Header photo: Alice Pizza’s Roman-style pizza

Fabulous new restaurants & offers to try in September

You’ll have a packed feasting calendar this month with these exciting newcomers and delicious offers!

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After You Dessert Café – new flagship branch in Wanchai

We were elated when this Bangkok dessert café made its first overseas move to Hong Kong a few years back, opening a cosy corner shop in Causeway Bay, and we’re even more excited now that an even bigger – HK flagship – of After You has landed on Wanchai’s atmospheric Lee Tung Avenue, soft opening on 9 September. After You is most famous for its mountain-high kakigori (Japanese-style shaved ice) in flavours like Thai tea and mango sticky rice and thiiiick blocks of Shibuya honey toast, but we also rate their comforting puds (in particular, the strawberry crumble and chocolate lava cake).

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AIRSIDE – Cafe Deco Group launches 4 brands (AIRSIDE Cafe, AIRSIDE Pâtisserie, Japanese teahouse nana’s green tea & standing sushi bar Uogashi Nihonichi) + new branch of gyukatsu specialist Kyoto Katsugyu at new shopping & office landmark at Kai Tak

One of the most anticipated openings of the year, mid-September sees the debut of AIRSIDE, the 1.9-million-square-foot commercial development at Kai Tak, the iconic former site of Hong Kong’s international airport until 1998. Cafe Deco Group is leading the F&B charge at AIRSIDE with the launch of five outlets:

• AIRSIDE Cafe – taking prime position in the atrium, this glass-roofed all-day-dining restaurant presents creative yet affordable modern European cuisine – think Wagyu tartare with jalapeño and miso, charred lobster with kombu butter and chive and crab strozzapreti with preserved lemon and bottarga. (Shop 322, 3/F, open daily, 12–9:30pm)
• AIRSIDE Pâtisserie – an extension of AIRSIDE Cafe, this is where to head for gorgeous freshly handcrafted cakes, with 20 mini cakes and 10 large celebration cakes on offer each day made with French cream, Valrhona chocolate, Madagascan vanilla and exotic seasonal fruits. (Shop 320, 3/F, open daily, 11am–8pm)
• Kyoto Katsugyu – this is the third branch of the gyukatsu, or Japanese deep-fried beef cutlet, expert to land in Hong Kong. The AIRSIDE restaurant presents two new choices of premium Wagyu – well-marbled Tokachi Wagyu from Hokkaido and Satsuma Fukunaga Wagyu from Kagoshima, whose rice diet yields sweet and tender meat. (Shop B129, B/F, open daily, 12–9:30pm)
• nana’s green tea – AIRSIDE marks the first appearance in the 852 for this leading matcha specialist from Tokyo. Their headlining matcha is sourced from historic Kyoto tea studio Yamamasa Koyamaen, which dates back to the early Edo period. In addition to delightful green tea drinks, nana’s offers soft-serve matcha concoctions, matcha pudding, hojicha jelly and creations starring red beans from Hokkaido. (Shop B128, B/F, open daily, 12–9:30pm)
• Uogashi Nihonichi – with the original located at Tokyo’s famed Tsukiji market, Uogashi Nihonichi is a buzzy standing counter where premium sushi its presented in seven ways (freshly caught, grated, boiled, baked, fried, cooked and squeezed) for delectable, quick dining, The sushi can be ordered by the piece or as part of an omakase parade, with award-winning sake-pairing options to boot. (Shop G011, G/F, open daily, 12–9:30pm)
  

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Alice Pizza – 1st Asian franchise of the famed Roman teglia (pan) pizza chain lands in Wanchai

The esteemed Gambero Rosso guide has named Alice Pizza – founded in 1989 by Domenico Giovannini in Via delle Grazie at the edge of Vatican City in central Rome – one of this year’s top pizzerias in Italy, and now this restaurant specialising in teglia, or pan, pizza has hit Wanchai. Pizza al taglio is a type of thin, crispy pizza that’s baked in a rectangular pan at high temperatures and served al taglio (by the “cut”), priced according to size and quantity. This is the first branch of Alice Pizza in Asia, brought to the 852 by Bluebell Group, where almost two dozen different toppings will be available from a dedicated pizza menu spanning classic Italian flavours (including vegetarian and vegan offerings). The authentic Roman-style pizza is famously made with Italian flour, extra-virgin olive oil and minimal yeast, yielding a light, airy crust that’s ideal for us health-conscious Hong Kongers who are constantly on the go.

