Celebrity Life

The Top 8 Dishes We Ate in August 2019

by Fontaine Cheng September 02, 2019

Hong Kong is one of the world’s most exciting culinary capitals, where good food is more than abundant. In that light, we’ve put together a few of our tastiest tidbits and most memorable morsels that are worth tracking down to try.

Honjo

[caption id="attachment_162107" align="alignnone" width="7677"] The Wagyu is dressed in chorizo oil and asahi ponzu.[/caption]

Pirata Group has done it again with the opening of their new modern-Japanese restaurant, Honjo, where dark and moody interiors are jazzed up with eccentric details and a buzzy vibe -- it's no wonder the restaurant is already packed with guest bookings. There are lots of fresh takes on classic Japanese flavours, but our star dish of the night was 'The Wagyu'. This dish is so fragrant that you can smell it even before the waiter puts it on the table. The wagyu meat is singed ever so slightly for a smoky flavour while it bathes in chorizo oil for a little heat. Asahi ponzu lifts the palate, while crispy quinoa and chives are sprinkled for texture. Simply sensational.

Honjo, 1/F, Hollywood Centre, Queen's Road West, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong; +852 2663 3772

Rùn

[caption id="attachment_162095" align="alignnone" width="1998"] Braised white bitter melon with Ibérico pork and fish broth.[/caption]

The St. Regis Hong Kong's Chinese restaurant has a modern interior inspired by the architecture of a traditional Chinese tea pavilion. It's elegant yet relaxed -- just like the cuisine that acclaimed Chinese chef Hung Chi-Kwong puts forward. A great example of this is a seasonal dish that makes use of fresh white bitter melon stewed with Ibérico pork in fish broth. It's a clever dish where everything has a purpose: The pork and broth serve as a rich foundation of flavour, melon cuts through with a bite of bitterness, green peas brighten it up and a sprinkling of sakura shrimp is added for a touch of smokiness to round it all off.

Rùn, 2/F, The St. Regis Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Drive, Wan Chai, Hong Kong; +852 2138 6888

Ecriture x Chef's Table

[caption id="attachment_162078" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Scottish langoustine and sweetbread lasagna.[/caption]

At a recent chef collaboration between chef Maxime Gilbert of Écriture and ex-Caprice chef Vincent Thierry of Chef’s Table at Lebua in Bangkok, we were lucky enough to taste a few signatures from the two star chefs. One such stunning dish was chef Thierry's Scottish langoustine and sweetbread lasagna. The rich and creamy sweetbread was paired with a tomato and fennel confit, fennel flower, and topped with a gorgeous parsley-printed lasagna sheet and a light shellfish emulsion. It's a dish we've been thinking about since we last tasted it, so now we'll have to go to Bangkok to enjoy it once more.

Écriture, 26/F H Queen's, 80 Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2795 5996

Chef's Table at Lebua, Floor 61, Tower Club at Lebua, 1055 Si Lom, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand; +66 2 624 9555

Gough's on Gough

[caption id="attachment_162101" align="alignnone" width="5792"] 'Hong Kong rarebit'.[/caption]

When it comes to the best British fare in Hong Kong, chef Cary Docherty immediately comes to mind. What's new is that Gough's on Gough is now serving delectable dishes from a no-fuss snacking menu for a quick bite. On the ground floor of the restaurant is Piranha Bar, which has just introduced some seriously delicious finger food. Here, the classic Welsh rarebit gets a Hong Kong-style makeover. It may not be the most visually attractive plate on the menu, but the big flavour more than makes up for it. Made with a savoury sauce of melted cheese laced with fish and oyster sauces that's then poured over slices of warm toasted bread, it's soft and chewy but still has a pleasant bit of crispy crunch.

