Bengal Brothers
Now complete with bright blue tables, a cosy bar counter, and a fully realised menu that maps an incredible culinary journey across various regions of India, Bengal Brothers is a vibrant celebration of Indian cuisine. Dishes inspired by beloved street food signatures and roadside canteens pay homage to everyday India, while a selection of larger, festive items allow diners to “get their hands dirty and interact with the dish first-hand”, says co-founder Vidur Yadav.
As he and fellow founder Tanvir Bhasin tried out different recipes, they eventually settled on a whole roasted chicken Chef Yogi had once cooked for a wedding in Hyderabad, falling for the sheer romance of his story. “He remembered a particular table of five of the groom’s friends who, after an evening of dancing and singing, were enjoying the dish with their hands and wiping the spiced butter off their plates with hot rotis and tangy onions,” explains Yadav. For this glorious roast, a whole chicken is left overnight to marinate in a spiced yoghurt mixture that adds flavour and tenderises the meat. Once slow-cooked in its own juices and roasted to smoky perfection, the chicken boasts a multi-layered complexity of aromas and flavours courtesy of fenugreek, crisp red onion slices, mint chutney, lemon wedges, and a mouthwatering masala butter.
G/F, 6 Johnston Road, Wan Chai; bengal-brothers.com
Melody
A group of industry heavyweights fuse their love for food, music, and having a grand ol’ time to form the multi-sensorial Melody. “It’s essentially more than a restaurant,” says Chef Jamie Draper. “We call it the House of Food and Music; we want to create a real buzz and energy about the place.” With a tattooed sleeve of all his musical heroes— Robert Plant, Liam Gallagher, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Jimi Hendrix — preceding a realistic rendering of a cheeseburger, he is Melody’s heart and soul personified.
Chef Jamie’s menu is centred around the possibilities of the Josper grill, presenting contemporary European dishes that champion a less is more philosophy. “We just bring cool produce, cook it really beautifully over fire, with a great sauce.” The stuffed porchetta is exemplary of this, featuring a juicy slice of pork belly stuffed with a creamy sausage mix, chicharrón for added crunch, watercress, and two vibrant housemade sauces — a salsa verde-esque dressing and a punchy applesauce. “Applesauce is a pretty classic thing to go with pork, but we make a sort of smoky apple caramel,” shares Chef Jamie. “We barbecue the apples and blend it with some pickle juice to keep things fresh.”
100 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun; melodyhongkong.com
Juno
Awash in hues of pistachio and baby pink, with arched travertine panels that decorate the space, Juno offers a cosy Italian-Mediterranean respite in the heart of Sheung Wan. Helmed by Salamanca Group’s Group Executive Chef Jordi Vallés Claverol, the restaurant is an ode to the sun-kissed southern European coast. “The effect we want to [create] is to evoke the Mediterranean lifestyle through all the traditional ingredients from the region,” says Chef Jordi. Highlights of the menu include the French-inspired Ballotine d’Agneau, a unique presentation of lamb prepared two different ways and enlivened by an array of roasted vegetables. “The meat inserted in the ballotine is slow-cooked overnight with garlic and herbs to give it intense flavours and a smooth texture, while the chop is marinated with sage and rosemary then cooked in the charcoal oven.”
G/F, 88 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan; @junohongkong
Photography: Samantha Sin
Styling: Ella Wong
Editor
Alyanna Raissa J. PayosCredit
Lead image: Samantha Sin for Vogue Hong Kong's December 2023 Issue