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A Mad Food Tour – Asian vegetarian food tours in Sai Ying Pun & Sheung Wan

Simran Savlani of A Spark of Madness cookbook fame has organised the first two editions of A Mad Food Tour, taking folks to explore all the foodie nooks and crannies in the ‘hoods of Sai Ying Pun and Sheung Wan whilst chowing down on vegetarian noodles, egg tarts, dumplings, banh mi and cheung fun along the way. Count us in!

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Andō x Labyrinth (Singapore) – 4-hands menu by Agustin Balbi + LG Han

Hot on the heels of their inaugural Michelin-starred collaboration in Singapore last month, now it’s Chef LG Han of modern Singaporean restaurant Labyrinth who is jetting to Hong Kong to join Chef Agustin Balbi at Andō for a stunning four-hands menu blending Spanish, Japanese and Singaporean flavours. Amongst the many highlights are fusion dishes like aonori bocadito with razor clam and olive, chicken-satay tsukune, bak kut teh chawanmushi and Hainanese chicken rice donabe.

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ANJU – new modern Korean bar & restaurant at ELEMENTS

ANJU by Cafe Deco Group is not your standard KBBQ joint. This cool-cat eatery, which takes its moniker from the term given to food enjoyed with alcohol at neighbourhood bars in Korea, brings authentic Korean flavours to Kowloon, matched with an edgy, playful vibe. The culinary team meld traditional Korean ingredients and preparation methods with a Western touch to craft vibrant sharing plates like the muneo gui pictured above – Spanish octopus that’s triple-cooked (slow-cooked, pan-fried, then grilled) and served with a corn cake made with Parmesan cheese and a dipping sauce of fermented chilli. Other standouts include ANJU’s take on KFC – yangnyeom chicken – where local three-yellow chicken is chopped and fried twice for extra crispiness, then stir-fried with sugar, vinegar, gochujang and soy and served with a yuzu aioli – and a twist on the Korean street-food fave of tteokbokki, here jazzed up with premium king prawn. Alongside, there’s a vast array of Korean beers and liqueurs, premium and flavoured soju, wine, makgeolli (Korean rice wine) and creative cocktails.

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Ān Soy – new outlet at BaseHall 02

Michelin-starred chef Vicky Lau of TATE Dining Room and Mora has unveiled her pioneering soy-milk brand Ān Soy at BaseHall 02 in Central, open from 1 September. And it’s not just Chef Lau’s artisanal soy milk in a range of flavours (we rate the hazelnut) that’s on offer for lunch and dinner – there are BaseHall-exclusive dishes like mapo tofu mazesoba (in both a veg version and non-veg with minced pork), sticky rice onigiri with pork belly and five-spice braised pork belly, plus plenty of Ān Soy’s popular sweet confections such as red date and hojicha financiers and mango-pomelo-sago pudding. We recommend one of the meal sets for health-conscious, good-value dining.

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Bacha Coffee – legendary Moroccan coffee boutique debuts at ifc mall

More than 100 years of Moroccan coffee culture is coming to Hong Kong with the opening of Bacha Coffee’s glittering boutique at ifc mall. Founded in Marrakech in 1910, the first Bacha Coffee is still housed in the spectacular Dar el Bacha palace, where the greatest cultural and political minds of the century (Charlie Chaplin, Winston Churchill, Franklin D Roosevelt and more) met to enjoys pots of Moka, or Arabica coffee. The shop at ifc pays tribute to Bacha’s birthplace with plenty of chic Arabic touches. Exclusively offering 100% Arabica coffee from farms around the world, Bacha Coffee features over 200 single-origin coffees that can be ground in-house by coffee experts. We’re also looking forward to getting a taste of Bacha’s signature filled croissants, both sweet and savoury.

