Amber and Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic kick-starts DBS Private Bank’s star-studded ‘Culinary Delights’ series
Some dining experiences are designed not for the spotlight but for the table itself. This September, Amber andCristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic will share kitchens for two consecutive nights as part of DBS Private Bank’s ‘Culinary Delights’ series. Both restaurants were named among the Tatler Best 20 Hong Kong 2025 winners, recognised for shaping the city’s dining culture with clarity, originality and conviction.
On 10 September, Cristal Room welcomes Amber’s Richard Ekkebus into its crystal-lit dining room. Here, executive chef Marc Mantovani carries forward Anne-Sophie Pic’s philosophy of modern French refinement. His plates are precise and architectural, favouring purity of flavour over flourish, each course a study in balance and restraint. Together with Ekkebus, Mantovani will present a bespoke menu that reflects a dialogue between two approaches: one rooted in French tradition, the other in contemporary innovation.
At Amber, ‘Culinary Delights’ highlights Richard Ekkebus’ produce-driven, sustainable cuisine—French technique reimagined with lightness and clarity
The following evening, on 11 September, Amber hosts the return encounter. Ekkebus has long been one of the city’s most influential figures, reshaping fine dining in Hong Kong through a lighter, produce-driven lens. His menus emphasise purity and sustainability, with dishes that are elegant in form yet deeply considered in substance. In Amber’s elegant dining room, Mantovani joins the culinary conversation across six courses. It is less a collaboration in the sense of fusion and more an exchange: two chefs, two philosophies, meeting in parallel.
For DBS Private Bank, the Culinary Delights programme is an expression of how it serves its clients beyond the realm of banking. More than investment strategies and portfolio advice, it is about understanding the habits, passions and inspirations that shape the lives of its wealth clients. From art to lifestyle to gastronomy, DBS Private Bank works to curate experiences that are as personal as they are memorable. These collaborations, shaped by Tatler Best award-winning chefs, stand as refined illustrations of that ethos.
Carol Wu, managing director and head of private banking, North Asia, DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, with Richard Ekkebus of Amber at the Tatler Best Hong Kong and Macau Awards 2025
What follows this opening chapter is no less considered. In October, Yong Fu Hong Kong, another Tatler Best 20 Hong Kong 2025 table, invites Chef Tam’s Seasons from Macau to join the stage. Under chef Liu Zhen, Yong Fu has earned its renown for Ningbo cuisine infused with delicacy and poise, channelling the sea’s subtleties and the region’s heritage. From Macau, chef Tam Kwok-Fung brings the poetic sensibility of Chef Tam’s Seasons, celebrated for its use of the 24 solar terms, changing its menu every fifteen days to mirror nature’s rhythms. It is Cantonese cuisine in season, enriched by tradition yet rendered with contemporary grace.
Thereafter, ‘Culinary Delights’ turns to Yong Fu, showcasing Ningbo delicacies shaped by the sea’s subtleties and the region’s heritage
From Macau, ‘Culinary Delights’ welcomes Chef Tam’s poetic Cantonese menus, guided by the 24 solar terms and nature’s rhythms
The season’s finale in late October and early November brings together Andō and Estro, both ranked among this year’s Tatler Best 20 in Hong Kong. At Andō, Agustin Balbi brings together his Argentine heritage and Japanese training to create dishes that are deeply personal yet exacting in detail. At Estro, Antimo Maria Merone reimagines Neapolitan cuisine with bold flavours and modern precision, presenting his southern Italian roots through a contemporary lens. Their partnership promises a finale that is as spirited as it is refined.
DBS Private Bank’s ‘Culinary Delights’ continues at Andō, where Agustin Balbi unites Argentine soul and Japanese precision in deeply personal cuisine
The finale of DBS Private Bank’s ‘Culinary Delights’ unfolds at Estro, with Antimo Maria Merone reinterpreting Neapolitan roots through bold, modern Italian cooking
Six dinners, five celebrated destinations and one quietly compelling narrative. Culinary Delights is DBS Private Bank’s way of creating moments that reflect both the excellence of its chefs and the aspirations of its clients. For the fortunate few, these evenings are not simply events, but part of a broader journey: the fusion of culinary artistry, lifestyle and inspiration, crafted exclusively for those who seek experiences beyond banking.
Expect bright southern Italian flavours refined with modern precision for a taste the familiar and innovative
At Andō, dishes blend the clean, umami depth of Japanese flavours with the bold, soulful intensity of Argentina