New Launches
Samsen Central
Hong Kong’s favourite Thai restaurant has finally opened its doors in Central, welcoming a buzzy crowd to its lively new home on On Lan Street. Alongside the usual Samsen favourites like wagyu beef boat noodles and crabmeat fried rice are thrilling new additions exclusive to the Samsen Central menu. The omelette with baby oysters and spring onions strikes a perfect balance between crispy ‘round the edge and gooey in the centre, whilst pandan and coconut dumplings with salted coconut cream give sweet tooths something new to rave about. Samsen Central is also shaking things up with a selection of refreshing cocktails and a more extensive list of wines and champagnes. We can’t say the dinner queue will be much fun, but it sure will be worth it.
G/F, 18 On Lan Street, Central; @samsenhk
Qué Pasa Tapas y Vino
Qué Pasa, meaning ‘what’s up’ in Spanish, reflects the playful atmosphere of Tai Hang’s latest Spanish addition. The tapas restaurant offers a seafood-driven menu with aromatic offerings like cod fish croquettes, sizzling gambas al ajillo, and hearty seafood paella with mussels, clams and shrimp. From the Mibrasa charcoal oven, a Spanish-designed barbecue grill, comes grilled octopus with paprika potatoes, suckling pig and ribeye steak. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Spanish restaurant without a refreshing sangria which is made at Qué Pasa Tapas y Vino’s bar.
G/F 98 Tung Lo Wan Road, Tai Hang, Hong Kong ; @quepasahk
Nocino opens in Kowloon
Nocino brings its beloved handmade pastas to the Kwun Tong neighbourhood! Its charming new outpost seats up to 30 hungry guests, whipping up hearty plates of brown crab cacio e pepe bucatini and ox cheek and pickled walnut ragù pappardelle topped with parmesan foam. The new location also sees Nocino’s first draft beer on tap and a selection of rare wines from the southern Swiss Ticino region.
93WYS Building, G/F 93 Wai Yip Street, Kwun Tong; https://www.nocinohk.com
New menus
Alain Ducasse at Morpheus
Starring the most prominent creations from chef Alain Ducasse’s career, the new signature menu at Alain Ducasse at Morpheus crafts an opulent journey for the tastebuds. Standouts include poached and marinated Scottish langoustine with rockfish gelée and a generous layer of Kristal caviar; the longstanding favourite of seasonal vegetables cooked with vegetable bouillon and winter black truffle with a finishing drizzle of Xeres and Barolo vinegar; and chef’s legendary “Rum baba as in Monte Carlo” featuring a generous pour of HSE rum specially selected for Alain Ducasse’s restaurants.
3F, Morpheus, City of Dreams, Estrada do Istmo, Cotai, Macau; cityofdreamsmacau.com
Kinsman unveils “A Tale of Hong Kongers”
A highly anticipated launch, Kinsman’s second menu “A Tale of Hong Kongers” is an anthropological deep dive into the five indigenous communities that once defined Hong Kong society. A total of ten new signature cocktails—some available in zero ABV or low-alcohol versions–pay homage to the Hakka, Chiuchow, Hoklo, Tanka, and Cantonese groups through a vast inventory of unique local ingredients. The sour-style “Ode to Moiyan” nods to the Hakka-style dish of braised pork trotter and red beancurd with a blend of Ming River baijiu, aperol, Mei Kew Lu rose liquor and red beancurd shrub, whilst “Harvests & Sowings” transforms the Hoklo “vegetable tea” dish into a grassy beverage made with Hennessy V.S.O.P, Yuk Bing Siu, matcha, and sugar snap peas. The food menu also welcomes delicious newcomers in the form of a mapo tofu sando and food critic Susan Jung’s very own salted egg yolk wings recipe.
65 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong; @kinsman.hk
White truffle season at Zuma
Every September to December, one of the most premier ingredients in the world comes into season — white truffle. This year, Zuma incorporates these sought-after tubers into their contemporary Japanese menu by specially designing dessert and cocktails and adding white truffles to signature dishes. Notably, white truffles will be freshly shaved on top of the langoustine sashimi with caviar while the Japanese wagyu tataki will be served with truffle ponzu. The “Nashi Harmony” is the cocktail star of the hour featuring truffle dark rum, pear liqueur, thyme cordial and lime. Enjoy it with the white chocolate truffle molten cake to wrap up the indulgent night.
