Header photo: oyster with Thai herb salad and kaffir lime by Plaa
Whilst the summer holidays are ending and students are soon heading back to school, there’s still plenty of summer to have – according to the Google god, summer ends on 23 September, while Mid-Autumn Festival is on 10 September this year (go figure). Whether you’re celebrating or are just looking for something new, here’s a list of new restaurants and menus to try out. Please check back often for further updates.
Amalfitana Pop Up x Guest Chef Yong-Soo Do (Aug 31 only)
We love a good east-meets-west crossover, and at Amalfitana, Korean Chef Yong-Soo Do, is taking over the kitchen for the month! Chef Do is known for starting is career in Canada at BUCA Osteria & Enoteca before working under famed Hong Kong-based Chef Vicky Cheng of Michelin one starred restaurant Vea and Wing, as well as Chef Alvin Leung of Bib n Hops for three years, including a stint at Black Sheep Restaurant Fukuro. He’s put together a 6 course tasting menu at $800 HKD per person for one night on August 31, highlighting beloved Korean flavors. The scarlet prawn tartare coming with a smoked tomato bisque, and dressed in sturgeon caviar and basil oil is one of the stars of his show, but the true hero of the evening is his special K-Pizza topped with bulgogi beef, scarmorze pepper, and srirarcha. (The pizza is available through the month of September in case you miss the tasting dinner.)
Where: Yu Yuet Lai Building, Shops D&E, G/F, 43-55 Wyndham Street, Central
For Reservations: 2688 2001, online
A Lux – New Menu
The latest venture of Dining Art Group, A Lux has launch a new tasting menu inspired by contemporary artworks. This is an interactive experience, which Chef Chung created a number of unique, innovative twists on Italian-French classics to accompany a listening tour of art work by international artist, Cang Yuan through collaboration with Art of Nature Contemporary Gallery. There are three-levels of set dinner menus to choose from – A Lux Classic (5 courses for $1,180 per person); A Lux Experience offers 6 courses at $1,480 per person and A Lux Signature with 8 courses at $1,780 per person. 10% service charge applies. Wine pairings are available.
Where: M/F, Baskerville House, 13 Duddell Street, Central
For Reservations: 2663 9938, 6660 7352 (WhatsApp)
Alvy’s x Indulgent Eats Pop-Up (Sept 1 – 18)
Launching her new cookbook Indulgent Eats at Home, Jen Balisi has teamed up with Alvy’s for an 18-day pop up featuring some of the cookbook favorites such as Filipino Sisig Pizza (HK$188), which sourdough and mozzarella base is baked with soy and calamansi-seasoned pork belly, egg, garlic, onion and chilies, finished with crispy chicharon, red onion, scallions and spicy calamansi mayo (OMG!) Every order of Sisig Pizza also comes with a free can of Higherthan by Young Master Ales Salted Lime Highball, a cocktail made with salt-cured lime, cane sugar and organic vodka. Jen’s Crispy Noodle Wrapped Prawns (HK$188), a Thai-inspired starter, will be served with a fish sauce-spiked Pineapple Chili Sauce. Indulgent Eats at Home will be for sale at Alvy’s for HK$200 during the pop-up. Jen will be on-site to sign personalized copies and sell special pizza-themed merchandise on September 1-2, 4 and 18,
Where: Alvy’s by Young Master, 8 Holland Street, Kennedy Town
For Reservations: 2312 2996, online
Bakehouse – New Causeway Bay Location
In a few years, Bakehouse has become one of the viral neighborhood bakery that Hong Kongers are willing to wait in lines for. Good news, they just opened another location in CWB; bad new, the lines are equally long. But the better news is that the pastries quality is equally delicious as their first location and they rolled out some new flavors such as jalapeño cheese danish $28 each and espresso caramel eclair $38 each, and Golden Dirty, an espresso that has turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and oat milk. Yum-mie!
Opens: 8am – 11pm
Where: 16 Kai Chiu Road Causeway Bay
See also: Bakehouse opens in Stanley
Basin – New Restaurant
Inspired by the Mediterranean coastal cuisines, Basin features culinary traditions from three main countries, French, Spanish and Italian. The restaurant uses fresh ingredients to feature Chef Bernabeu’s personal favourites such as zucchini flower with goat cheese, walnuts, truffles and acacia honey, smoked sardines with a traditional ajoblanco sauce and Mediterranean burnt orange pavlova. Desserts include roasted peach with honey mascarpone and pistachio, and chocolate mousse with praline, hazelnut and sea salt. The new restaurant offers floor-to-ceiling windows, an open kitchen, and set in a clean and minimalist interior design, by House of Butler founder Amy Butler. An 8-course sharing, soft-opening menu is priced at $700 per person plus 10% service charge.
