Harlan (the chef) left, followed by Harlan’s (the restaurant). Ever since the Harlan gang moved out of ifc, there had been rumours about which restaurant would take over the space. There were big, international names flying around. When it was revealed that London restaurateur Alan Yau would mark his first venture outside of the UK at ifc, everyone expected a dark and trendy joint like Hakkasan and Yauacha, two ultra-trendy, very successful Cantonese restaurants in London started by Yau. Then he surprised us all.

Notice that the name is not “Betty’s Kitchen”. As such, the food is not straight-forward Continental cuisine either; the restaurant calls it eclectic dining from the old world and he new. Not fusion; eclectic. One can find connotations of a few cuisines on the menu; some scream French, some hint at Italian, and some are obviously Spanish. Most dishes are available for both lunch and dinner but some can only be found on either one. There is also a separate weekend brunch menu.

Architect-cum-interior designer Andre Fu, one of whose talents is making something classy and very expensive seem intelligently simple, transformed the harbour-facing space into a fanciful dining room. Crates of colourful fresh fruits and pots of basil at the entrance set the mood. The back wall that separates the kitchen and the private dining area is also lined with pots of basil.

Of the starters I tried, the Salmon Tartare with Vitelotte Potatoes, and the Mackerel Gravalax with Duo Potato Salad (see photo) are both refreshing starters at lunch. However, the focus is not the fish; the purple Vitelotte potatoes - diced in the former, and in discs in the latter - steal the limelight with their sweetness.

The Compressed Watermelon Salad (see photo) is supposed to be a signature dish and it is a sous-vide version of the juicy fruit, so the experience should resemble eating a dense block of watermelon. Unfortunately this exhilarating experience eluded me but it was nonetheless a good choice in the summer.

Those who like meat must order the USDA Rib-Eye. There is no doubt on the quality of the juicy piece of meat and it was grilled to perfection. The béarnaise sauce was silky and rich. It is comparable to, if not better than, the steaks at many steakhouses in town. The Roast Duck a l’orange was also a nice surprise. There is something Asian about this classic French dish at Bettys and the sauce was a little watery but it hit all the right notes on the day. Think eating Chinese style roast duck with an orange sauce; it is fusion comfort food.

Unfortunately the one dish that grabbed my attention, namely the Duck Fat Fries, was a letdown. When the restaurant first opened, the fries were served in a thick, heavy-duty bowl and the fries at the bottom went soggy right away. In fact, the fries on top were not particularly crisp either. Improvements have been made since then.

From the dinner menu, I recommend the Grilled Sea Scallops with Black Pudding and Apple Marmalade. (see photo) The scallops were ever so slightly overcooked but still plump and juicy. The flavours are very balanced: the saltiness of the black pudding and the tartness of the apple enhance the mild sweetness of the scallops.

While the complexity of dish compositions go to the preceeding dishes, Bettys play safe on its dessert selections, focusing on popular items that make dessert lovers swoon and make room to contain them. Chocolate Fondant, served with vanilla ice cream is simplicity on its own. The slight crusty exterior exudes depth of cocoa flavour while the content it enrobes within -- thick molten chocolate lava oozes out, further balanced out by the chilled lightness from the vanilla ice cream. Creme Brulee arrived in flat in a dish, across the top is the thinnest of caramel crackling. Beneath the twinkles of caramel comes the velvety smoothness of vanilla custard, feathery light and just sweet enough to round off a full meal. Not to miss are the buttery madeleines and a refreshing citrus salad made with supremes of pink grapefruit and oranges, garnished with fine juliennes of basil leaves.

The wine list takes up more space on the menu than the food, but it is concise and interesting. It offers a breath of fresh air as it shies away from listing too many commercial brands. There is also a decent selection of cocktails and teas.

Yau is not in a hurry to perfect Bettys Kitschen. In fact, we heard he is going to give this a year, and a lot can happen in a year. With the prestigious location and the Central prices, businesses in Central and tai-tais who lunch will be paying the rent for now. Until the acoustic is fixed so it is not as noisy as a Chinese banquet, don’t bother having a decent conversation with your dining companion. Hopefully by then the service will be up to par as well or it is going to be a long and noisy meal.