​Modern European cuisine boldly reimagined through seasonal artistry and tradition.

In Derby’s warm, convivial dining room, where dark wood paneling and racing memorabilia frame tables set with polished silver, Chef de Cuisine Francky Semblat is telling stories—without words. His language is French cuisine, but it’s spoken with a distinctly Hong Kong inflection: a dash of sea urchin here, a whisper of XO sauce there. At first glance, the dishes are refined, classical, unmistakably Gallic. But look again, and you’ll see something more: a soulful convergence of East and West, tradition and reinvention, memory and precision.



Born in the southwest of France, Francky is a disciple of the legendary Joël Robuchon. In the great kitchens of Paris, Macau, and Dubai, he learned the old codes of haute cuisine: reduction, discipline, repetition. But here at Derby—his culinary stage at The Hilltop in The Valley—he’s writing in a freer hand.

Francky has revived a gastronomic showpiece: Volaille en Vessie, a rare and regal preparation of chicken cooked in a pig’s bladder—a balloon-like vessel that gently seals in aroma and essence for the celebration of the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s 140th anniversary,. “It’s a forgotten ritual,” he says. “A dish of patience and precision.” In Derby’s version, the French form remains, but the heart is local: Loong Kong chicken replaces the classic French breed, infusing the dish with a distinctly Hong Kong soul. Beyond this anniversary tribute, Francky’s menu is a testament to his own philosophy: respecting tradition while boldly rewriting its rules. A delicate lobster tail, glazed with an XO-inspired sauce that merges Cantonese intensity with French finesse. “I love XO,” he says. “But I refine it—less spicy, more balanced—and blend it into a sauce made the French way: lobster stock, cream, time.” The result is light, layered, unmistakably his.

These are not dishes born of nostalgia, but of conversation—between centuries, between cultures, between technique and instinct. “Derby isn’t about preserving the past,” Francky explains. “It’s about honouring mastery—and redefining its boundaries.”

The rest of the menu evolves in the same spirit. A cheese soufflé arrives airy and fragrant, finished with truffle and seafoam. A lobster spaghetti looks familiar, but reveals depths of bisque and buttery restraint. “My base is always flavour,” Francky says. “But the presentation, the lightness—that’s where we challenge expectations.”

Hong Kong’s access to global ingredients keeps him agile. French seasons are reinterpreted with Australian produce. Japanese uni, Spanish pork, and local asparagus mingle on the same plate. “Some French guests might find it unexpected,” he laughs. “But this is Hong Kong. This is what’s fresh. This is what’s possible.”

His evolution has been slow, thoughtful, earned. “In my early years, I wanted to prove myself. Now, I just want to cook honestly. No tricks. Just clarity.”

That clarity extends beyond the plate. “Our Members are discerning epicureans,” he says. “They travel. They have reference points. You can’t fake it with them. But once you earn their trust, they let you take them somewhere.”

And that, in the end, is what Derby offers: not simply a menu, but a dialogue. Between chef and guest. Between memory and invention. Between the glint of silver and the quiet spark of something new.

Because for Francky Semblat, tradition is not a constraint—it’s a compass. And 140 years in, Derby continues to point forward.

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