Food and Drink News: March 2018

The best new openings and hot menus for March 2018

Let us inspire you with our regularly updated guide to new food and drink happenings around town. Click here if you want to jump straight to the drinks section (no judgement).

 

What’s New: Food

Brut! By Pete Negra House

The newest addition to Sai Ying Pun’s exciting dining scene, Brut! Is a Tapas joint which serves a range of tasty sharing plates and wines in cosy environs. The menu highlights local produce sourced from the Sai Ying Pun market and meats from small, family farms in Spain. Highlights include the Galican beef tenderloin with baby spinach ($248), buffalo mozzarella, kalamata olive tapenade and fried enoki mushrooms ($98) and smoked eggplants and vegetables $58). The dishes pair well with the drink offerings including natural wines and homemade Kombucha cocktails. Even though the menu highlights meats and seafood, there are options here for vegetarians and vegans so everyone in your group can find something to enjoy.

Price point: $$

 

Food is Great Campaign

The Food is GREAT Campaign aims to showcase the spectacular range and quality of Britain’s delectable produce and cuisine. The campaign kicks off from 21 March in 18 restaurants across Hong Kong. Participating restaurants include Gough’s on Gough, Mandarin Grill & Bar, Grand Hyatt Steakhouse, Rhoda, and London House long others. Each restaurant will serve Brit-inspired dishes designed by some of the best chefs in the city on their Great British Menu. For a select time you can even have a chance to win a trip to the UK just by dining on one of the special menus.

 

Port Autonomy at Potato Head Hong Kong

For one night, Potato Head Hong Kong will play host to Port Autonomy, a Yangon-based restaurant currently “on holiday”, but one previously featured in Munchies and The Wall Street Journal for its apt knack for bringing Myanmar’s contemporary culinary scene to global attention. Best described as a modern Burmese beer hall, where a variety of culinary discourses are explored form Mexican to Korean, Burmese to Vietnamese, the evening’s set menu by Kevin Ching contains no rules, but guarantees good times. So too the cocktails upon arrival.

Price:  $600 + 10% per person on Ticketflap

G/F, 100 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun

 

Dear Lilly

Well-known designer Ashley Sutton is back at it again with his fifth project: Dear Lilly, the inspiration of which comes from tiny floral shops around Paris. Located in the IFC, Dear Lilly is all about romance. From love letters to floral decor, you’ll be completely swept away upon entering. You can expect the same wow-effect as Sutton’s other projects, like The Iron Fairies, Ophelia, and J. Boroski. As for the food, expect contemporary Western that covers a wide range of palates and a great cocktail list. If you’re wondering where to go on your next date, look no further than Dear Lilly.

Price point: $$ – $$$

Shop 4010, Podium Level 4, IFC Mall, 8 Finance Street, Central

Elementary

From the guys that brought Mama Malouf and Catch to Kennedy Town comes Tai Hang newcomer Elementary. Elementary serves up contemporary Australian cuisine with a bit of a twist. Head on over for a delicious dinner where the menu is broken into light, medium, and heavy dishes, including an interesting take on a classic burrata dish with pink peppercorn & curry leaf infused honey, stone fruit, and bee pollen. Elementary also has a fantastic brunch menu with drool-worthy dishes like smashed avocado – poached eggs, goat’s cheese, beetroot pesto, quinoa, and pumpkin seeds on multigrain.

Price point: $ – $$$

15-16 School Street, Tai Hang

 

Linguini Fini – New Hong Kong-inspired dishes

As if we needed another reason to love Linguini Fini, the New York-Italian restaurant has recently “injected a taste of Hong Kong” into a handful of their dishes. If you love a classic carbonara, the chari siu carbonara is a must order and will seriously have you craving another bowl. If you have a more adventurous palate, try the Typhoon Shelter Crab Linguini, made with fresh crab, black bean, pickled chili and a garlic-scallion take on a classic gremolata. Regardless of which dish you choose, we love that Linguini Fini is paying homage to our city’s local dishes in a creative (and delicious) way.