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The Baker & The Bottleman – pop-up at LANDMARK

There’s now a (temporary) Central location to get your fix of The Baker & The Bottleman’s freshly baked treats, with 16 daily pastries on offer. Even better, we love the breakfast (pastry or yoghurt pot) and lunch (sandwich or salad) sets – which include a regular-sized coffee brewed with beans from award-winning Oasis Coffee Roasters in Taipei – for on-the-go munching. The sets can be pre-ordered online (with discounts!).

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BaseHall 02 – National Dumpling Week

This week-long tribute to dumplings at BaseHall 02 has our name written all over it! Not only will Michelin-recommended Ah Chun Shandong Dumpling and Hot & Meen by Chilli Fagara be offering their own exclusive dumplings menus with five new dumpling varieties each, but A Freaking Dumpling – a unique ceramic project founded by Kingsley Wong – will be making an appearance. For every one of AFD’s adorable dumpling-shaped chopstick holders purchased, Wong donates six real, edible dumplings to charity Feeding Hong Kong.

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The Bayside & F.I.G.S. Bistro Mediterranean – Egyptian food festival with celeb chef Bobby Chinn

Chinese-Egyptian celebrity chef Bobby Chinn – currently a judge on Top Chef Middle East – will be in town this month to host the first-ever Egyptian food festival, organised by the Consulate-General of Egypt in Hong Kong and Silver Oak Group at The Bayside in Hung Hom and Taikoo Shing’s F.I.G.S. Bistro Mediterranean. Chef Chinn has curated a special five-course menu that spans dishes from ancient Egypt to contemporary Egyptian recipes (including Chinn trademarks like grapes wrapped in goat cheese and pistachio and foie gras terrine with fig). Chef Chinn will also lead a special cooking class at The Bayside where he will demo how to make a four-course menu comprised of dishes from his festival tasting menu – and then it’s time to dig in…

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Bengal Brothers – relaunched Indian street-food canteen in Wanchai

Famous for its moreish kathi rolls, Bengal Brothers has relaunched in Wanchai and is bigger and better than before, now with dine-in seating and a greatly expanded menu of regional Indian street-food faves. The chaats, small plates, curries, roasts and sweets are all made for sharing, along with the Indian canteen’s new cocktails, many of which are mixed with spirits crafted by boutique producers in India. We can’t wait to sink our teeth into the flavour-loaded papri chaat, Chettinad-style lamb curry, Parsi keema pav and Toddy Shop beef fry from Kerala – we’re drooling as we type…

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Better with Beer – two-day craft beer festival at Central Harbourfront

Set to be the ultimate showcase of Hong Kong’s growing craft beer scene, Better with Beer will set up shop along Central Harbourfront this month. The festival is organised by the team behind Clockenflap in partnership with the Craft Beer Association of Hong Kong and will feature over 150 beers from more than 20 local breweries and distributors. But there’s much more to the two-day event than just all-you-can-drink tasty brews – get ready for live music performances by some of Hong Kong’s best bands and DJs, a wide variety of awesome food vendors, outdoor games, workshops and more across the three four-hour-long sessions.

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Black Sheep Summer Festival – unique end-of-summer dining experiences

Black Sheep Restaurants is making it easier to say farewell to summer with this five-day send-off to the season that celebrates a passion for the unique and unexpected in the F&B world. The Black Sheep Summer Festival line-up includes:

• 93 Special: Under 30 Diners’ Night at BELON (HK$988/person; +HK$588 for 3-glass wine pairing) – Chef Jacob Zuidervliet’s five-course fine-dining French menu dedicated to diners aged under 30.
• Izakaya Sounds at Fukuro (HK$388/person) – free-flow sake, beer, highballs and snacks with live music.
• The Majestic Garden Gala at Grand Majestic Sichuan (HK$688/person) – free-flow champagne and cocktails, Sichuan bites and a live band.
• The Mess at Rajasthan Rifles (HK$888/person) – an epic Anglo-Indian spread complemented by free-flow drinks and the swinging sounds of the eatery’s regimental band.
• Polo Brunch at Buenos Aires Polo Club (HK$988/person) – brunch + 2-hour free-flow signature cocktails and the sommelier’s selection of martinis and Malbecs.
• Shaken & Stirred: A SoHo Cocktail Crawl (HK$488/person) – cocktails and small bites from Taqueria Super Macho, Fukuro and the new Chôm Chôm.
• Ooh La La! at La Vache! Pacific Place (HK$688/person) – unlimited steak frites and free-flow house wine + live cabaret.
• Athenian Feast at Artemis & Apollo (HK$688/person) – brunch with free-flow ouzo and house wine.
• Last Call at The Last Resort (free entry with a Summer Festival wristband) – unlimited beer and popcorn chicken + karaoke.
  