Gough's on Gough, 15 Gough Street, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2473 9066

Zest by Konishi

[caption id="attachment_161957" align="alignnone" width="5700"] The Green Garden.[/caption]

Taking over the space that was once ON Dining, new French-Japanese restaurant Zest by Konishi has officially opened with chef Mitsuru Konishi -- whom you may remember from Wan Chai’s Wagyu Takumi -- at the helm. His return brings his trademark playful cuisine to the forefront with dishes like a sprightly salad named The Green Garden. This dish uses 20 different herbs and vegetables, many of which are sourced from Hong Kong organic farms, including celery root purée, fennel jelly, baby carrots, edamame, black olive crumble and crispy quinoa. It's all dressed in fragrant shiso paste, lemon, marigold flowers, micro herbs and more, before a bright and clear extraction of Australian romaine tomatoes and cherry tomatoes is added to the mix.

Zest By Konishi, 28 & 29/F, 18 On Lan Street, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2715 0878

Porterhouse

[caption id="attachment_162094" align="alignnone" width="2000"] Spanish ‘Los Norteños’ steak.[/caption]

The California Tower steakhouse has been offering Hong Kong's largest collection of Porterhouse steaks for some time now, but it was a recent 'Porterhouse Monday' half-price steak promotion that brought us back. We opted for the Spanish ‘Los Norteños’ which makes use of the grass-fed Iberian beef called Rubia Gallega, aged for 60 days. The result is a deeply flavoured steak with earthy and almost nutty notes, as well as a very soft and fine texture that your knife can cut through easily. The large steak was accompanied by a selection of salts, mustard and a red wine jus which coated the triple-cooked fries nicely, too.

Porterhouse, 7/F California Tower, 30-36 D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong; +852 2522 6366

TMK

[caption id="attachment_162102" align="alignnone" width="8688"] Tuna Hotdog.[/caption]

Sushi rolls meet punk rock and Cali vibes at TMK. The unapologetically loud temakeria is another of Pirata Group's newest openings and presents a casual Japanese concept that delivers a refreshing take on sushi rolls with a slight Western influence. The Tuna Hotdog is the reinvented version of a traditional roll, with a crispy deep-fried rice "bun" holding fresh cubes of tuna sashimi doused in spicy mayo sauce and topped with furikake and chives. Be prepared to wash that down with sake as the restaurant's "Drinks on Me" concept means guests can buy a round for the whole house for an easy HK$290.

TMK, Hollywood Centre, 77 - 91 Queen's Road West, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong; +852 2662 2269

Uma Nota

[caption id="attachment_162103" align="alignnone" width="8000"] Churrasco Tuesday's meat platter.[/caption]

Mark your calendars, because Tuesdays just got a little more exciting for the carnivores among us with Uma Nota's Churrasco menu. The gaucho Brazilian platter comes with a sizzling grill plate piled high with flame-licked beef, chipotle chicken pork ribs and grilled veggies, accompanied by a side of salad. The greatest part of all this succulent meaty goodness is the surprising tenderness and juiciness of the meat and its unique spice rub that adds a burst of flavour. The meal is designed to be shared and with all the items already preset for you, you'll get to sample a bit of everything and not have to ponder what to order.

Uma Nota, 38 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2889 7576

The post The Top 8 Dishes We Ate in August 2019 appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Posted in Best Dishes, Chef's Table at Lebua, Dining, Écriture, Gough's on Gough, Honjo, Porterhouse, Restaurants, Rùn, Uma Nota, Zest by Konishi

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The Top 5 Dishes We Ate in March 2019

by Fontaine Cheng March 31, 2019

Hong Kong is one of the world’s most exciting culinary capitals, where good food is more than abundant. In that light, we’ve put together a few of our tastiest tidbits and most memorable morsels that are worth tracking down to try.

Roast rib of Hereford beef at Gough’s on Gough

Sunday roasts -- one of Britain’s most celebrated traditions -- are few and far between in Hong Kong, let alone a good one. So when we got a call from one of our favourite modern British restaurants, we were more than happy to get our roast on. The roast rib of Hereford beef is one of the traditional options on the Sunday brunch menu and we were not disappointed; the beef is succulent and full of meaty flavour. It comes with all the gut-busting trimmings, too, including fluffy duck fat potatoes and crispy Yorkshire pudding bathed in a glistening beef gravy, along with sides of braised carrots, creamed spinach, cauliflower cheese and horseradish sauce.