Level 5 & 6 Landmark Atrium, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central; @zumahk
Chef Christophe Schmitt reimagines dinner at Clarence
Chef Chrisophe Schmitt spearheads an elevated chapter at Clarence as the new head chef. He brings with him extensive knowledge from Michelin-star kitchens across Europe as he works in Asia for the first time, honouring French culinary traditions while incorporating Asian terroir and ingredients. The customisable dinner menu sees an entire revamp with Clarence’s signature brown butter skate wing and two-spices tuna being the only two dishes kept in the main and starter selections. Among the new additions is a luscious hot starter of Hokkaido sea urchin atop a creamy scrambled egg garnished with fennel for a subtle anise flavour. The new buttery beef fillet pithivier is stuffed with a decadent foie gras accompanied by a bright salad with truffle vinaigrette. For dessert, the pistachio cream with raspberry coulis and roasted pistachios is light and nutty, rounding off the dinner on a ‘not-too-sweet’ note.
25F, H Code, 45 Pottinger St, Central ; @clarencehkg
Vista
Vista refreshes its fixed-price menu with the help of Chef Matteo Caripoli of Cantina. Authentic Italian flavours shine through in an extensive selection of starters, pastas and risottos, main dishes, and of course, dessert. Highlights among the new additions include the flavourful Fassona beef tartare prepared tableside and served with delicate potato chips, saffron risotto with braised veal and melt-in-your-mouth bone marrow, and the flaming salt-baked sea bass with salmoriglio sauce and vegetable caponata. Though a difficult choice to make, guests have the option of two, three or four courses with this new menu.
29/F, One Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; vistahk.com
Collaborations, pop-ups, and more
Tong Chong Street Market returns to Taikoo Place
Tong Chong Street Market is back and better than ever before! Returning to Taikoo Place this November, TCSM will host a mouthwatering lineup of local F&B vendors who have whipped up a host of TCSM-exclusive delights such as the such as Drunken duck tongue with mala oil from Twins Liangpi, Soho Bánh Mì summer rolls, beef noodle soup from Amaze Dumplings, the Pink Wasabi Lime gelato from Snack Baby Gelato and Tai On Coffee & Tea’s hojicha mochi egg tart.
This edition of TCSM is its biggest yet. Whilst guests are spoilt for choice in the food department, they’re also treated to Hong Kong’s first indoors-to-outdoors 9 hole mini golf experience and the first outdoor Picnic Music Festival — “Such a Goooood Festival”— a partnership between TCSM and McDonald’s. A diverse lineup of musical talents will take to the stage including established acts like Dear Jane and Jay Fung, indie artists such as Manson and Novel Friday, and a bright-eyed group of young buskers.
When: 16 to 24 November, 2024
Where: Tong Chong Street, G/F One Taikoo Place, 1/F Office Lobbies at Taikoo Place, Quarry Bay
Ticketing: Free entry, HK$150 for the TCSM Crazy Golf Experience via tongchongstreetmarket.com
VINOSOPHY hosts wine extravaganzas
Hong Kong-based luxury wine distributor VINOSOPHY is ringing in the festivities early with two consecutive nights spotlighting a variety of exceptional, under-the-radar French wines. Both the Grand Tasting at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Poolhouse on 21 November and the La Paulée dinner at The China Club on 22 November will take guests on a wine odyssey like no other. Expect pours from Bourgogne, Bordeaux, Loire, Rhône and Corsica producers such as Domaine Prieuré Roch, Vieux Châteaux Certain, Domaine des Sables Verts, Domaine Eymin-Tichaux and Clos Venturi, as well as grower champagne houses like Siret Frère & Soeur and Jules Brochet.
Reserve your spot here
Grand Hyatt Hong Kong celebrates 35th Anniversary
In honour of its 35th year, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong has cooked up an enticing array of time-limited menus across its various dining destinations. Over at Grissini, a delectable 35th anniversary tasting menu showcases 24-month aged Culatello ham from Zibello and homemade egg tagliolini with Alba white truffles, whilst One Harbour Road spotlights some of its most beloved dishes from throughout the years for the hotel’s milestone occasion. At Tiffin, guests can delight in the restaurant’s first-ever Fabbri gelato pop-up during lunch buffet, afternoon tea, and dinner buffet periods; a ginkgo and lavender-focused “Celebration of Timeless Beauty” Afternoon Tea in collaboration with luxury French beauty brand Sisley; an indulgent cheese-filled evening with one of the longest cheeseboards in Asia; and a luxurious night of caviar, oysters, and free-flowing Ruinart Blanc de Blanc.
Visit hongkong.grand.hyattrestaurants.com for more information
Editor
Alyanna Raissa J. Payos and Karrie LamCredit
Lead image: Courtesy of Samsen