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Cruise x SUAY (Phuket) – 4-hands menus by Adisak Choksamritphon + Tammasak (Noi) Chootong

Head to rooftop restaurant Cruise this month for a taste of the authentic flavours of Thailand courtesy of Chef Tammasak (Noi) Chootong, the owner of Michelin-recommended SUAY in Phuket. Chef Chootong is well known for using European culinary techniques to elevate Thai flavours, and he’ll be joining Cruise Chef de Cuisine Adisak Choksamritphon to create a special à la-carte menu and a tasting menu that feature signature dishes from both Cruise and SUAY; one of Chef Chootong’s creations – the grilled lamb chops with lemongrass and papaya salsa (above) – is so popular that it’s been on SUAY’s menu ever since it opened 13 years ago.

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CVIEW – new contemporary Jiangsu-Zhejiang restaurant at M+

Chinese cuisine (specifically dishes from Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai) complemented by glorious harbour views are the draws at this new restaurant at M+. Recommended signature dishes at CVIEW (seaview – get it?) include steamed freshwater herring, huadiao-marinated “drunken” chicken and deep-fried sweet-and-sour mandarin fish with pine nuts. There are also seasonal menus to keep diners always coming back for more.

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Dan Ryan’s Chicago Grill – new vegetarian offerings

As part of their recently launched new food and drink menus, ever-popular Dan Ryan’s has included a whopping 17 vegetarian dishes in an array of global flavours, catering to both plant-based and more environmentally conscious diners. In particular, we’re craving the portobello-halloumi sandwich (pictured above), heirloom tomato and grilled peach salad with fresh mozzarella and cheesy gochujang fusilli.

Where: branches around town; click here for locations and booking info

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Estro x Maison Dunand (Bangkok) – 4-hands menus by Antimo Maria Merone + Arnaud Dunand

The four-hands menus keep on coming… This month at Michelin-starred Italian fine diner Estro, Executive Chef Antimo Maria Merone will be cooking up a storm alongside another Michelin-starred chef, Arnaud Dunand of French restaurant Maison Dunand in Bangkok. But the menu intriguingly remains a mystery for diners – all we know is that the two chefs have each selected four main ingredients to whip up their courses in harmony (mackerel, crab, eel and coffee for Chef Merone and, for Chef Dunand, caviar, squid, pigeon and grape). If it’s a unique one-off experience you’re after, this is it.

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Feuille – founder David Toutain returns to host Sommelier’s Selection: A Night of Wine Delights wine-pairing dinner

This is one to bookmark if you’re a wine connoisseur who is also a fan of Michelin-starred chef David Toutain’s exquisite vegetable-driven French cuisine at Feuille. Chef Toutain is briefly returning to the 852 this month to host a one-night-only wine-pairing dinner showcasing extraordinary wines – to include Emmanuel Rouget Nuits-Saint-Georges 2005, Château de Fonsalette Côtes du Rhône Reserve 1998 and Ulysse Collin Les Pierrières Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 48M 2016 – alongside the chef’s seasonal, natured-inspired tasting menu. If the price tag is eye-wateringly high for most of us mere mortals, instead make a booking at Feuille on 2–5 September for lunch or dinner, when Chef Toutain will be in residence leading the kitchen.

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Fisholic – new location at Hysan Place

Causeway Bay is the newest location for this home-grown brand that’s just been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand for the first time. Fisholic is famous for using fish to craft its noodles and other dishes – from Fish as Chips (fish fries made without potatoes) and Fishotto (minced fish as risotto) to Fish-chos (fried fish skin as nachos) and Fishy Lo Mein (tossed fish noodles). At this Hysan Place branch, there are new flavours for the Fishy Lo Mein, a Sichuan dan-dan-style noodle dish, a new siu mai base for Fisholic’s cart-noodle concept and an ice-cream crossover with local brand TEEMTONEfai.