August: Dinner Only; September: Lunch, Dinner and Weekend Brunch
Where: 3/F Foco, 46-48 Cochrane Street, Central
For Reservations: 2362 2699
See Also: Roasted peaches and Black Angus tagliata steak at Basin
Butter – New Location
Get your favourite Butter cakes and pies and new exclusive flavours at their new pop-up store at K11 MUSEA. What’s new are the Lil’ Checkerboard Cake (HK$600 for 6-inch whole), a combination of chocolate and fluffy vanilla cream cake covered in buttercream frosting with a chocolate crumb topping. Also making its debut is the bite-sized Itty-Bitty Banana Cream Pie (HK$80), made of luscious banana pudding, salted caramel mascarpone whipped cream and a crumbly graham cracker crust. Kitchen Sink Bars (HK$50 each) are individual-sized cookie bars loaded with shredded coconut, peanuts, pretzels, caramel sauce and more.
Where: Kiosk LA106, 1/F, K11 MUSEA, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, TST
Casa Lisboa – 13th Anniversary Celebration Menu (until Aug 31)
For authentic Portuguese dining, Casa Lisboa has been serving Hong Kong for 13 years, and counting. To celebrate this milestone, the restaurant is offering a special 6-course tasting menu which includes crowd favourites (such as their codfish cakes and Leitao a Bairrada/slow roasted suckling pig) for $488 per person, min of 2 people plus 10% service charge. This is your truly “oldie but goodie” moment and a deliciously good way to be reminded why this restaurant has such a following.
Where: 2/F Parekh House, 63 Wyndham Street, Central
For Reservations: 2905 1168
See Also: Casa Lisboa Sizzling Garlic Octopus
Chef’s Cuts – New Restaurant
Located inside Central Market, this new eatery offers freshly sourced quality ingredients that you can also purchase at the Market. Chef’s Cuts is lead by Executive Chef Angelo Mc Donnell, where food is served in a lively dining environment, and be part of the action. Appetisers starts at $85 for chicken wings (enough for sharing) and mains range from $138 for vegetarian tacos (3 pieces) to $488 aged black Angus ribeye (600g). Excellent value for money.
Where: G04, G/F, Central Market, 93 Queen’s Road Central
For Reservations: 3165 1114, 6687 1703 (WhatsApp)
See also: Chef’s Cuts Tasting
Cultivate – Seasonal Menu
Chef Leonard Cheung’s limited-time menu this September is inspired by his childhood days in California. The nine-course seasonal menu (HK$1,488/person; +HK$788/person for wine pairings) at Cultivate features dishes such as In-N-Out beef tartare – a tribute to the Cali-famous burger chain – a savoury French toast topped with a glaze of reduced Marmite and beef jus, two kinds of mushroom and shaved black truffle and a dessert dish dubbed Blueberry Corn Picnic, which offers three variations on these two classic summertime ingredients (including a unique SE Asian take with the flavours of pandan, lime, Horlicks and peanut).
Where: 27–29 Elgin Street, SoHo, Central
For Reservations: book online
Fireside – New Menu
Our favorite “fiery-action” restaurant, Fireside has rolled out a new lunch menu and new a-la carte items. Don’t worry, some of the signatures, such as “Carabinero” Scarlet Cardinal Prawn and Mayura station chocolate-fed Austrian Wagyu remains. A two-course lunch menu starts at $288 (includes a starter and the vegatable wood fired cooked bomba rice) and goes all the way to $698 for the 200g Austrian Blackmore Wagyu. And you must try desserts. Their caramelized almond parfait with smoked Ecuador chocolate is not to miss. The craft and knowledge the kitchen team, lead by Executive Chef Miguel Gallo is impressive, and they are always happy to recommend something to your liking.
Where: 5th Floor H Code The Steps, 45 Pottinger Street Central
For Reservations: 6610 8689, online
See also: Exclusive 13-years Rubia Gallega “Vaca Viega” (Spanish cow)
Jade – New Restaurant
The newly opened The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel Hong Kong has some impressive views rare in Hong Kong. And what’s better is having endless ocean view as the backdrop, while enjoying authentic Cantonese cuisine in an elegant and spacious setting. Helmed by Michelin-starred Executive Chef Lai Ching Shing, Jade brings the unique dining concept of Jade at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore to Hong Kong, Jade’s debuting menu offer a range dim sum and signature dishes and fresh seafood playing homage to local and sustainable ingredients. We highly recommend the Baked Crab Shell Stuffed with Crab Meat and Onion ($228 per person) and Double-boiled Fish Soup with Fish Maw, Scallop and Group Fillet that was cooked for at least 9 hours for incredible richness and collagen.
