Roucou founder on bringing cheese omakase to Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s first cheese omakase and bar, Roucou unites French and Japanese culinary traditions to celebrate the finest of artisanal cheeses. Founder and fromager Jeremy Evrard tells Stephenie Gee all about it

When Jeremy Evrard first arrived in Hong Kong in 2005, cheese was considered still somewhat of a foreign novelty and not really a viable component of local tastes and culture. Cheese consumption traditionally was associated with an unsavoury lifestyle, historically limited to the nomadic people who lived on the fringes of society and who were regarded as fearful barbarians. The Han Chinese, with a few notable exceptions, avoided eating dairy foods altogether: many were, and still are, lactose-intolerant.

Driven by his passion for cheese, Evrard set out to change that. Over the near decade he served as the general manager at French fine- dining restaurant Caprice in the Four Seasons Hong Kong, his curation of prized fromages, sourced from renowned maître affineur Bernard Antony, earned loyal followings. One would be hard-pressed to talk about Caprice without mentioning its cheese boards.

Now, 20 years later, Evrard is reinventing the rules of cheese appreciation in the city yet again with Roucou. Billed as Hong Kong’s first cheese omakase and bar, Roucou is a celebration of all things cheese – sliced, baked, melted, grilled and grated. The bar menu features playful creations such as jalapeño cheese bombs, potato millefeuille and beef tartare with grated cheese, and a signature melted open sandwich – a crisp puff-pastry base topped with fresh artichokes, roasted pine nuts and a tableside drizzle of melted cheese. It’s the cheese omakase experience, however, that truly steals the spotlight.

Hidden behind a traditional washi door, the eight-seater adventure is a collaborative effort between Evrard, chef de cuisine Stephane Guillas and chef Hitoshi Ishibashi, formerly of wagyu specialist Nikutoieba Matsuda. French and Japanese culinary techniques combine with premium seasonal ingredients, resulting in innovative flavour and texture combinations exemplified by dishes such as the sea bream sashimi served with a ponzu goat cheese emulsion and pickled vegetables; crab tiramisu with layers of fresh crab, mango, papaya and sweet pimento, topped with a Brillat-Savarina sea foam espuma with crab jus and roucou powder; and binchotan-seared toro marinated in tataki sauce, layered with natural Camembert atop shiso sushi rice, and wrapped in crisp, toasted nori for umami balance.

Tell us about you. Where did your passion for cheese come from?

I grew up in Le Mans in the Loire Valley, surrounded by lush pastures and the traditions of French cheesemaking. My passion was ignited as a child when I often visited a neighbouring dairy farm in Burgundy, where I met the renowned cheesemaker Bernard Antony. Under his mentorship, I learned the craft of traditional cheesemaking and the process of natural maturation, developing a deep bond and respect for the craft. Our three-decade relationship inspired me to honour and perpetuate artisanal traditions and share the world of cheese with others. It’s always been my passion, but for many years I wasn’t sure how to turn it into a livelihood, so I started working in luxury hospitality. My journey took me from Paris to key roles in Hong Kong at the Four Seasons and later to Japan at the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto and Tokyo, where I opened the Bulgari Hotel. My time in Japan changed me and is now a part of me. I had the opportunity to immerse myself and learn about their cultural and culinary traditions, which is an important part of Roucou.

What was the inspiration behind Roucou?

Roucou is inspired by the traditional craftsmanship of artisanal cheeses and the passionate producers behind them. It’s also a reflection of me, telling the story of my life, from my upbringing in the French countryside to my time in Hong Kong and Japan. The name itself comes from the annatto plant, called roucou in French. It was traditionally used by cheesemakers to give mimolette cheese its bright orange colour. My vision was to create a place where I could share my deep love and passion for cheese, while bringing together flavours and traditions that inspire me. The bar is a place to sit back, relax, have a drink and explore the extraordinary flavours and textures of cheese, from grilled, melted, baked, grated to sliced.

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The omakase experience is something I’ve been imagining and dreaming about for over a decade. I feel so lucky and fortunate to be working with our chef de cuisine Stephane Guillas and chef Hitoshi Ishibashi to make this dream come true. It’s been a great honour. Their expertise shines through in every dish we create together. We elevate cheese with the finest seasonal ingredients through Japanese and French culinary techniques. The experience is unexpected, with imaginative flavour combinations. It’s been an incredible journey to create this experience together.

The décor is a reflection of your journey too.

The interiors are very much a reflection of me. I wanted to incorporate different elements so that our guests could feel the rustic charm of a cheese cellar, but in an izakaya-like setting. I chose earthy tones and oak furniture to create a warm, inviting atmosphere. I thought it would be great to incorporate Japanese design elements such as the wagasa umbrellas on the ceiling and the traditional washi doors for the omakase. The washi door depicts the rice fields of Yamanashi as a nod to my time there. That’s where I learned how to make sake.

I also wanted to incorporate elements of Hong Kong because it’s my home. For example, our cheese boards are made from wood salvaged from trees felled during the typhoons, with the name and date of the typhoon engraved on each one. Each piece is unique and I think it adds a local touch and character to every dining experience, making it feel special and connected to the place we’re in.

Besides the main bar, Roucou has a hidden omakase counter too.

Our omakase opened in mid-April and has just eight seats at the counter. It’s tucked away from the main bar behind a traditional washi door. Here we celebrate raw milk in all its forms, served in a carefully curated sequence that highlights the natural maturation and flavours of unpasteurised varieties that are only served when they are perfectly ripe. Each course is hand-written on vintage cheese labels I’ve collected, adding a personal and nostalgic touch. Guests can expect seasonal ingredients and unexpected, imaginative flavour combinations, all designed to showcase the versatility and artistry of raw milk as the origin of all dairy products – cheese, butter, cream. Guests will be able to indulge in a way never before seen in Hong Kong.