How Executive Chef Russell Doctrove revived Jimmy's Kitchen

Several months into the reopening of Hong Kong classic Jimmy’s Kitchen, many still struggle to secure a booking at the venue. If you mention the name to your parents or grandparents, it will definitely ring a bell.

We went behind the scenes to speak with Executive Chef Russell Doctrove of Jimmy’s Kitchen to understand his vision for bringing the classic eatery back to life.

Q: What can diners expect from Jimmy's Kitchen?

We like the term "continental cuisine." Jimmy’s has such a long history, and its menu has grown over the years. It’s been influenced by French cuisine, European cuisine and even Asian cuisine. So it gives us a few different directions that we can go whenever we’re creating new dishes and specials.

Q: How does this differ from the other restaurants you've consulted? How did you approach Jimmy's Kitchen with your background in curating menus? 

So, I think my time consulting really sort of taught me how to approach each project differently and how to basically create a menu that really pinpoints what that restaurant was really trying to achieve. So I think with Jimmy’s I just applied the same techniques. The thing with Jimmy’s is it also has a really long history, so I was able to look at a lot of old classic recipes and then make little minor adjustments here or there, all in the hope of maximizing flavor.

Q: How did you preserve the history of Jimmy's Kitchen while staying current in the times?

It’s almost a hundred years since it first opened. I think there’s always going to be customers that want a lot of the classic dishes, so it was important for us to bring some of those back, like the French Onion Soup, the Vegetable Borscht and the Chicken Kiev. The way we honor those signature dishes is just by trying not to mess around with them too much. For me, I would look at the dish, taste it, and if I felt the flavors could be enhanced or improved a little bit, then I’d make some adjustments. Otherwise, I just try to keep it as classic as it was.

Q: What’s your favorite dish on the menu? 

My favorite dish has to be the Chicken Kiev. It was the dish I always ordered when I was a kid and I would come here with my family. It’s the kind of dish you could eat at lunch, you could have for dinner. It just hits the spot.

Quick facts

• Where – M/F, Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central
• When – Open all week, noon - 3 p.m. and 6 - 11 p.m.
• Price – $$$
• Phone – +852 2526 5293
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