Where: 2nd Floor, 3 Ocean Dr, Aberdeen
For Reservations: 2166 7488 or email fop.dining@fullertonhotels.com.
See also: Jasmin mocktail at Jade
Little Bao – New Items
May Chow is back with another round of sensational new items at her temple to the small but mighty bao, Little Bao. Highlights of the revamped à-la-carte menu include this ultimate Filet-O-Fish – the Fish Bao 2.0 – in the form of super-fresh, juicy and flaky fried halibut, homemade tartare sauce and a thick slice of legit Cheddar cheese, sandwiched in LB’s iconic, pillowy bao, as well as a bright and refreshing prawn avocado salad with guava, avocado, mint and Yu Kwen Yick honey vinaigrette, Taizhou squid stuffed with squid roe and smoky Urfa chilli and the indulgent Yu Kwen Yick hot honey fried chicken, spiced up with the classic local chilli sauce and a dusting of Sichuan peppercorn.
Where:
• Causeway Bay: Shop H1, 9 Kingston Street, Fashion Walk, 2555 0600
• Central: 1–3 Shing Hing Street, 2818 1280
Martell x Forum Mid Autumn Festival Menu
With the Mid-Autumn festival arriving soon, Martell and three Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant Forum will be serving an 8-course menu ($2,380 per person with $580 add on for three glasses of Martell Cognac) for September. Limited edition cognacs will be highlighted over the evening, and highlights of the menu will include deep fried crab claw with minced shrimp, the famous braised Ah Yat abalone and duck with taro.
Where: 1/F, Sino Plaza, 255-257 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay
For reservations: 2869 8282 or info@forumrestaurant1977.com
MOTD Concepts – New Pop-Up
MOTD, stands for Menu Of The Day, is a private dining space offering interesting and flexible pop-ups. To celebrate its return, for the weekends from 29 September until 9 October, Argentinian chef Nico Gellon and Sommelier Brian Beveaux present a luxurious menu ($1,650 HKD for 7 courses and additional $650 HKD for wine pairing) inspired by the chef Gellon’s personal memories and travels. Notable dishes include the monochromatic black emerald and textured iron, which is a slightly crispy squid ink gnocchi complete with a savory charred eggplant sauce, pecorino, and dusted with rosemary ash, as well as the quartz and mushroom, a dish which focuses on chef Gellon’s art school days where a smoked milk cod veil covers a Portuguese cod stuffed with autumn truffle and porcini mushrooms. The wine pairings selected move away from traditional wines in western Europe and focus on wines from Croatia and Georgia, a road less taken by many, but a favorite of Sommelier Brian Beveaux.
Where: 1/F, Union Park Tower, 168 Electric Road, North Point
For Reservations: 2335 5333; or online here
Osteria Marzia – New Menu
As Black Sheep Restaurants celebrates the Group’s 10th Anniversary, its restaurants has been rolling out impressive new menus and offers all around town. It is Osteria Marzia‘s turn, and their new 6-course seasonal tasting menu ($788 plus 10% service charges) starts with Gambero Rosso (Sicilian red prawns with trumpet zucchini and quinoa); Pescato del Giorno all’Acqua Pazza (fillet of market fish with Hokkaido clams and date tomatoes for) main course and freshly churned gelato and hand-made cannoli siciliani with ricotta, chocolate chips, cinnamon and candied orange for dessert. There is also a new lunch menu with 3 courses at $548 per person plus 10% service charge. Other seasonal dishes are included as well.
Where: G/F The Fleming, 41 Fleming Road, Wan Chai
For Reservations: 3607 2253; reservations@osteriamarzia.com.hk
Plaa – New Restaurant
Another new restaurant under ZS Hospitality, which has served up some exciting new openings in recent years, including Michelin-starred restaurant Hansik Goo. Plaa is a contemporary seafood centric restaurant with Thai influences in collaboration with Hong Kong-born award-winning Chef Richie Lin and renowned Chef Ian Kittichai from Bangkok. The ocean-inspired interior is by David Chipperfield Architects, designed to resonate with and depict the beauty of coastal blues, sea shores and flowing forms. The 8-course menu features many seafood ingredients such as threadfin and abalone, as well as Wagyu beef with Thai influences at HK 1,180 per person plus service charge. Wine pairings are available. Currently serving dinner only.
