The kitchen is Clarence founder and chef Olivier Elzer's playground. His great-grandfather, grandfather and mother were all chefs before him.
Growing up in Alsace, northeastern France, also meant that he regularly interacted with farmers, which gave him the knowledge of ingredients and good produce.
"My mom is very passionate about food and for her, happiness is to bring her child to a restaurant to choose a nice dish," said Elzer. "She owned a restaurant in the south of France and every weekend when I was off, I was helping her clean the glasses and worked in the kitchen. I started very young and I was happy to see how it worked.
"When you grow up in this environment, of course, you're asking yourself a lot of questions. You go into the market and you try a lot of new dishes."
His first experience of working as a chef came during an emergency at his mother's restaurant. It was a full-house night but the sous chef was ill. So 12-year-old Elzer stepped in and covered for the night.
"It was very new for me but everything went pretty well. It was tough but it was a good learning experience. I knew it was what I wanted to do."
Elzer's stepfather saw his passion and advised him to train at a Michelin-starred restaurant. He introduced Elzer to chef Christian Metral and Elzer started training at his family restaurant, the one-starred L'Auberge du Jarrier, at 14.
"It was a very nice experience as it was a family business where we worked a lot of hours but we spent a lot of time together," he said. "When the service was finished, we would have a drink together, and I liked the behind-the-scenes at that time in France. It was a lot of hard work but there was a lot of respect and learning."
He went on to study at the CFA Neree a Cannes and received his certifications in 1998, after which he started working in various Michelin-starred restaurants in France. At 27, he became the head chef of the restaurant of the Abbaye de la Bussiere in Burgundy.
"Leaving Paris was much better for me because I was trying to find my style. It takes time for a chef to become himself," said Elzer.
It proved to be the right decision - for the restaurant received its first Michelin star after 11 months and Elzer was named one of the Top 22 Best Young Chefs in France by Gault Millau Guide in 2007.
"Even now at 42 I am still evolving, maturing in my ways to eat and see, and for me, this is what is exciting for the kitchen. Sixteen years ago, when I was in my first top position compared to now, I am still excited to put the first menu on the page. No matter where I am or what I am doing, I am always interested in bringing a new vision."
In May 2009, at the invitation of chef Pierre Gagnaire, Elzer came to Hong Kong for a visit and took up his offer to head his eponymous restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental. "I was cooking for every single nationality. Hong Kong is a much more international city compared to Burgundy. People have different palettes, expectations and education about the food."
It is also one of the hardest places to cook as customers expect the highest level of skill.
But Elzer enjoyed the challenge.
Branching into entrepreneurship, he opened his first restaurant, Seasons by Olivier E, in 2014 and founded his food and beverage consultancy company in 2016.
His most recent endeavor is Clarence, a contemporary French cuisine restaurant.
"I've been cooking for 27 years and having achieved 23 stars, I wanted to create a unique dining experience at Clarence that combines my 13 years in Asia with the soul, heritage and traditions of French cuisine," he said.
Clarence embodies a chef with the various dining experiences it provides.
The Yakifrenchy concept combines the Japanese robata grilling method with classic French cuisine, while dishes such as skate wing are served whole so that they can be shared in the Hong Kong dining tradition. The raw and wine bar also shows Elzer's respect for the ingredients.
"Every day I wake up, I want to be a better version of myself. I don't have any ceiling - the sky is the limit for me. I want to see myself evolving in my career and always pushing further," he said.
"That is what is interesting and what drives me. It is just my personality; it is who I am."
