New Launches
Artifact Bar
Bar industry stars Beckaly Franks, Ezra Star and Michael Larkin behind Japanese counter dining restaurant Artifact, have just unveiled their latest concept: Artifact Bar. Located inside BaseHall 02, the upscale bar boasts entrancing interiors inspired by underground water reservoirs. Expect elegant cocktails with a focus on brown spirits such as the Bread and Butter Milk Punch– a seasonal concoction of bourbon, corn, pomegranate, lemon, toasted bread and butter– as well as a curated selection of luxurious bar snacks courtesy of chef Kiyoshi Sato.
No, 1 & 2, Shop 5 & 7, LG/F, Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place, Central; @artifact_bar
Venchi Biscuits & Cream Gelato
Leading up to the arrival of summer, Italian choco-gelateria Venchi is launching new gelato flavours each month! Off to a strong start, this April gives way to Venchi’s Biscuits & Cream gelato, an indulgent cream based creation that incorporates crumbly gluten-free cornmeal biscuit pieces.
La Paloma Gets A Refresh
Spanish restaurant La Paloma is back with an elevated dining experience! After extensive renovations to the Sai Ying Pun location, La Paloma welcomes you back with a bespoke Paella Station dedicated to their signature Valencian-style rice dishes, a ham-slicing station, a specialised fridge for dry-ageing, and a brand new menu inspired by chef-owner Alex Fargas’ Barcelona roots. The restaurant’s lively El Bar has also undergone a revamp; now stationed away from the main dining area, the bar is brimming with the unmistakable charm of Barcelona’s beachside chiringuitos. Enjoy an extensive selection of cocktails, Spanish wines, and authentic sharing bars, or check out the brand-new Vermouth menu that features an assortment of special tapas pairings curated by the chef himself.
189 Queen’s Road West, Sai Ying Pun; lapaloma.hk
A Complete Makeover at Rú
The Nina Hotel’s resident Chinese restaurant Rú welcomes us into its completely redesigned space. The over 11,000 square-foot dining destination now houses a wine room, a capacious main dining room as well as an annex dining hall and five private dining rooms. Elegant leather seating, polished marble tables and light wood flooring have replaced Rú’s full drop round tablecloths, geometric carpet floors, and mahogany wall panels for a sophisticated look that capitalises on the natural daylight that pours in through the restaurant’s expansive windows. Rú’s re-opening also marks the launch of a brand new menu curated by chef Edmond Ip, featuring signatures like the baked abalone puff pastry and balsamic vinegar spare ribs with aged tangerine peel.
7/F, Nina Hotel Tsuen Wan West, 8 Yeung Uk Road, Tsuen Wan; ninahotelgroup.com
New Menus
Chutney Tandoor House Welcomes New Executive Chef Virender Kumar
Chutney Tandoor House welcomes Delhi-born Executive Chef Virender Kumar, marking his Hong Kong debut. Armed with two decades of culinary experience across the globe, notably with the Shangri-La group and Macau’s Galaxy Entertainment, Chef Kumar crafts a brand new a la carte menu at Chutney, paying homage to his roots while lending a contemporary twist to Indian cuisine with his expertise.
Start off with a refreshing plate of Romanesco & Beet Salad, and feast on the Andhra Tenderloin and Lamb Chop Pepper Masala, hearty dishes that feature the finest cuts of meat from Australia, exceptionally seasoned and then seared in tailor-made tandoor ovens. Other highlight dishes include the Nargisi Kofta, a soft-boiled egg wrapped with spiced minced lamb, and the Tandoori Octopus, which is slow-cooked for 12 hours and garnished with corn chat and mint yoghurt chutney. To complement the rich, varying flavours this new menu offers, opt for a crisp glass of Chutney Ice Tea, crafted with fresh pomegranate, peach juice and dehydrated orange.
A special tasting menu featuring dishes from the new a la carte menu is also available for HK$568 per person.
4/F, Carfield Commercial Building, 77 Wyndham Street; chesshouserestaurants.com
Burgundy Wine Dinner at Zuma
Wine and dine like never before! Zuma is launching Beyond Zuma’s Wine Cellar, a brand new dining series that will kick off with a Burgundy Wine dinner. Taking place on one night only, the exclusive feast features a collaborative menu between Executive Chef Quynh Phuin Brown and Head Sommelier Niccola Perrone, who will also step in as host of the evening. Guests will indulge in six thoughtfully designed courses, each complemented by a luxurious burgundy wine. Pairings include shishito peppers and goma ponzu alongside a glass of Bourgogne Aligote, “Vieilles Vignes”, René Bouvier 2018; a succulent selection of premium sashimi with Chassagne-Montrachet, Château de Pommard 2020; and a Hokkaido cheesecake with sakura strawberry sorbet coupled with the Pommard, Fanny Sabre 2020.
April 26 from 6.45pm onwards at Level 5 & 6, Landmark, 15 Queen’s Road Central; @zumahk
Good Fortune Club and Off-Menu Items at Ho Lee Fook
Headed solely by Executive Chef ArChan Chan and welcoming new Dim Sum Chef Winson Yip, Ho Lee Fook introduces Good Fortune Club, a monthly dim sum affair. Occurring every first Sunday of the month, the Good Fortune Club is an extraordinary feast of unlimited dim sum bites– think har gow, Ho Lee Fook’s signature pork jowl and cabbage dumplings, and a prawn toast and okonomiyaki hybrid– and champagne galore.
The vibrant Elgin Street eatery has also introduced a new range of innovative dishes and not-so-secret off-menu items. A fresh take on traditional Chinese delicacies, a smoked pigeon with skin crisped to perfection arrives atop a masterstock sauce, while a silky pudding-like egg custard comes dressed with a fragrant drizzle of soy sauce and sesame oil plus a generous portion of steamed mud crabs. Complete the hearty meal with Ho Lee Fook’s latest dessert creation: an icy pile of longan granita and tofu sorbet garnished with goji berries, white fungus, and tapioca pearls.
