New Launches
Snack Baby
It’s all of the pleasure and none of the lactose at Snack Baby! A charming neighbourhood gelateria and bar nestled between the charming streets along Hollywood Road, Snack Baby stands out with its charming mid-century interiors and an expansive range of lactose-free and dairy-free gelato, inspired by founder JC Lombard’s daughters. Gelatos are made using fresh and premium ingredients, with a constantly refreshed selection of 14 classic and unconventional flavours—think a smokey bourbon vanilla, matcha with roasted white chocolate, and a refreshing blend of shaken pineapple and coconut. Snack Baby also has you covered in the drinks department, with everything from a classic cocktail and sparkling wines to No-Lo ABV cocktails and coffee.
93-95 Hollywood Road, G/F, Central; @snackbabygelato
CUÍT and Draft Land at BaseHall 02
The BaseHall 02 family expands with the arrival of two new members. Beloved sourdough bakery CUÍT ventures beyond its Sai Kung home, offering enticing baked delights, sourdough focaccia sandwiches packed with goodness, and house-made specialty loaves and condiments over at their new BaseHall concept, CUÍT Épicerie. Meanwhile, cocktail enthusiasts are in for a treat with Draft Land’s latest innovation, which offers a vast selection of wine, draught beer and inventive cocktails like a fizzy lemon Ribena sprite-inspired concoction, all on tap.
Shops 9A-C, LG/F, Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place, Central; @basehallhk
Nook
Singular Concepts’ latest project is an all-day café reinventing Cantonese favourites with a global twist. Aptly designed, the nostalgic interiors at Nook nod to local culture with a mix of rattan chairs, vintage knick-knacks, and ceramic tiling in a modern shade of electric blue. Chef Jon Lee takes the helm at this buzzy new spot, marrying quesadillas with yeung chow fried rice, and giving cheung fun an unexpected drizzle of blueberry sauce. This inventive spirit carries on into the drinks menu too, where you’ll find familiar Hong Kong flavours in both classic and boozier formats.
Shop 4, G/F, AIA Hong Kong Tower, 734 King’s Road, Quarry Bay; @nookcafe.hk
New menus
Hansik Goo revamps executive lunch
Chef Seung Hun Park’s new executive lunch menu treats the tastebuds to a vibrant spectrum of Korean flavours. To kick off the meal is a delicate duo of seasonal raw seafood dressed with perilla seed oil, Korean sancho, and a multi-layered sauce made with fermented soybean paste. An abalone-wrapped dumpling served in a rich beef brisket broth follows, then the star of the show is a glorious bansang set boasting five side dishes to accompany a difficult choice of seasonal fish, braised short ribs, or grilled hanwoo beef. For desserts that check the not-too-sweet box, a makgeolli ice cream with black sesame mousse and crumble is refreshing and light, whilst the crème brûlée with pecan and gochujang brings a twist on the indulgent classic. Some tea, a piece of chocolate dusted with roasted soybean powder, and a traditional Korean sweet called yakgwa wraps up the culinary experience.
1/F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington St, Sheung Wan; hansikgoo.hk
New Bar Manage Birstacla Wong reinvigorates Gishiki Lounge
Birstacla Wong has joined Gishiki Lounge as Bar Manager, honouring the occasion with a tan-tea-lising lineup of new cocktails. Discover a host of creative ways to enjoy the flavours of matcha, pu er, and longjing—blended with Johnnie Walker Black Label and coffee in the signature ‘M & M’, or fused with Don Julio Reposado, fermented soybean, lime and rattan pepper oil in ‘No Bitter Time’. Wong’s bar programme also presents a range of fresh interpretations on classics like a whiskey sour, margarita, and negroni.
Shop 01-LG103, LG1/F Block 01, Tai Kwun, Shama Soho, 10 Hollywood Road, Central; @gishikiloungehk
SOMM celebrates 5th Anniversary
SOMM commemorates their 5th anniversary with an exquisitely crafted degustation menu, available in four or six courses. Curated by Chef Richard Ekkebus himself, the menu takes us through the restaurant’s legacy with a collection of SOMM signatures throughout the years. Delight in Chef Mario Paecke’s red sea urchin french toast starter, a crowd-favourite since its inception in 2020, as well as Chef Terry Ho’s sea lettuce taco with raw ama ebi and caviar lime—a refreshing summertime bite. Mains include confit amberjack with char grilled lettuce, mustard leaves puree, and wakame beurre blanc—a new creation by Raymond Yip SOMM’s current Chef de Cuisine—while desserts range from Executive Pastry Chef Carles Codina’s bourbon vanilla, caramel and hazelnut mille-feuille to Ekkebus’ beloved chocolate soufflé.
Available until end of December 2024 at 7/F, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 15 Queen’s Road Central; mandarinoriental.com
Summertime at BEDU
Chef Ali Ahmadpour welcomes the summer season at Bedu with a revamped weekday lunch menu and a host of new recipes. Dig into his mother’s mushroom stew reimagined as a pan-fried mushroom lettuce wrap; juicy prawns sauteed in a fragrant heaty blend of onions, shallots, turmeric and tomato sauce; roasted chicken atop a bed of carrot hummus; and a pan-fried king fish bursting with bright flavours and served alongside a tabbouleh salad.
40 Gough Street, Central, Hong Kong; bedurestaurant.com
Grand Majestic Sichuan unveils new a la carte delicacies
Explore the multifaceted Sichuan cuisine at Grand Majestic Sichuan, where Chef Theign Phan adds eight new recipes to the a la carte menu. Said to encompass 24 different flavour profiles and sensations, Sichuan cuisine’s culinary range shines in dishes like the shredded local yellow chicken tossed with spring onion oil and chopped chillies, and angus beef tenderloin cubes that highlight a unique spicy mustard flavour.
Shop 301, Alexandra House, 18 Chater Road, Central; grandmajesticsichuan.com
Collaborations, Pop-ups and Events
Shake Shack x Bar Leone
In celebration of their 6 years in Hong Kong, Shake Shack is launching their very first boozy milkshake: The Carbonara Shake! Made in collaboration with none other than Bar Leone’s Lorenzo Antinori, the drink takes inspiration from the classic Roman dish, presenting an unexpected marriage of sweet and savoury flavours. Antinori’s adventurous recipe blends the signature Shake Shack vanilla frozen custard with Bourbon, sea salt, and malt powder, before serving in a glass swirled with luscious egg yolk. The carbonara fantasy also comes sans-alcohol, and is complete with a dash of black pepper and crispy applewood-smoked bacon bits. For those eager to try, the shake will be available at Shake Shack ifc on June 5th (one day ahead of its citywide launch) and the first 50 guests to place an order will walk away with a limited-edition Shake Shack x Bar Leone tote. Run, don’t walk!
From June 6 to July 16, 2023 across all Shake Shack locations
Melody Pride Brunch
Always a joyful occasion, Melody’s weekend brunch gets a rainbow makeover for Pride day! Guests are invited to rock their most flamboyant rainbow-hued outfits in support of the LGBTQ+ community, and tuck into a host of hearty dishes like the Josper grilled suckling pig with mash or Chef Jamie’s personal pick of roasted yellow chicken with potato rösti, slaw, and fried duck eggs. And because of course this is Melody House of Food and Music, the Pride brunch is not complete without a killer soundtrack by Music Director Johnny Hiller, this time featuring a lineup of legendary gay anthems. A portion of the proceeds from the event will also go to Rainbow Hong Kong to help fund their advocacy efforts.
June 29, 2024 at 100 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun; melodyhongkong.com
Editor
Alyanna Raissa J. PayosCredit
Lead image: Courtesy of Singular Concepts