Where: 2/F, 8 Lyndhurst Terrace, SoHo
For reservations: 2389 3288 or reserve Plaa online
See also: First Look: Plaa (Review)
Ramen Cubism – New Items
Ramen champion Hayashi Takao is back in town from Japan from 5–9 September to launch three new drool-worthy items at Ramen Cubism in Central. The star of the show is the made-for-Instagram Ramen in Bubble ($238), a light and refreshing cold, salt-based broth made with two kinds of Japanese salt enriched with sweet, umami red snow crab from Tottori Prefecture. The bowl is crowned with a “bubble” that imparts a citrusy freshness once burst. For a more intense flavour profile, try The Rich Bird ($168), which can be served either traditionally or tsukemen style. In the tsukemen version, the potent, miso-flavoured chicken broth is served separately from the super-chewy, thick Yumechikara wheat noodles and thinly sliced Tokachi pork belly. As an accompaniment to your noods, order up the assorted meat platter – Hiyashi’s picks ($98), a savoury, meaty selection of braised Tokachi pork, sliced pork with homemade yuzu miso and smoked duck breast.
Basement, Yuen Yick Building, 27–29 Wellington Street, Central, 2399 0811
Relish’s Immersive Dining Experience: Once Upon a Time in Hong Kong (September 1st-3rd, 8th-10th, and 15th-17th)
Known as one of Hong Kong’s trusted caterers and bringing creative premier entertainment to any event, Relish presents its first, exclusive dining experience for September. Over three weekends, an 8-course fine-dining degustation menu showed cased by Head Chef Devin Hou will immerse guests on a cultural journey of Hong Kong. The menu will focus on the city’s past, present, and future surrounding key historical events that shaped the city, as well as beloved flavours that complete our diverse culture. A luxurious wine pairing completes the evening with some surprise entertainment in store over spectacular views of the Victoria Harbour. This pop up is only limited to 20 spots per night, starting at $3,200 per person
Where: Chef Republic, 22/F, Park Aura, 54 Electric Road, Tin Hau
Make your Relish reservation online here.
The Bayside – New Restaurant
As the temperatures cool, new restaurant The Bayside is prime to become t gohe-to place for alfresco dining, serving up stunning views of the Victoria Harbour. Under Spanish Head Chef Javier Perez and Executive Chef Gary Batra, the Mediterranean menu includes salads, tapas, gourmet pizzas, handmade pastas, dry-aged meat and premium seafood. The Bayside is the latest addition of Silver Oak Group, which is behind acclaimed restaurants such as Quiero Más and Gaylord.
Where: Shop G1, Ground Floor, 18 Tak Fung St., Whampoa Garden, Hung Hom
For Reservations: 6108 9153
The Hawk & Aster and Grand Café – New Restaurant
Located at Pacific Place, The Hawk & Aster and Grand Cafe offers classic crowd-favorites with elevated ingredients. There are three types of eggs benedicts for breakfast and brunch: The Florentine ($140) is topped with avruga smoked caviar; Boston lobster benedict ($165) is served with a generous portion of lobster meat; and smoked salmon benedict ($150) has a thick cut of salmon with crushed avocado on country style sourdough toast. Other classic items include steak tartare ($145), lobster bisque ($140) and chicken rice ($190). Their five-layer dark chocolate cake ($120) made with Valrhohna Equatoriale Noire and P125 Coeur de Guanaja chocolate.
Where: Unit 008, Level LG1, Pacific Place, 88, Queensway, Admiralty
For Reservations: 3501 8557
Woofy – New Restaurant
A new pet-friendly restaurant, Woofy has made its debut in Sha Tin. Unlike other pet-friendly restaurants, this restaurant is carefully designed from its interior to the menus for both human and dogs. Executive Chef Ken Lau of Palco Ristorante and PANO has created dishes like spaghetti with grilled Vietnamese giant river prawn in lobster cream sauce ($188), cream of mushroom soup made with portobello, wild and Japanese shimeji mushrooms ($58) and beef burger with brie In teriyaki sauce ($168) for us, human; and pet-friendly items such as doggie “beer” (which is double boiled duck soup with cordyceps flower and goji berries ($68) and pork liver terrine with wild greens ($68). And for $148, our four-legged friends can get a baked US SRF black wagyu beef ribs that are tender and slow-cooked for 48 hours. If it is good for the doggies, we are sure they are good for us too.
Where: Shop 165, 1/F, New Town Plaza Phase 1, Sha Tin
For Reservations: 2882 8323
See also: Pet menu at Woofy
See also: Hooman menu at Woofy
RELATED: New Restaurants, Pop-Ups & Menus: Summer 2022
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