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Gariguette – Japanese mille-pressé brand opens in Causeway Bay

We’re always on the lookout for a cool new option to satisfy our sweet tooth, and the opening of Tokyo import Gariguette in Causeway Bay on 9 September is definitely cause for celebration – it’s the first branch of the brand outside Japan. The popular dessert chain is famous for its mille-pressé – a riff on the classic French pastry known as mille-feuille, this time featuring two circular pieces of flaky pastry sandwiched together with a range of both sweet and savoury fillings, with some exclusive to the HK outlet.

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INTERVAL Farmacy – Pizza Mashup Madness 6-hands collab with 4 AM Pizza (Singapore) & Christopher Ho

We think INTERVAL’s sourdough pizzas are amongst the best in town, so this one-night-only collaboration with hidden-gem pizza spot 4AM in Singapore and Hong Kong’s self-taught private chef Christopher Ho (a little birdie told us he’s even installed his very own pizza oven at home) is really something special indeed. The explosive trio of pizzas offered up at the mashup include a pie topped with locally sourced shellfish by INTERVAL, an Indomie pizza (ooh mi goreng) featuring Indomie seasoning emulsion, chorizo oil, crispy noodles, a soft-cooked egg and a drizzle of hot honey courtesy of 4AM and Ho’s East-meets-West Chinese scallion pancake pizza combining scallion pesto, burrata, salted egg yolk and toasted jasmine rice. There will also be three funky pizzas co-created by the threesome – Thai curry with dry-aged tea-smoked threadfin, HK-style banh mi with pigeon pâté and Chinese sausage and homemade beef sausage with bean curd – up for tasting.

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Kanesaka Hong Kong – new Central sushi restaurant by Chef Shinji Kanesaka of 2-starred Ginza Sushi Kanesaka in Tokyo

Kanesaka Hong Kong by Lai Sai Dining builds on the success of its two-Michelin-starred flagship in Tokyo, Ginza Sushi Kanesaka. Seating just 20 discerning diners (nine at the main counter, four at the private counter and seven in the private dining room), Chef Seiji Taniguchi, formerly of Sushi Kanesaka’s Palace Hotel Tokyo branch, meticulously crafts Edomae-style sushi using premium seasonal ingredients. There are three omakase-style menus on offer (lunch nigiri set, lunch omakase and dinner omakase), all priced at a pretty penny from HK$2,000 a head.

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Kew+ – new multi-cuisine lounge & restaurant at Harbour City

The newest member of the Gaia Group portfolio, Kew+’s namesake is the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew in London, with plenty of cosy and inviting floral and botanical elements in store to attract diners. There are three distinctive areas at all-day-dining Kew+; the lounge area showcases an eye-catching 13-metre LED screen displaying videos of seasonal gardens alongside the eatery’s culinary creations, the indoor dining room is inspired by a garden in bloom, while there’s also a lush outdoor dining area with a bar. The menu is a fusion of Eastern and Western flavours, whether that be Chinese dim sum and Japanese sushi or Western grilled dishes. One of the opening highlights is the Kew+ cake series, a partnership with Japanese pastry master Matsuoka-san. The series features a wide range of intricately designed cakes including fruit-cream layer cakes, fruit-cake tarts, floral jelly cakes, Basque cheesecake and more.

To celebrate the grand opening, there are four amazing offers on until 4 September – 50% off any beverage with the order of a Kew+ cake, 50% off any order made in the lounge area, buy-one-get-one free tea sets and complimentary snacks during happy hour.

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The Landmark Mandarin Oriental – Amber Alumni Return multi-hands dinners

Over the past nearly two decades, The Landmark Oriental has nurtured many culinary heroes who have themselves gone on to lead Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, and this month, seven of these talented alumni will return to the hotel to cook alongside Chef Richard Ekkebus, chefs de cuisine Terry Ho and Stanley Poon and Executive Pastry Chef Carles Codina at two-Michelin-starred Amber. The 10-course Amber Alumni Return dinner tasting menu, which celebrates The Landmark’s 18th anniversary, also includes a welcome champagne cocktail created by award-winning mixologist Agung Prabowo (see LOCKDOWN below), who was once part of the hotel’s opening team. Each of the 11 chefs will contribute a signature course to this extraordinary multi-hands menu, coming full circle.

