New Launches
Clipper Lounge Reopens At Mandarin Oriental
Dubbed “the heart and soul” of Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, the beloved Clipper Lounge is ready to welcome guests again with a new brand new look. Led by J Candince Interior Architects, the renovated space is an homage to Hong Kong’s maritime history and draws inspiration from the fishing fleets of the ‘70s and bustling seafood markets.
Situated on the mezzanine floor, the lounge remains a vibrant gathering place for locals and visitors alike. At the buffet area, guests can savour a diverse menu featuring signature dishes from the hotel’s renowned restaurants, including Hainanese Chicken Rice and the classic Mandarin Cheesecake, which is crafted using a recipe which has stayed unchanged since the hotel’s opening in 1963. Seafood lovers are in for a treat: the buffet also features premium seafood galore, including Poached Boston Lobster and Local Abalone, sourced from responsible suppliers.
M/F, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road Central, Central; mandarinoriental.com
Minato
The finest elements of Japanese gastronomy come together in Langham Hospitality Group’s latest concept, Minato. The restaurant gets its name from the Japanese word for ‘harbour,’ orchestrating a refined dining experience characterised by serenity and a land-meets-sea philosophy. A seasoned team of chefs lead an intimate immersion into teppanyaki, omakase and kaiseki traditions, using seasonal ingredients, premium marbled beef and handpicked seafood of the highest quality.
G4 – G6, G/F, Great Eagle Centre 23 Harbour Road, Wanchai; @minato.wanchai
208 Italian
Epicurean Group’s new neighbourhood concept stands out not only for its punchy orange facade, but also for its deliciously authentic representation of Italian fare. Piedmont-born chef Emanuele Canuto sends us on a flavourful journey through Italy, paying homage to culinary traditions from the North all the way to the South. Expect premium Neapolitan pizzas, a lively pasta selection, and a range of hearty mains like the rustic Whole Chicken Cacciatora or the saffron-hued risotto with 24-month aged Parmigiano cheese and roasted bone marrow.
G/F, 208 Hollywood Road Sheung Wan; @208italian
BaseHall 02 welcomes Victuals and Zagin Soba
The ever-growing, ever-changing Basehall 02 family introduces two new members to its list. The Arcane Collective’s new concept, Victuals, follows in the footsteps of the recently shuttered Moxie, focusing on a healthy and delicious plant-forward menu with East Asian-inspired dishes like chilled spicy soba noodles, three-grain mapo tofu, and chicken kastu. On the other hand, beloved Osakan chicken broth ramen expert Zagin Soba lands in BaseHall 02 with a range of its signatures such as the tsukemen chicken sauce dipping ramen and burdock fried rice.
LG/F and B/F, Jardine House, Central; @basehallhk
JOM Sheung Wan
JOM Modern Singaporean has opened its doors in Sheung Wan, celebrating with a Singapore National Day sharing set this August. After sipping on the welcome mocktail, guests can dive into a quintessentially Singaporean feast featuring standout dishes like Black Pepper Tiger Prawn, Sambal Stingray and Iberico Coffee Pork Ribs, each presented with a contemporary twist and complemented by flavourful homemade sambals. Finish on a sweet note with their one-of-a-kind Kaya Churros.
81 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan; eatjom.com
New menus, collaborations and more
Spoilt for choice at Hong Kong Cuisine 1983
The sky’s the limit for Chef Silas Li. At Hong Kong Cuisine 1983, Chef Silas wows with a host of new additions to the menu, offering a sneak peek into the mind of a culinary genius. For starters, he showcases the largely untapped potential of vegetarian dining with a fully vegetarian set menu. An expansive range of produce is transformed under the hands of Chef Silas; the unassuming winter melon is elevated with layers of summer truffle and a water chestnut sauce, zucchini flower surprises with a sticky glutinous rice stuffing and aromatic Thai curry sauce, and tomatoes entice in three different forms—seasoned and semi-baked, a gazpacho, and a silky mousse with tomato jelly.
Hong Kong Cuisine 1983’s à la carte menu has also welcomed over 20 new dishes to its lineup, with standouts including a steamed yellow croaker generously dressed in a bright Fuji apple and yellow bell pepper chilli sauce, and a heavenly pandan soufflé served alongside pandan sauce and kaya ice cream for extra indulgence. Finally, Chef Silas breathes new life into the typical dim sum experience with over 30 new creations that feature both nods to time-honoured classics and unique novel creations. Sink your teeth into siu mai with runny quail eggs and steamed bone marrow drenched in sa cha sauce, or run the risk of getting hooked on gloriously deep fried caramelised peanut dumplings filled with a runny peanut butter sauce. We know you’re drooling.
