New Launches
La Rambla by Catalunya reopens
La Rambla is back after an extensive month-long renovation! In mid-February, the beloved Spanish restaurant welcomed guests back to its new space, a collaborative effort between Executive Chef Rafa Gil, Leading Nation co-founders Gerald Li and Kevin Poon, and Studio Ruei. Teeming with the spirited energy of the restaurant’s original iteration, Catalunya, La Rambla now boasts bold Gaudí-inspired interiors adorned with artwork, an outdoor terrace that embodies Barcelona’s distinct beach culture, and even an entirely new collection of dinnerware that brims with personality. Dishes are a mix of Catalunya’s most popular and Chef Gil’s new recipes: hefty bombas and that tender suckling pig alongside ‘Anchovy Butter Toast’ and ‘Oxtail & Red Wine Caramelised Onion Tarte Tatin with Foie Mousse.’
3071-73 Level 3, ifc mall, Central; @_la_rambla__
Arbor releases menu inspired by French-Chinese artist Lanlan
Arbor, the Two-MICHELIN-starred Nordic-Japanese culinary haven, is painting the town with a limited-time menu inspired by the abstract watercolour masterpieces of French-Chinese multidisciplinary artist Xie Jing-Lan, also known as Lalan. Chef-owner Eric Räty has transformed his admiration for Lalan’s bold, dynamic brushstrokes and tranquil compositions into a gastronomic journey that seamlessly blends art and cuisine. The menu features meticulously crafted dishes, each a sensory masterpiece, including a 12-hour steamed South African abalone paired with green tea ramen and abalone jus foam, a roasted French pigeon breast enhanced with Okinawan sugar and Sichuan peppers, and a stunning blood orange dessert with honey-white chocolate ganache and rhubarb chutney. This unique dining experience is a must for those who appreciate the fusion of visual and culinary artistry.
25/F, H Queen’s, 80 Queen’s Road Central, Central; arbor-hk.com
Yaowarat
Joining the city’s line-up of vibrant Thai eateries is Yaowarat, named after the bustling food street in Bangkok’s Chinatown. Casual and cosy with only 30 seats available, the restaurant offers a mix of classic Thai bites like pad thai, green curry and mango sticky rice, as well as regional dishes from the South such as the rich massaman pork cheek curry and fried chicken hat yai (Southern Thai) style. Meals are to be enjoyed alongside a selection of wines, signature cocktails ranging from zesty and refreshing to spicy and bold, or craft beer on draft.
Shop C, G/F CentreStage, 108 Hollywood Road, Central; @yaowarat.hk
New menus and more
Minato
Minato elevates the beloved bento box with its three-course ‘Torio Bento’. Handcrafted three-tier earthenware globes come apart to reveal a layer of fresh seasonal sashimi that varies per person, A5 Miyazaki wagyu rice enriched with Nagasaki egg yolk, and finally, Inaniwa udon and deep-fried tofu pouches in a housemade dashi broth. The restaurant has also introduced the new ‘Tsubaki Weekend Teppanyaki Dinner’, on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays. With this set menu, expect nine courses of premium selections of the land and sea such as Black Tiger King prawn from Thailand, seasonal Japanese vegetables, and melt-in-your-mouth slices of A5 Miyazaki wagyu beef.
Shop G4-G6, G/F, Great Eagle Centre, 23 Harbour Road, Wanchai; @minato.wanchai
Hong Kong Cuisine 1983
The latest tasting menu at Hong Kong Cuisine 1983 begins, as usual, with a delicate trio of appetisers. This time, it’s a lollipop-esque frozen salted kumquat parfait with dried tangerine powder, crispy quail egg that’s been smoked in chicken soy sauce and crowned with caviar, and a salmon roe and celeriac purée tart with preserved kumquat. Highlights of this generously curated menu are difficult to single out, but Chef Silas Li’s reinvention of the traditional Hakka salt-baked chicken, a hearty conpoy rice with stuffed morel mushroom, and stir-fried geoduck paired with pickled sweet ginger apple purée and longjing tea sauce are sure to thrill the tastebuds.
1/F, 2-4 Tsoi Tak Street, Happy Valley; 1983hkc.com
Clarence
Dinner at Clarence just got a whole lot more sophisticated. The new menu gives diners the freedom to curate their meals and select from a range of starters, mains and desserts. Kick off the feast with punchy bites like ‘Gamberoni with Red Curry & Pistachio Cold Cream’ and ‘Scallop Carpaccio with Horseradish sauce & Dill Oil’, before moving onto tantalising mains to feast on solo, or share amongst the table such as a buttery Dover sole or Argentinian prime rib. Desserts are a tough choice between a classic mont blanc, a croffle with salted caramel and Normandy milk ice cream, or pistachio cream with raspberry coulis and roasted pistachios for something lighter.
25F, H Code, 45 Pottinger St, Central; @clarencehkg
Little Bao
Little Bao writes a love letter to Hong Kong in the form of four thrilling new additions to the menu. Paying tribute to the city’s quintessential establishment, the cha chaan teng, the ‘Curry Brisket Bao’ combines a USDA prime brisket that is braised then deep-fried, Hong Kong-style curry sauce, carrot skordalia, and cabbage slaw for a flavour-packed bite. Meanwhile, the ‘Stuffed Aburaage Tofu with Charred Onion Dashi’ is Little Bao’s take on beancurd skin rolls, aka. the underdogs of dim sum, and the ‘Zesty Yuzu Yakult Ice Cream Bao’ brings back memories of childhood. Finally, the ‘Stir Fry Beef Noodle Style Fries’ from last summer’s seasonal menu has also been brought back by popular demand.
1-3 Shin Hing Street, Central and Shop H1, G/F, 9 Kingston Street, Causeway Bay; @littlebaohk
JW Marriott’s Fish Bar celebrates Art Month
Vibrant, eco-conscious, and a feast for both the eyes and the palate, Fish Bar’s “Colouring Nature: Exotica Umami Tasting Menu” is the perfect meal to kick off Art Month. The four-course sustainable seafood menu boasts a partnership with Exotica Umami sauce that sees its unique flavour infused in every dish. Begin with a refreshing tuna tartare before sinking your teeth into a prawn taco with smoky braised tofu and caviar, followed by a stunning plate of cod mosaic with a medley of seasonal vegetables, and pandan gelato for dessert.
7/F, JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty; jwmariotthkoffers.com
Penfolds 65F by NIGO
For his fourth and final release as Pendfolds’ creative partner, Nigo draws inspiration from the brand’s Magill Estate Winery and its pressed labels of the 1930s to the 1950s. The limited-edition 750ml bottle is adorned in a charming retro label and houses a 2021 vintage Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz blend with a maturation period of 12 months in 100% French oak barriques. The Penfolds 65F by Nigo gift tin also includes charming knick-knacks that nod to the Penfolds Magill Estate Winery’s iconic white chimney: a wine tag and chalk pencil, and a playful chimney smoke-shaped wine stopper.
Available at Watson’s Wine and Market Place locations across Hong Kong
Collaborations
Ming Court Wanchai Four Hands Dinner With Beijing MICHELIN 3-Star Chao Shang Chao
Editor
Alyanna Raissa J. PayosCredit
Lead image: Courtesy of Minato