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LOCKDOWN – new cocktail bar by Agung & Laura Prabowo in Central

“Lockdown” is a negative term now forever associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, but bar veterans Agung and Laura Prabowo are turning that word on its head with the opening of this speakeasy-style cocktail bar that’s sure to become a hotspot. LOCKDOWN is set to add to the duo’s portfolio of groundbreaking watering holes The Old Man, Penicillin and Dead&, this time blending the classic with the experimental by using the latest technology and trends in the mixology scene. The bar’s design seamlessly blends the aesthetic of the Prohibition era with modern Asian touches – including the world’s first rotating bar station, designed by Agung himself. In keeping with the theme of lockdown and isolation, the entrance to LOCKDOWN remains a well-kept secret, nestled discreetly next to a toilet on Hollywood Road.

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LUMA – tasting menus by Michelin-starred guest chef Bjoern Alexander Panek

LUBUDS group has joined forces with Chef Bjoern Alexander Panek of newly opened Matera in Singapore (and formerly of the 852’s very own two-Michelin-starred Octavium) to cook up a culinary storm this month. The highly acclaimed German-born chef has curated exclusive tasting menus that pick up on Italian, Japanese, Chinese and Thai traditions. His East-meets-West interpretation of flavours and cooking techniques showcases his confident and competent yet convention-defying culinary approach. To heighten the culinary experience, Chef Panek will be cooking on-site at LUMA every Sunday and Monday throughout the duration of the collaboration. Click here to read our full review.

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Mandarin Oriental – Dinner by Heston Blumenthal residency

Though he won’t be there in the flesh, the celeb chef’s eponymous two-starred London restaurant, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, is taking up a four-day residency at the Mandarin Oriental as part of the hotel’s 60^th-anniversary celebrations. Instead, it will be Chef Director Deiniol Pritchard who will be presenting Chef Blumenthal’s reimagined British culinary creations, showcasing recipes dating back as far as the 1st century; this includes Chef Blumenthal’s iconic Meat Fruit dish above, a cleverly disguised chicken-liver parfait inspired by a traditional medieval dish called Pome Dorres. We’ve tried the Victorian-era brown bread ice-cream finale for ourselves – brown bread, olive oil biscuit, croutons, diced pear and toasted oats with malted yeast syrup and salted butter caramel – and its malty, rich flavour made us swoon.

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Mille – pop-up at LANDMARK PRINCE’S

The signature flavour of Mille – an online dessert shop specialising in delicate, flaky mille-feuille – is walnut butter, and this refined option is amongst several that customers can sample at this limited-time pop-up in Central. Pistachio, golden sesame and lychee-rose tea are additional East-meets-West flavours we can’t wait to try.

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Motorino – Pizza Bake-Off Showdown

Celebrating an incredible 10 years as THE premier Neapolitan pizzeria in Hong Kong, Motorino is marking the occasion with a twist on its regular pizza-making workshops. Instead, participants need to show off their own pizza-making skills; they’ll be given access to Motorino’s stable of ingredients, but they must also bring one ingredient of their choice – no pineapple allowed! – to add to their own personalised pizza. Head Chef Roberta De Sario will choose her favourite pie, and this will be showcased on the menu for the month of October. The evening prior to the showdown, Chef De Sario will present a sharing menu spotlighting Motorino’s greatest hits from the past decade, from meatballs and shrimp scampi, to signature pizzas, to tiramisu and Nutella calzones.

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Mount Yotei – new jingisukan (Hokkaido BBQ) specialist in Causeway Bay

Mt. Yotei is named after a peak in Hokkaido, and it has a unique USP – jingisukan, a grilled mutton dish that’s a speciality of Hokkaido where the vegetables are placed around the grill and the meat goes in the centre. Not your typical yakiniku joint!