1/F, Elegance Court, 2-4 Tsoi Tak Street, Happy Valley; @hongkongcuisine1983
Aussie-inspired creations at Cornerstone
After a transformative trip to South Western Australia to participate in the Taste Great Southern food & wine festival, Chef Neal Ledesma has channelled his culinary findings into a brand new seasonal menu. Experience quality produce and refreshing flavours with starters like a blue crab and baby gem salad with avocado, shio kombu and lemon mayo, or a bright grilled peach salad paired with smoked stracciatella and tofu walnut pesto. When it comes to the mains, diners have a difficult choice between dishes such as chicken parmigiana (an Aussie pub classic), sustainably farmed Australian pan-fried barramundi and eggplant yoghurt, a plant-based chickpea mushroom croustillant with mango chutney, and a soon-to-be-available braised kangaroo tail pasta in time for the autumn season. The Cornerstone cherry on top is a special “buy one, get one free” weekday promotion on all their Australian wines.
49 Hollywood Road; @cornerstonehongkong
Café 103 Presents LANVIN Summer Wardrobe Afternoon Tea
Café 103 at The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong is delighted to unveil the LANVIN Summer Wardrobe Afternoon Tea, available from August 5 to November 24, 2024. This exquisite collaboration seamlessly intertwines the realms of haute couture and culinary artistry, with each delicacy drawing inspiration from LANVIN’s iconic fashion creations. Savoury delights include Coconut Milk Crab Rillettes Cannoli, which blends sweet and creamy flavours in a crisp shell, and Smoked Salmon and Horseradish Cream Macarons, harmonizing sweet and savoury notes.
The dessert selection is a delightful homage to the LANVIN collection, featuring creations like the Tonka Bean Passion Fruit Chocolate Cake, inspired by the brand’s playful Cat Pencil Boxes, and the Coconut Lemon Cookie, reminiscent of Ballerina shoes. Other highlights include the Raspberry Rose Tart, which captures the essence of the Charmeuse Dress, and the Blueberry Yuzu Cake, echoing LANVIN’s signature blue. LANVIN lovers are in for a real treat, as guests will leave the afternoon tea with a HK$800 LANVIN gift voucher.
Café 103, Level 103, The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon; cafe103hongkong.com
Café 103 x The St. Regis Chengdu: Flavours Of Sichuan Buffet
Café 103 is turning up the heat this summer with a firey Sichuan-themed dinner buffet in collaboration with renowned Chef Mike Li from The St. Regis Chengdu. With 20 years of culinary mastery, Chef Li is celebrated for his expertise in Sichuan and Cantonese cuisines, having earned the title of Artisan of Qing Yang District, Chengdu, in 2022. Starting August 2, 2024, spice aficionados are invited to embark on a flavorful journey, savouring Sichuan classics like the tantalizing Chilled Chicken in Chili Oil, the bold Boiled Sliced Beef in Hot Chili Oil, and the irresistible Dandan Noodles.
Café 103, Level 103, The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon; cafe103hongkong.com
The Lounge x Chef Koichi Izumi
Dessert and pastry enthusiasts rejoice! You need not fly to Tokyo for a taste of Koichi Izumi’s creations. This summer, the renowned chef-owner of Asterisque brings a delightful touch to The Lounge afternoon tea at the Four Seasons Hong Kong. Presented alongside a selection of light savoury bites and the restaurant’s signature scones, Chef Izumi’s seasonal creations include a decadent chocolate cake with caramel, a fruity white chocolate delicacy aptly named ‘Hanabi’ (fireworks in Japanese) for the playful popping sensation it creates, and an elegant shortcake made with prized Japanese musk melons and Wasanbon sugar.
G/F, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, 8 Finance Street, Central; fourseasons.com
Chef Sheldon Fonseca transforms WHISK
WHISK begins a refreshing new chapter under the helm of The Mira’s Culinary Director Chef Sheldon Fonesca, whose wealth of experience under world class chefs—think Gordon Ramsay, Angela Hartnett and Wolfgang Puck—permits a boundless exploration of the myriad possibilities of modern European cuisine. As a highly vocal advocate of sustainability within the food & beverage sector, Chef Sheldon’s new vision for WHISK revolves heavily around the use of locally sourced produce, consciously caught premium seafood and artisanal meats of utmost quality. Patrons can indulge in MSC-certified Boston lobster tails with shellfish emulsion, free-range grass-fed Westholme Australian beef tenderloin, and roasted local three-yellow chicken paired with 10 grain rice and truffles.
