A round up of what to look out for in our F&B scene
Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
The Krug Room, created in partnership with the House of Krug as the only Krug Room in the world hidden in the heart of the hotel, is marking Valentine’s Day with a bespoke 10-course menu crafted by executive chef Robin Zavou. The finest ingredients are paired with the world’s most prestigious champagne for a romantic, sensory adventure that will fascinate and mesmerise.
Next door, chef de cuisine Matthew Reuther of the one-Michelin-starred Mandarin Grill + Bar has assembled an exquisite five-course menu. Start with a glass of rose champagne, before indulging in starters such as red prawn with green apple salad, salted egg espuma and caviar; and the restaurant’s signature Japanese Hokkaido scallop. For mains, choose between seabass or duck, and finish with a strawberry, rose and white chocolate heart dessert.
Themed curated menus are also available at Café Causette, The Chinnery, Clipper Lounge and The Aubrey.
Where: 5 Connaught Road Central, Central
Roganic Hong Kong
Roganic Hong Kong is turning five and to celebrate, a series of special events and collaborates are set to be held throughout the year. Kicking off the celebrations will be a two-day collaboration on February 23 and 24 between chef-owner Simon Rogan and chef Jorge Vallejo of the celebrated Quintonil in Mexico City.
The six-course lunch will see dishes such as Roganic Hong Kong’s iconic truffle pudding caramelised in birch sap; a Mexican herbs atole with chile cuaresmeño; and aged rib eye with black mole and aubergine. On the eight-course dinner, you’ll find additional plates like butternut squash with rice horchata and pumpkin seeds; May Queen potatoes cooked in chicken fat with pickled walnut and Corra Linn served with Irish soda bread; and seabass with clam and fennel pollen mousse, local carrot, bone sauce and lovage oil.
Where: UG/F 08, Sino Plaza, 255 Gloucester road, Causeway Bay
Andō
Andō is hosting an exciting special eight-course pairing dinner featuring curated beverage pairings by four young outstanding sommeliers from Hong Kong and China: Carlito Chiu, director of wines of Andō; Xiaolong Li, the sommelier director for DrinkArts Studio and the recipient of the 2024 Beijing Michelin Guide Sommelier Award; wine writer and chief head sommelier of Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic, Yulia Ezhikova; and the restaurant manager and director of wines at Auor, Cherish Ho. Taking place on 23 and 24 February, the menu by executive chef Agustin Balbi will begin with welcome drinks and a tantalising trio of Japanese white prawn with yuzu cream and daikon; tai with fermented chilli, shiso and smoked oil; and cured lomo joselito bocado. As the evening unfolds, savour seaweed and botan ebi with kristal caviar while sipping on bubbles of Old World and New World wines; Lisa, Salicornia, and snow peas accompanied by blends of different grape varieties from both the Old World and the New World; and chef Agustin’s latest version of his grandmother’s arroz caldoso recipe, harmonised with a New World fortified wine.
Where: 1/F, Somptueux Central, 52 Wellington St, Central
The Baker & The Bottleman
The Baker & The Bottleman’s upstairs wine restaurant has launched multiple enticing new dishes. The raviolo is excellent, filled with a salmon and prawn, accompanied by a luxurious lobster sauce and lightly sautéed local spinach. But their roasted pigeon is the showstopper, served with confit pigeon legs, beetroot ketchup, pickled blackberries, cabbage stuffed with chicken and mushrooms, a pigeon jus, and sourdough toast with pigeon liver parfait and cherry chutney on the side. Finish off with the pie of the day, with an ever-changing selection of braised lamb, confit duck or goose leg; or braised pork mixed with vegetables, herbs and chicken stock, topped with caramelised onions and slices of potatoes.
Where: Shop G14 & G15, G/F, Lee Tung Avenue, 200 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai
Somm
French neo-bistro Somm at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental has launched Sommlunch, available on weekdays between 2 and 2:30 pm. Guests can decide on either two- or three-courses, with a delectable array of starter, main and dessert choices. Seasonal highlights include the Shikanoshima clams simmered in a refreshing wakame soup base; Ping Yuen yellow chicken charcoal grilled and paired with roasted cauliflower; and gold snake river beef with maple syrup-roasted root vegetables, finished with a shiraz and banana shallot reduction. The Abinao chocolate soufflé with cacao sorbet is the perfect finale. Wash it all down with a glass from their extensive wine list.
Where: 7/F, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central
Whey x Metiz
Michelin-starred Whey and Metiz, the Filipino restaurant ranked 48th on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 list, is hosting a two-day only four-hand event on 22 and 23 February. Chef Barry Quek of Whey will come together with Metiz chef-owner Stephan Duhesme to present a one-of-a-kind gastronomic experience.
Where: UG/F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central
The Chinese Library
The Chinese Library has been honoured with one diamond in the 2024 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide. To celebrate, chef Junno Li has launched a new Dragon’s Tale tasting menu. Inspired by Cantonese cuisine from his childhood in Guangdong, highlights include the chilled abalone with chilli and soy sauce; braised bean curd with sea cucumber and salted pork; slow-grilled roasted pigeon marinated in a homemade sauce of rosemary, black bean sauce, chu hou and sesame; and braised yam soup with lamb.