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Negroni Week – global charity initiative

Campari, Italy’s iconic red aperitif, and Imbibe Magazine unite once again for the 11th edition of Negroni Week to support Slow Food’s mission to foster a more equitable and sustainable world of food and beverage through a series of local events at bars, restaurants and retailers around the world. Last year, more than US$4 million was raised by the initiative to support the Slow Food movement. Here in Hong Kong, Negroni Week 2023 kicks off with an opening party at Vista, followed by a week-long series of activities including guest shifts and a negroni competition, concluding in style with a send-off at Bar Leone. Each participating bar will offer guests their special take on the negroni, a classic Italian cocktail that’s traditionally made with equal parts Campari, gin and sweet vermouth.

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Noi x Victor’s Fine Dining (Perl, Germany) – 4-hands menu by Paulo Airaudo + Christian Bau

Chef Paulo Airaudo is a global culinary sensation, with his latest restaurant, contemporary Italian concept Noi at the Four Seasons, awarded a Michelin star just six months after opening last October. The chef is honouring Noi’s first anniversary with an incredible four-hands menu in partnership with Chef Christian Bau of three-starred French-Japanese restaurant Victor’s Fine Dining in Perl, Germany – which has held this trio of stars since 2005! We don’t know exactly what’s in store from these two celebrated chefs, but we’re certain it will be a deliciously memorable one-off dining experience.

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Papa Gomes 2.0 – new international grab-and-go spot in Central

Indian comfort-food restaurant Papa Gomes has just unveiled this concept serving up a tempting range of international grab-and-go eats on the SoHo border, which we think would be especially appealing come late night (at the weekend, the spot stays open till the wee, wee hours). The diverse menu has something for everyone – be that burgers and hot dogs, tandoor kebab wraps or momos. Many of the items stay true to the Indian roots of the OG Papa Gomes; for instance, there’s a Desi-American burger with bacon, cheese, mushroom and fried egg that’s calling our name.

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PONTY CAFé – relaunch of this American bistro in Central by Asia’s 50 Best Altos Bartenders’ Bartender 2023 Beckaly Franks

The terrific trio of The Pontiac’s Beckaly Franks (Asia’s 50 Best Altos Bartenders’ Bartender 2023), Ezra Star of Mostly Harmless (number 33 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023) and general manager Doyel Dawson are back with a bang to relaunch their down-home American bistro PONTY CAFé, their third venture following Artifact and Call Me AL. The new menu has been designed by Chef Russell Doctrove, formerly the executive chef of Maximal Concepts, and is a tribute to traditional Southern cuisine, with the buttermilk biscuits, BBQ burger and pickle-juice-marinated chicken wings (with jalapeño ranch!) just a few of the comfort-food eats we’re craving at PONTY. And it goes without saying that the craft cocktails are also a hit here, as are the coffee drinks, mocktails and natural wines.

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Roganic – sustainability-focused tasting menu by Chef Simon Rogan with chefs from Labyrinth (Singapore), MUME (Taipei) & Toyo Eatery (Manila)

Chef Simon’s Rogan’s Michelin-starred and Michelin Green Star recipient Roganic is at the forefront of the sustainability movement here in Hong Kong, and this very special collaborative event sees the British chef partnering with Asian sustainability trailblazers Chef Richie Lin of MUME in Taipei, Chef LG Han of Labyrinth in Singapore and Chef Jordy Navarra of Toyo Eatery in Manila to present the Sustainability Champions eight-hands menu this month. As much as possible, the chefs will limit their carbon footprint by using Hong Kong’s bounty of seasonal local produce to recreate the respective signature dishes featured in this incredible 12-course menu. These include Chef Lin’s zero-waste fish, which utilises fin-to-gill cooking techniques on locally caught fish, while Chef Navarra will present his dish of local chicken with moringa and tapuy, a type of Filipino glutinous rice wine.

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Sabatini – tasting menus by guest chef Daniel Canzian of Michelin-recommended DanielCanzian Ristorante in Milan

This innovative risotto above, flavoured with Amalfi lemon, liquorice and beef sauce, is one of the star dishes of Daniel Canzian to be featured on the guest chef’s tasting menus at long-standing Italian restaurant Sabatini. In the early years of his career, Chef Canzian was the executive chef at multiple renowned restaurants in Italy – including at the first three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Italy by Chef Gualtiero Marchesi – and he has run his own eponymous fine-dining restaurant in Milan for the past decade.

