New Launches
LALA
Michelin-starred Chef Franckelie Laloum and hospitality savant Michael Larkin have taken the best of French dining to Hong Kong’s vibrant Soho neighbourhood. For his first solo venture—and a very chic one at that—Laloum celebrates his native cuisine through a lighter take on typically rich French classics like parsley garlic frog legs, langoustine vol au vent, and paté en croute. Over at the bar, martinis and Old Fashioneds summon the golden age of cocktail culture while modern concoctions showcase the team’s free-spirited creativity.
G/F, 29 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central; lalahk.co
Roganic returns
The long-awaited reopening of Roganic has officially been scheduled for February 15th! The beloved Michelin-starred restaurant by chef Simon Rogan has found a new home in Causeway Bay. Designed in collaboration with eco-social enterprise HK Timberbank, the space is a beautiful interpretation of the Roganic ethos. Undulating wooden elements and custom tables are crafted from locally sourced wood, floors are reclaimed and recycled marble, and the chairs are from the restaurant’s previous site, upholstered to give them new life. The Roganic menu too has been reinvigorated with a new menu format that revolves around shared experiences and a steadfast commitment to zero waste.
Shop 402-403, 4/F, Lee Garden One, Causeway Bay; @roganichongkong
Valentine’s Day menus and more
Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic
What’s better than a dinner at Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic? A dinner at Cristal Room with Anne-Sophie Pic. This year, Valentine’s Day at Cristal Room is an exceptional affair and Chef Anne-Sophie is in town to host. Besides a lavish eight-course dinner specially curated for the occasion is the ‘Exclusivité Valentine’s Day Experience’. Held within a private dining room, the bespoke experience for two includes the eight-course dinner, award-winning beverage pairing and culinary surprises like a tomato tartelette with geranium and longjing beurre blanc, and Brittany blue lobster with Douglas fir and rosemary-infused coral sauce. The delights continue with a special delivery of fresh roses, Chef Anne-Sophie’s latest book “Suffusion” personally dated and signed, and an engraved set of Baccarat Harcourt 1841 Love Glasses. You’ll be left with both stomachs and hearts full.
43/F, Gloucester Tower, LANDMARK, 15 Queen’s Road Central; @cristalroombyasp
Clarence
Head Chef Christophe Schmitt has whipped up a one-day-only Valentine’s Day menu for those looking to celebrate love and connection in all its myriad forms. Whether it’s enjoyed with your significant other, friends, or family, this six-course menu is sure to delight. The meal begins with a refreshing scallop carpaccio with yoghurt and caviar followed by compelling dishes like a rich lobster ravioli with red-curry infused sauce, a dainty pink-ified John Dory fillet, and finally, champagne-soaked biscuits and raspberry sorbet atop a lychee mousse for dessert. Two exclusive Valentine’s cocktails called “The Lady” and “The Gentleman” are also available for a limited time.
25/F, H Code, 45 Pottinger Street, Central; @clarencehkg
Té Bo
Toast to love with a specially curated six-course V-day menu at Té Bo. Indulgent plates await, including langoustine royale paired with sugar snap peas, Hokkaido sea urchin, jicama and shiso; Blue prawn ravioli with lemon, tomato beurre blanc and Lara walnut; and of course, the restaurant’s signature wagyu M9+ striploin. Available from February 13 to 15, each Valentine’s Day menu arrives with a complimentary glass of champagne for each guest.
1880 Social, 2/F, Two Taikoo Place, 979 King’s Road, Quarry Bay; @tebo.hk
Restaurant Petrus
Leave it to Chef Uwe Opecensky to craft the perfect Valentine’s Day celebration. Against the backdrop of Hong Kong’s unparalleled nighttime landscape, pamper your palates with a four or six course dinner that spotlights covetable dishes like Chef Uwe’s signature Spanish red prawn and a melt-in-your-mouth beef calotte. Exclusively for the occasion, he’s also crafted a dessert of immense beauty that spotlights the rare ayamihime strawberry—a treat you don’t want to miss.
56/F, Island Shangri-La Hong Kong, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty; @restaurant_petrus
Hutong
Spice up your Valentine’s Day with some Northern Chinese cuisine! At Hutong, an exclusive February 14th dinner sees six sumptuous courses like mala spicy tiger prawns, fragrant wok-stewed A5 Japanese wagyu beef with garlic chili sauce, and a starting trio that includes crispy tea-smoked pigeon. Dessert is an elegant display of various pink shades: a“Rose Pavlova” crafted with raspberry compote, lychee sorbet, rose, and meringue.
