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The Peninsula Hong Kong’s long-standing fondue institution, Chesa, is taking “new year, new me” quite seriously with a reimagined à la carte menu that brings Swiss comfort food and nostalgic chalet dining experiences into the limelight, alongside tableside service, a bistro-like atmosphere, and an immersive environment that highlights mountain culture.
Chesa first opened at Hong Kong’s ‘Grande Dame’ in 1965 and has since been a firm wintertime favourite among Hongkongers seeking the familiar flavours of alpine dining. With more than six decades of heritage under its belt, the restaurant channels the spirit of mountaintop dining halls through timbered walls, rich textiles and woodwork, and mid-century chalet interiors, preserving the hallmarks of Swiss hospitality.
With their refreshed menu, the après-ski celebration that Chesa is known and loved for undergoes a revamp, but the new dishes continue to exude warmth and sensorial delight. Must-orders include the reinvented traditional barley cream soup with air-dried beef in puff pastry crust ($220) and the moreish escargot baked in garlic and herb butter with grilled sourdough bread ($260 for six pieces; $480 for 12 pieces). Mains like the tender roasted lamb cutlets with honey, fresh thyme, braised carrot, and lamb jus ($490) and the indulgent venison Rossini with pan-seared foie gras, mushroom duxelles, confit shallots, and smoked mash potato ($580) set the tone for the heart of the meal, while the classic Wiener schnitzel with green salad and fries ($980) recalls old-school alpine dining.
Of course, no visit to Chesa is complete without a fondue or raclette experience, and happily the popular fondue moitié-moitié with Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourgois ($370), raclette du Valais ($270) with new potatoes, pickled onions, and gherkins still retain their importance on the menu.
Aside from Swiss flavours, Chesa also embodies alpine traditions through its audial curation, engaging diners with thematic tunes and sounds such as cow bells and the alphorn. Guests can even take part in a cherished analogue ritual to write postcards and send them to loved ones or friends through the restaurant’s Swiss Post Office boxes after their meal.
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