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Sake Central – World Sake Day festival at PMQ

Taking place at PMQ’s historic courtyard, Sake Central and Singular Concepts are coming together for this unforgettable three-day event celebrating sake. There will be over 300 sake and Japanese craft spirits up for sipping, with five sake breweries from Japan and three Japanese sake associations in town to showcase their finest offerings. At least five pop-up food vendors will also be on hand, both local concepts and a trio of restaurants visiting from Zushi Beach, near Tokyo – Ni Ju San Tacos, Nihon Soba and Sou Ramen. Entertainment comes in the form of appearances by local celebrities, including Miss Sake, and performances ranging from Japanese cosplay characters to traditional kimono dancing.

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SKYE Roofbar & Dining – tasting menus by guest chef Jacques Barnachon of Michelin-starred L’Étang du Moulin (Bonnétage, France)

SKYE Roofbar & Dining has invited Michelin-starred chef Jacques Barnachon of L’Étang du Moulin in Bonnétage, France, over for an exclusive collaboration at The Park Lane’s contemporary French eatery this September. Standout seasonal French dishes by Chef Barnachon include red mullet fillet lacquered with fish caramel, escalopes of seared duck foie gras and Charolais beef fillet.

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Tempura Araki – Central offshoot of 2-starred tempura restaurant from Hokkaido

Tempura Araki should be on your go-to list even if you’re not a tempura fanatic; we think after dining here, you will be. This two-starred import from Hokkaido is famed for its precise oil-temperature control, resulting in delicate, crisp tempura deliciousness.

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Tiffany’s New York Bar – Whiskies & More takeoever

Whiskies & More is back with this highly anticipated whisky-tasking event at Tiffany’s New York Bar that places the spotlight on more than 100 premium whiskies and spirits, with a special focus on independent bottlers A. D. Rattray and Cadenhead’s. To celebrate the seventh anniversary of its online store, Whiskies & More will also debut two bottles of whisky – themed around both the women of Hong Kong and the seasons of spring and summer – at the event. Guests can choose from their favourite distilleries, casks, ages and flavours for tasting as well as joining in specially designed tasting journeys featuring five glasses of selected whiskies with flavour profiles including Fruity & Fresh, Floral & Delicate, Sweet & Dreamy, Spicy & Fiery and Smoky & Strong, all from different global distilleries.

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Tomacado – Chinese brand fusing floral art and dining comes to Causeway Bay

With 12 branches across mainland China, the beauty that is Tomacado has expanded to the 852. In addition to offering a stunning floral-laden space that draws inspiration from the bauhinia and magnolia flowers of our fair shores, Tomacado’s menu embodies the principles of wellness and beauty in artistically presented and creative Western-style dishes that incorporate floral elements. There’s also a flower shop located by the entrance for the purchase of both fresh blooms and products by Tomacado’s new tea brand, Teabloom, which offers fine teas from around the world infused with flowers, fruits, herbs and wood. Sounds like the ideal spot for a romantic tête-à-tête.

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YUAN – new vegetarian fine-dining Chinese restaurant in Central

The high-profile openings by F&B group LUBUDS are coming thick and fast. Next up is Hong Kong’s first vegetarian fine-dining Chinese restaurant, YUAN. YUAN is overseen by renowned Executive Chef Ronald Shao (a key member of the LUBUDS team) alongside up-and-coming Head Chef Law Chak Kei. Notably, the plant-based dining experience at the zen-like eatery is also entirely allium free (no onion, garlic, leek, scallion and chive), making it especially suitable for those following Jainism. We’re keen to see how the chefs up the flavour profiles of the dishes showcased on the lunch and all-day tasting menus without incorporating these items, which are normally standard in Chinese cuisine; we’re told the use of premium seasonal ingredients and skilful fusion of modern Chinese and Western culinary techniques are key. An example of one of YUAN’s sumptuous dishes is The 9 Sweet Grid dessert, pictured above in all its vibrancy; it features an artistically presented selection of three marinated fresh fruits, three Chinese pastries and three Western desserts.

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