5/F, The Mira Hong Kong, Mira Place, 118 – 130 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; @whisk.hk
Pica Pica launches lunch specials menu
Pica Pica has unveiled a new lunch specials menu brimming with Spanish flavours. Among the new additions are tostadas with traditional Majorcan sausage, Manchego cheese and honey; mini buns stuffed with succulent beef cheek, piparra peppers and pickles for flavourful contrast; and a large roasted chicken paella to share with the table. Debuting alongside this new selection of lunch specials are two off-menu bites perfect for seafood lovers—bluefin tuna and tomato tartare, and French oysters drenched in chilli pepper and garlic oil. Those looking to round off the meal with something sweet can opt for Pica Pica’s churros for a light, but satisfying bite.
Shop G & H, G/F Kai Tak Commercial Building, 317-321 Des Voeux Road Central, Sheung Wan; @picapicahk
Osteria Marzia spotlights treasures of the sea
Executive Chef Luca Marinelli has called on Matthew Kirkley of the one Michelin-starred Belon for a vibrant showcase of maritime flavours at Osteria Marzia. Together, the two chefs have cooked up a new and expanded a la carte menu for both lunch and dinner, fusing an endless love of seafood with rich Italian culinary traditions. Dishes like the tuna belly with roasted pepper sauce, nduja crackers and orange or the panzanella salad are bursting with refreshing, summer flavours, while hearty age-old pasta recipes that feel like true food for the soul. As for the mains, great care is shown in transforming the freshest catch into delectable plates such as grilled ma yau fish in a bell pepper, onion and tomato sauce, or the Zuppa di Pesce chock-full of black mussels, squid, Hokkaido Asari clams and more.
G/F The Fleming, 41 Fleming Road, Wan Chai; @osteriamarzia
Summertime specialties at Cuisine Cuisine
With a focus on sustainably-sourced premium ingredients and Chinese gastronomic philosophies, Cuisine Cuisine at The Mira refreshes its a la carte menu in time for the summer season. In honouring the importance of soup in Chinese cuisine, the restaurant introduces a trio of nourishing bowls, including a steamed winter melon soup filled with various premium meats and seafood. Other highlights on the new menu include a wok-fried medley of shredded fish maw, conpoy, crab meat and luxurious Ranou eggs; crispy sea cucumber stuffed with shrimp and pork; and a crispy French lamb brisket cooked with Sichuan peppercorns—a flavoursome reprieve from Hong Kong’s heat.
3/F, The Mira Hong Kong, Mira Place, 118 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; themirahotel.com
An ode to tea at Dim Sum Library
Dim Sum Master Chef Wah and Excutive Chef Junno Li pay homage to Chinese tea with the Dim Sum Library’s new ‘Tearoom Collection’, consisting of five elegant dishes and four bespoke drinks. From traditional har gau crafted with a longjing tea-infused dumpling wrapper and farm fresh chicken smoked in brown sugar, rice, puer and longjing tea, to oolong tea crème brulee and a jasmine tea-infused cocktail blend of vodka and homemade rose syrup, patrons can savour the varied flavours of tea anew. The ‘Tearoom Collection’ is available throughout the day on the a la carte menu and on Dim Sum Library’s afternoon tea menu until 31 October, 2024.
Shop 124, Level 1 Pacific Place, Admiralty; dimsulibrary.com.hk
Sanpellegrino enlivens al-fresco dining at The Pulse
Beat the heat with Sanpellegrino’s zesty beverage range! This summer, the Italian sparkling drinks brand is headed to Repulse Bay to extend its fruity beverage range to those looking to enjoy the sun at one of Hong Kong’s beloved beaches. Collaborating with two of The Pulse’s most frequented al-fresco dining destinations, Sanpellegrino has invited Amalfitana pizza bar and Fratelli pasta bar to transform its Limonata, Aranciata, Aranciata Rossa, and Pompelmo sparkling drinks into exciting new cocktails and mocktails. Each Sanpellegrino drink is crafted with quality Mediterranean fruit juice from concentrate, ensuring a truly authentic taste of Italy from wherever you are.
L1, The Pulse, 28 Beach Road, Repulse Bay
Editor
Alyanna Raissa J. PayosCredit
Lead image: Courtesy of Osteria Marzia