18/F, H Zentre, 15 Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; hutong.com.hk
LPM
Is there anyone more romantic than the French? This Valentine’s Day, LPM swoons with a “Mediterranean love affair” menu. Be transported to the South of France with dishes that boast fresh, seasonal flavours. Appetisers include tuna tartare and the more rustic burrata with cherry tomatoes and basil, followed by a shared middle course of luscious crab risotto. Quintessential French favourites make up the main course—think duck confit with orange and endive or a hefty ribeye steak—with two optional veggie sides. No great meal is complete without dessert, so yours will be a “Tarte Tropézienne à La Bergamote” that boasts bright citrus notes of bergamot and grapefruit.
H Queen’s, 23-29 Stanley Street, Central; lpmrestaurants.com/hongkong
208 Italian
At 208 Italian, four courses is all you need to show your love. The restaurant’s Valentine’s Day offering kicks off with a selection of moreish starters like beef tartare crostinis with dashi mayo before moving on to a difficult choice between three exquisite pastas, then one of three hearty mains of roasted sea bass, rustic veal with spinach or risotto carbonara, and finally a dessert, which again, sees three equally enticing options. Just follow your heart!
G/F, 208 Hollywood Road Sheung Wan; @208italian
Jimmy’s Kitchen
In a place brimming with history, memories are made all the more precious. At the iconic Jimmy’s Kitchen, romance comes in the form of vintage photographs and a three course meal filled with continental classics reminiscent of a bygone era. Starters include foie gras ballotine with toasted brioche and poached Daniel Sorlut oysters, whilst mains offer five delectable choices such as chargrilled iberico pork chop with parsnip mash and the restaurant’s signature beef wellington. Finish on a sweet note with an indulgent gianduja chocolate tart or the “Faux Alaska”.
M/F, Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central; @jimmyskitchenhk
Vista
It’s hard to beat dinner with a view. Against the backdrop of Hong Kong’s iconic Victoria Harbour skyline, treat your loved one to Vista’s exclusive Valentine’s Dinner, available on February 13 and 14. Feast on the likes of grilled octopus, duck ravioli with truffle-infused sauce, and the oh-so-tender ‘Braised Beef Cheek Guancia’. Dessert is love in the form of a heart shaped white chocolate mousse with Amarena cherries.
29/F, One Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; @vistahongkong
Collaborations & pop-ups
Sushiro x Chef Ryota Kanesawa
This may just be the collaboration we didn’t know we needed. Beloved sushi conveyor belt chain Sushiro has tapped Chef Ryota Kanesawa of the Michelin-starred Ryota Kappou Modern to create a tantalising selection of bites that will be released in two rounds. The first round just dropped with an aromatic truffle oil sukiyaki steak sushi, grilled Chinese tuna belly with apple mustard sauce, and a yuzu clam soup. The second round kicks off on February 19 with a duo of Sushiro-exclusive iterations of Chef Ryota’s signature dishes, tuna or beef with uni and seaweed tempura. Run, don’t walk!
Available across all Sushiro locations except Port Centre and New Town Plaza
Le Petit Chef’s Dining Room at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong
A thrilling gastronomic adventure awaits at the Grand Hyatt Steakhouse, where the world’s smallest chef invites guests to step into his vibrant, 3D animated world! The globally renowned dining show Le Petit Chef will debut in Hong Kong on February 15, tantalising the senses with a fun-filled fusion of 3D mapping, music, and fine food. At the show, a wondrous virtual story unfolds on the table, offering a compelling backstory to each of the five dishes on the menu. The luxurious LE GRAND CHEF MENU boasts mouthwatering plates like ‘Lobster en Papillote’ and a classic steak au poivre, whilst the alternative vegetarian menu presents a lush pumpkin risotto among others.
Reserve your spot here
BAAN BAAN Pop-up by Black Sheep
Fukuro’s Chef Art and Ho Lee Fook’s Chef Eak have teamed up with Chef Archan for a unique and heartfelt pop-up concept that gives the city’s diners a glimpse into the dishes they have long been cooking for the Black Sheep Team Canteen and group outings together. Aptly named after the Thai word for home, BAAN BAAN brings a touch of Thai hospitality along with casual sharing plates teeming with the colourful flavours both chefs grew up with in The Land of Smiles. The pop-up runs until March 31, and is walk-ins only.
52 Staunton St, Central; @baanbaanhk
Editor
Alyanna Raissa J. PayosCredit
Lead image: Courtesy of Clarence
