
Richard Ekkebus, the Dutch culinary director of The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, has led Amber since 2005. In 2019 he reinvented the menu to be free of butter, cream and lactose while keeping its classical French structure.
What is the signature dish?
The sea urchin in a lobster jelly with cauliflower and caviar, a course that has stayed on the menu in some form for more than a decade alongside langoustine and Hokkaido uni dishes.
How many Michelin stars does Amber have?
Two, in the MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong Macau. It also appears on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants and sits at #13 on the RFK Top 50 French restaurants outside France.
How much is dinner and how far ahead should I book?
The dinner tasting runs about HK$2,888 per person, lunch from roughly HK$1,288. Book four to eight weeks ahead for prime weekend tables; dress code is smart elegant.
Related Reading
- Top 50 French Restaurants Outside France. The full editorial ranking, of which Amber is #13.
- Hong Kong restaurant guide. The full city directory across every occasion.
- Best Hong Kong tables for closing a deal · rooms to impress clients.
- Browse all RFK Top 50 rankings.
- Jean-Georges Shanghai. Our deep dive on the closest Asian-French peer on the list.