3-5 Elgin Street, SoHo, Central; @holeefookhk
Pata Negra Private Dining Experiences
Pata Negra has taken their Iberico ham private dining experience to new heights. Discover Pata Negra House Group’s premium gourmet products, from the Prestige Experience’s foie gras with fleur de sel sea salt and wine jelly pairing to the Iberico Bellota cold cuts at the Signature Experience. Both dining programs feature the PNH tasting room encounter, the Iberico ham cellar, and an eight course menu designed by chef Heloise Fischbach. Standout dishes include the vintage Baeri caviar croquette paired with a flavourful winter melon Iberico ham consommé, and the Canton-style Iberico pork pluma and cured sausages rice topped with ikura, a deliciously fresh take on Hong Kong favourites char siu and claypot rice.
Unit 601, 6/F, Lee Sum Factory Building, No. 28 Ng Fong Street, San Po Kong, Kowloon; @ibericohamcellar.hk
New Cocktails at Room 3
Get a taste of Sakura season with room 3’s latest springtime cocktails. Apart from their signature gin-based Sakura Cha, room 3 has added two new cherry blossom themed creations to celebrate hanami, Japan’s flower-viewing season. Light and refreshing with a creamy finish, the Sakura Blossom combines a sakura leaf-infused vodka with housemade lemongrass cordial, Maraschino cherry liquer and egg whites; while the Sakura Negroni uses a Vermouth made with sakura petals for a floral spin on the Italian classic.
Shop UG01-03, UG/F, H Zentre, 15 Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; @room3bar
Springtime at Embla
Spotlighting seasonal Nordic-inspired dishes, Embla launches new menus to usher in the spring season. Highlights include a spring radish rose with cured yellowtail and vendace roe; buttery Norwegian Skrei cod served with baby leeks and razor clams, as well as grilled milk-fed lamb saddle atop an ash and dill sauce. For desserts, Chef Löhdal rounds off the meal with a refreshing scoop of sea buckthorn sorbet with meringue, orange cake and topped off with a delicate tuile ring.
11 Upper Station Street, Sheung Wan; embla-hk.com
New Pizza at Dough Bros.
Crowd-favourite pizzeria Doughbros introduces The Meat Lover! The newest addition to their flawless pizza selection, The Meat Lover is aptly named for its generous protein-heavy recipe. The establishment’s meatiest pizza yet, it features Doughbro’s classic base of sourdough crust, housemade tomato sauce and mozzarella, topped with a full load of pepperoni, beef brisket, chicken, bacon, beef meatballs, ham and a sprinkling of mushroom slices for good measure.
Auor Seasonal Lunch and Dinner
The French fine-dining destination finally extends its lunch service from Wednesday to Saturday, kicking off with a seasonal lunch ranging three to five courses. Driven by the colourful flavours of Asia that serve as constant inspiration for chef Edward Voon, highlights of the new lunch menu include a Superior Sturgeon Caviar paired with a Japanese amberjack sauce and a “lion’s head” meatball served atop a Cantonese velouté.
Aour’s signature Six Rounds dinner menu also gets a luxurious upgrade for spring. After six decadent bites of vegetable-focused caviar canapés, indulge in the stunning new ‘rounds’ featured in the dinner program such as the mud crab au gratin, grilled satay-glazed wagyu, and sashimi-style hamachi with honeydew melon, oyster cream and house-made Thai sauce.
4/F, 88 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai; @auor.hkg
Collaborations, Pop-ups And Experiences
Blue Bottle Studio
Calling all coffee aficionados: Blue Bottle Studio lands in Hong Kong! First established in Kyoto, Blue Bottle Studio is a premium coffee experience inspired by the Japanese traditional kissaten “coffee shop” culture, elevated by the expertise of Blue Bottle founder James Freeman. In celebration of Blue Bottle Hong Kong’s third anniversary, Freeman personally brings the Studio into the bustling heart of Central at the Lyndhurst Terrace cafe, where the journey from “seed to cup” is meticulously demonstrated in a multi-sensory experience. Guests are invited to indulge in high-quality coffees prepared with specific brewing methods whilst enjoying a selection of vinyl music specially curated to go with the aroma and taste of each coffee. After Kyoto, Hong Kong officially becomes the second place in the world to host Blue Bottle Studio.
rén x Pullman Park Lane
Since their official launch in February, rén has planned ahead for monthly food activations to help raise funds and awareness for underprivileged youth in Hong Kong. This month, the social enterprise has joined hands with The Park Lane, a Pullman Hotel, for a decadent 70% Black Chocolate Cake. Curated by pastry chef Roy Lau, the cake is rich in dark chocolate and infused with rum for a touch of sweetness. 20% of the proceeds from sales of the exclusive dessert will go towards supporting rén’s Youth Programme.
Butter Cookies at The Upperhouse
The all-American Butter has broken through the Hong Kong cookie scene! You may have already noticed the Butter Cookies takeaway truck parked inside Pacific Place, hard to miss with its Barbie-pink paint job and a giant “Sold Out” sign seen more often than an open window ready to serve. This spring however, Butter Cookies is launching a pop-up location at The Upperhouse you don’t want to miss. Boasting a wider range of American classics such as M&M, ginger molasses, and a chewy oatmeal raisin cookie sure to convert any skeptics, the pop-up also completes the experience with a milk bar for delicious dunking options.
Editor
Alyanna Raissa J. Payos and Kaitlyn LaiCredit
Lead image: Courtesy of Embla