Price point: $$ – $$$

49 Elgin Street, Central

 

JoJo – “The Grand Trunk (GT) Road” Menu

If you’ve ever been curious about the regional variations of Indian food, head over to Jojo for the new Grand Trunk Road menu. The GT Road runs from Chittagong, Bangladesh to West Bengal, India then across North India through Delhi, towards Lahore and Peshawar in Pakistan and finally terminating in Kabul, Afghanistan. This route is also the basis of JoJo’s new menu crafted by Chef Arjun Singh. Signature dishes include: Dhansak (A Parsi /Zorastrian dish made of lamb & lentils); Jujeh Kebab (An Iranian specialty – overnight, saffron marinated grilled boneless chicken); Lahori Kadai Chicken (A Pakistani stir-fried chicken tossed with onions, tomatoes & the chef’s secret spice).

Price point: $$ – $$$

2/F David House, 37-39 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai

 

Vive Cake Boutique – Central opening

The second location of Vive Cake Boutique (the first is in Wan Chai), opened by the ever-talented Vivien Lau, is in the heart of Central and features similar pastel cakes that taste just as good as they look. Grab a friend and head there for afternoon tea, or coffee and cake. Everything on the menu is Instagram-worthy (as well as the interior design), so you won’t be disappointed with your choice. Aside from slices of cake, macarons, and cupcakes, Vive Cake Boutique also offers custom designed cakes you can preorder for any occasion.

Price point: $ – $$$

Shop 3, 1/F, H Queen’s, 80 Queen’s Road, Central (entrance on 50 Stanley Street)

 

Porterhouse – New Brunch Menu

After its recent revamp, Porterhouse has just launched an all new brunch menu by Executive Chef Angelo Vecchio. Expect a lavish antipasti buffet, carving station, seafood station and a dessert station. If that’s not enough to satisfy, you can add a main course or family sharing dish, featuring 34-40 oz portions of Porterhouse’s signature steaks, at an additional charge. Weekend brunch is served every Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 am – 3:30 pm.

Price point: Starts at HK$398 per person (additional charges for mains and free-flow apply)

7/F California Tower, 30-36 D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong

 

Junon

Originally established in 1966 on Nathan Road, Juno (as it was formerly named) was one of the first revolving restaurants in Hong Kong. In a collaboration between Hopewell Holdings Limited and Cantopop star Hins Cheung, Juno makes a return to Hong Kong as Junon, but this time in Wan Chai. This French fine dining restaurant has managed to maintain much of its vintage feel. The restaurant has two sections: head to Bistro Junon to order off the a la carte menu or make your way to the Moulin Rouge-inspired La Scene du Junon for a prix fixe 5-course meal along with live entertainment.

Price point: $$$$+

2/F, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen’s Rd E, Wan Chai

 

La Paloma – La Calçotada Menu

La Calçotada translates to “the eating of the spring onion” and is a way in which Spaniards ring in the new year. All across the country, these green onions are cooked on a charcoal grill and La Paloma is bringing this tradition to Hong Kong. This special menu will be available until the end of March and consists of a starter, grilled Calçots with salvichada sauce, baked potatoes and zucchini, a grilled meat platter, and caramelized Catalan cream for dessert. Reservations must be made 24 hours in advance for a minimum of 2 people.

Price point: 5-course special menu at HK$398 per person OR La Calçotada brunch (Saturday March 3rd) at HK$350 per person

1/F, SoHo 189, 189 Queen’s Road West, Sai Ying Pun

 

MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong Macau Dining Series (March 7 – 8 at VEA)

The MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong Macau Dining Series is kicking off this year with Chef Vicky Cheng from one-MICHELIN-starred VEA Restaurant & Lounge of Hong Kong, and veteran Cantonese chef Tam Kwong Fung from two-MICHELIN-starred Jade Dragon at City of Dreams, Macau. They have collaborated to present a 4-course lunch and an 8-course dinner, paired with wines handpicked by Robert Parker Wine Advocate. Expect dishes such as Wagyu Beef Short Rib with shiitake and daikon from Vicky Cheng, and Chilled Abalone with mustard seed and wasabi, chilled cherry tomato marinated with avocado oil and plum wine jelly by Chef Tam Kwong Fung as he incorporates Western techniques with traditional Chinese dishes.

