Bohème Restaurant Group has added another French dining destination in the up-and-coming ‘hood of Tseung Kwan O, opening French crêperie and bistro Anne just around the corner from its own Café Bohème.
Whether seated indoors or al fresco, Anne has a typically TKO, laid-back vibe that is matched by the authenticity of its decor, from the copper light fixtures, to the Gallic-style wooden furniture, to the arch-shaped window-like mirrors. We particularly covet the retro French travel posters plastered on the walls.
Niçoise salad ($78): in France, Niçoise salad is normally served with tinned tuna, not gussied up with fresh fish, so thumbs up to Anne for sticking to tradition. This hearty French salad, one of our fave-ever salads, is deliciously filling, also containing tomato, green beans, olives, hard-boiled egg and anchovy. It’s dressed simply with olive oil in order to let the fresh flavours shine.
Galette saucisse ($68): in France, this galette is eaten like a hot dog on the go, featuring savoury pork sausage wrapped in a buckwheat crêpe. It’s served with two dipping sauces, Dijon mustard and gravy. We preferred the mustard, which adds a bit of an edge to this French snack not often seen in Hong Kong.
The Complete crêpe ($98): from the classic section, The Complete is indeed a classic, filled with cooked ham and Emmental cheese and crowned with a sunny-side-up egg. The buckwheat crêpe – the gold standard for savoury crêpes – is naturally gluten free (traditionally made with just salt, water and buckwheat flour). We loved the crispy texture of the crêpe and its earthy, fermented flavour, and we recommend breaking the egg yolk and mixing all the ingredients together for maximum enjoyment. You can also add toppings of tomato (+$10), caramelied onion (+$10) and wild mushroom (+$25) – or really gild the lily and add all three (+$35).
Thai crêpe ($178): the signature section of the menu features crêpes with global twists, ranging from American to Indian. We went for the Thai number, presented like a pizza and topped with a mixture of spicy shrimp, lemongrass, cucumber, diced tomato and Thai basil. The flavours here are fresh and zingy, but we’re suckers for tradition, so this didn’t actually feel like a crêpe to us.
Duck confit ($188): when we see duck confit on a French menu, it’s a no-brainer; we adore the crispy skin and salty, mellow, ducky flavour. This comforting main course is served atop a mound of sarladaise potatoes, which translates to spuds fried with onion and thickly sliced bacon – heaven!
Butter and sugar crêpe ($38): this is our preferred way of eating a sweet crêpe – smeared with butter, dusted with icing sugar, with a squeeze of lemon. Simple, classic – the best.
Salted butter caramel with apple crêpe ($88): we opted to add apple to our salted caramel crêpe – a tried-and-true sweet flavour combination. This one packs a powerful flavour punch, with the salted butter caramel adding extreme richness.
Chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream ($68): if you’re in the mood for something other than a crêpe for dessert, this chocolate lava cake would hit the spot, offering a just-right molten choccy centre.
Verdict
We’ll be back to Anne tout suite for the eatery’s authentic crêpes and bistro fare (especially that duck confit, followed up with a butter and sugar crêpe). This a great addition to the burgeoning TKO food scene, and we imagine it will be packed out every weekend, for good reason.
Shop G05, G/F, MONTEREY PLACE, O’South Coast, 23 Tong Chun Street, TKO, 6277 2293
This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.
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