Where: 1/F, Block 1, Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central
The Blooms by Épure
As a prelude to Épure’s 10th anniversary celebrations, the one-Michelin-starred contemporary French restaurant has unveiled an enchanting refresh of its alfresco terrace, The Blooms by Épure. Envisioned by Natalya J. Ho, creative director of The Blooms by Épure, and scion of fashion retail doyenne Joyce Ma, this waterfront venue seamlessly extends the sophisticated and inviting ambience of the restaurant inside, with an enchanting symphony of resplendent rose blooms and playful installations. Complementing this all are their newly curated afternoon tea sets. Reminiscent of a royal goûter à la française (French delicacies), “The Blooms” tea set includes miniature pastries and delicate finger sandwiches, elegantly presented atop tea stands inspired by the beauty of flowers. “The Royal” afternoon tea is a little more elevated, with lobster rolls, black truffle and comté cheese sandwiches, and smoked salmon and potato crowned with lavish caviar, complemented with a glass of champagne.
Where: Shop 403, 4/F, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui
Charcoal Bar
Charcoal Bar is Lubuds Group’s all-new charcoal grill concept. Led by the two-Michelin-starred chef Bjoern Alexander, this casual eatery is set to transform the primal art of open-fire cooking into a sublime seafood and grill feast for discerning diners and connoisseurs of fine gourmet. On the menu, you’ll find a line-up of fresh-from-the-grill specialties that span land and sea. Like, for example, the sirloin and US choice brandt beef cooked to perfection on the Josper grill; and the charcoal grilled eel, paired with garlic, parsley, and lemon; and lychee wood whole grilled jumbo tiger prawn.
Where: Shop OT G62, G/F, Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui
Kiyoka
Kiyoka, the Japanese-French pâtisserie helmed by the Kyoto-born pastry chef Asuka Matsubara, is ringing in February with two new creations. Their popular banoffee pie has now been upgraded with 67% French premium chocolate, lending a lingering, dark and refined depth to a timeless cake flavour. While the new matcha tart features a lava centre made with ripe kumquats from Miyazaki Prefecture. Mixed with white wine and pear puree, it pairs perfectly with the bitter-sweet aroma of Kyoto matcha. All of Kiyoka’s desserts are low in sugar so you can indulge guilt-free!
Where: Shop 327-333, 3/F Landmark Atrium, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central
Lockdown
Lockdown, by the renowned bar visionaries Agung and Laura Prabowo, has officially opened on Hollywood Street, as a tribute to the trying times Hong Kong and its F&B industry faced during the pandemic. Drawing parallels to Prohibition, the speakeasy-inspired space offers only 30 sets at any given time, and the world’s first rotating bar station, designed by Prabowo.
The “Gin Rickey” reimagines the classic cocktail with a parsley-infused gin, peach sake, peach liqueur, clarified banana miso and sparkling wine. “Grasshopper”, originating in the early 20th century in New Orleans, is a sweet and creamy number made of crème de cacao white, crème de menthe green, Branca menta, mint distillate, absinthe, eucalyptus tincture and salted pistachio cream. With roots dating back to colonial America, “Stone Fence” is a contemporary and well-balanced cocktail featuring buttered miso bourbon, pommeau, salted maple syrup, clarified lemon juice, penicillin cider and sliced cucumber. Offering floral, herbaceous and rich flavours, “Left Bank” pays homage to the Left Bank, known for its historical significance as a gathering place for artists, writers, and intellectuals.
Where: 27 Hollywood Road, Central
Club Bâtard
Club Bâtard is a new exclusive private members’ wine club set to open in the historical Pedder Building this summer. Spanning an impressive 18,000 square feet across three high-ceilinged storeys, it takes its name from the restaurant Bâtard, which will be relocating from Sai Ying Pun to the Club as one of the three restaurants open exclusively for its members and their guests. The famed Hop Sze, serving traditional home-style Hong Kong specialties, will be the second. And the third, Le Clos, offers members all-day options, from breakfast and coffee meetings, to lunches and late night suppers, and evening drinks that feature cocktails crafted by Raphael Holzer. The three dining concepts are anchored by the three-storey glass-fronted wine cellar, the centrepiece of Club Batârd. Inside, you’ll find more than five thousand references, all available to drink at the club’s bars and restaurants at retail prices without any restaurant markups. The club will limit recruitment to just 1,200 members.
Where: 12 Pedder St, Central
67 Pall Mall
67 Pall Mall, the London-born private Members’ Club for wine lovers, has debuted En Primeur membership in Hong Kong. The membership will provide members with access to an unrivalled programme of wine experiences in the city, as well as masterclasses by world-renowned experts, all using the Club’s signature Zalto glasses. The inaugural En Primeur launch will see 67 Pall Mall partnering with The Upper House to host a series of wine events. Then, in spring, Bordeaux expert Jane Anson will lead a Year of the Dragon vertical masterclass of Bordeaux from 2012, 2000 and 1988. Priced at HK$15,000, membership applications are accepted here.
See also: #legendeats: Hampers, puddings and sweets for the Year of the Dragon