Price point: HK$998 – $2,280. Book your tickets here.

VEA Restaurant & Lounge, Hong Kong

Jade Dragon, City of Dreams, Macau

 

Gaucho – New Brunch Menu

The well-known steakhouse, Gaucho, has revamped its brunch menu for those looking to sink their teeth into more than just meat. Head over to Gaucho on Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00 pm – 3:30 pm to feast on an unlimited selection of starters, a choice of main course (including ribeye, sirloin, grilled chicken, sea bass, and risotto), and an unlimited sharing platter of dessert (we are obsessed with the dulce de leche cheesecake).

Price point: HK$350 – $600 per person

5/F, LHT Tower, 31 Queen’s Road, Central

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What’s New: Drinks

Cocktails for Oaxaca Earthquake Relief

This coming Wednesday, March 14th from 6:30-8:30pm, the Mexican bar community of Central Hong Kong is coming together to raise funds for the Mexican Oaxaca earthquake at Los Sotano in Lan Kwai Fong. Bars and Bartenders participating include Los Sotano (Robert Kariakin), Brickhouse (Lok Gurung), 11 Westside (Johnathan Ching), Picada (Luis Alfredo) and Wilshire (Lloyd Meng). Hong Kong’s best tequila and mezcal mixologists from each venue will be creating one-of-a-kind cocktails for the evening. Priced at $140 per cocktail, the cocktail that sells the most that evening determines the challenge winner. Los Sotano will be donating 30% of overall food and bar sales of the evening to the cause through selected charity Global Giving.

Price: $140 per cocktail

Los Sotano basement, 21 D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong

 

Special Offering: Lily & Bloom – Luau of Doom

Let’s get real: Mondays are hard. Thankfully, Lily & Bloom are here to ensure your week is off to a good start with their Luau of Doom themed Mondays at the bar. Every Monday, from 5:00 pm – 2:00 am, head over to the 6th floor of Lily & Bloom to sip on tiki cocktails (the Banana Daiquiri is to die for!) created by Head Mixologist John Nugent. If you’re really looking to wash away the Monday blues, try the ‘34 Zombie – a drink inspired by the year 1934 when Don Beach – the founding father of tiki restaurants and bars – created his version of this cocktail. This cocktail comes loaded with light rum, Jamaican rum, 151 rum, grapefruit and more, and has a limit of 2 per customer.

6/F, 33 Wyndham Street, Central

 

New Opening: PDT (Please Don’t Tell)

Two years ago, PDT (one of New York’s most popular secret bars) did a pop-up here in Hong Kong, and are finally coming back to make a permanent appearance in the Landmark Mandarin Oriental. PDT will be serving some of the classic cocktails from their New York bar along with a completely new range of drinks that will be unique to Hong Kong. Be sure to pair your cocktails with some gourmet bar bites, like their famous hot dogs. If you’re wondering how to find this speakeasy, just keep your eyes peeled for the telephone booth.

Landmark Mandarin Oriental, 15 Queen’s Road, Central

 

New Cocktail Menu: Back Bar

Taking inspiration from Hong Kong’s iconic cha chaan tengs, Back Bar’s new cocktail menu is exactly what we’ve been waiting for. Created by bar manager Laetitia Roudaut, expect classic cocktails infused with local flavors. Love an Old Fashioned? Try the Sweet Potato Soup made with sweet potato infused bourbon, ginger syrup, and Angostura bitter (HK$120), the inspiration of which was taken from Hong Kong’s much loved sweet potato dessert soup. For milk tea fan’s (which is pretty much everyone, am I right?!), check out the Don’t ‘Lai Cha’ Me (HK$120) – a boozy milk tea cocktail with vodka, amaretto, milk, English Breakfast and Earl Grey tea.

7 Ship Street, Wan Chai

 

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thisgirlabroad is a Canadian expat who packed her life up in the Great White North to move to a city filled with skyscrapers, dim sum, and 7-Eleven’s. She’s been living, working, and eating her way through Hong Kong for the past six years with no plans to slow down. Between working full time and managing her blog, you’ll likely find her with a flat white in one hand and a jar of peanut butter in the other.

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