Gough’s on Gough, 15 Gough Street, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2473 9066

Foie gras monaka at Mizumi

During the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants festivities, otherwise known as the ‘Oscars of the culinary world’, a series of events spotlighting participating guests were held throughout the week, one of which was a guest chef event at two-Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant Mizumi at Wynn Palace. The special lunch featured dishes from chef Zaiyu Hasegawa of the best restaurant in Japan -- Den (ranked No. 3), chef Hiroyasu Kawate of Florilège (No .5), chef Yusuke Takada of La Cime (No. 14) and chef-owner Takeshi Fukuyama of La Maison de La Nature Goh (No. 24). But the best dish for us was something that came in a small packet: The foie gras monaka, which usually sandwiches sweet red bean paste in a more traditional style dessert, is a wafer pastry filled with creamy foie gras, seasonal fruit and crunchy Japanese pickles -- an incredibly clever entrée that married savoury and sweet flavours along with creamy and crunchy textures -- and left us wanting more.

Mizumi, North Esplanade, G/F Wynn Palace, Avenida da Nave Desportiva, Cotai, Coloane-Taipa, Macau; +853 8889 3663

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Steamed pigeon “au sang” at TATE Dining Room

Another collaborative chef event coinciding with Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants took us to TATE Dining Room in Hong Kong to celebrate the power of female chefs in Asia. The four-course lunch featured exceptional dishes created by chef Bee Satongun of Michelin-starred PASTE in Bangkok, chef Margarita Fores of Grace Park, chef Natsuko Shoji of Été and of course, chef Vicky Lau of Michelin-starred TATE Dining Room. Our favourite dish was the incredibly tender steamed pigeon “au sang” wrapped in delicate tofu skin, paired with fermented mustard green and grape confit. The dish was brought to life with a savoury Sichuan pigeon sauce which was packed with complex umami flavours, while a nourishing pigeon broth warmed both our bellies and souls.

TATE Dining Room, 210 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong; +852 2555 2172

Yubu Bolognese at Mrs. Pound

There’s nothing quite like the street food in Asia and it seems Mrs. Pound, the hidden restaurant in Sheung Wan, agrees. Presenting a revamped menu full of street food inspired dishes, we went on over to try out a good selection that borrowed the culinary essence from Malaysia, Singapore, China, Korea and Japan, but took a fancy to one in particular. The Japanese-Italian inspired yuba Bolognese layers ribbons of the nutty flavoured, chewy bean curd skin in a hearty rage of tomato, basil and Impossible® meat; making a classic Italian dish feel a little less guilty to gorge on.

Mrs. Pound, 6 Pound Lane, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong; +852 3426 3949

Mala Ibérico pork xiao long bao at Old Bailey

This Jiangnan restaurant in Tai Kwun is a Prestige Online favourite for lunch, and for good reason. Since opening in June 2018, the restaurant has offered a bright and stylish interior with an outdoor terrace (overlooking the old Central Police Station), and continues to serve some of the best dim sum dishes in town. Our must-order item is the mala Ibérico pork xiao long bao. Tinted pink by beetroot, the Shanghainese dumpling’s pastry is exceptionally thin and delicately filled with sweet Ibérico pork and Sichuan peppercorns for a fragrant and slightly numbing combination, while the rich chicken bone broth provides the soup for that satisfying bite.

Old Bailey, 2/F JC Contemporary, Tai Kwun, Old Bailey Street, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2877 8711

The post The Top 5 Dishes We Ate in March 2019 appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Posted in Best Dishes, Dining, Gough's on Gough, Mizumi, Mrs. Pound, Old Bailey, Restaurants, Tate Dining Room