Keeping up with new restaurants, new chefs and new menus in Hong Kong can be tricky as there’s always so much going on! Our monthly Hong Kong restaurant news round-up aims to keep you in the loop with what’s going on when it comes to new menus and new venues in the city’s ever-evolving dining scene.
Weekend Barbecue Brunch
Dude food lovers, unite! Linguini Fini is putting on a weekend barbecue brunch in their private al fresco courtyard. For HK$398 per person, executive chef Vinny Lauria and his team will cook up a decadent spread that combines a Brooklyn barbecue with a New York-Italian flavour. Brunch comes with home-made ciabatta, organic pickles and is served on a picnic bench. The menu includes classic salads, such as Caprese and potato, along with grilled chicken, dry rubbed Hangar steak and homemade spicy sausage. The meal ends with fruit platters. Free-flow beer is included in the package, and you can get free-flow Prosecco, Peroni and Bloody Marys for two hours for an extra HK$99.
More: linguinifini.com
New lunch sets at Fang Fang
Modern Chinese cuisine specialists Fang Fang have new lunch set menus. Expat Living sampled their latest offerings on a recent weekday. Set on the 8th floor of the LKF Tower, the restaurant has a sophisticated, but welcoming feel, making it perfect for a catch-up with friends or a business lunch. There are three sets, the Express which is perfect for those watching the clock, the Signature set which has all of Fang Fang’s favourite dishes, and the Executive set lunch for those looking to host clients and colleagues. Diners can choose to have one of the sets, or you can order from their a la carte dim sum menu, which has a good range of steamed and fried dumplings. We opted to try a few dumplings from the dim sum menu, along with dishes from the Signature lunch set. The pork and shrimp dumplings were plump and full of flavour, while the garlic prawn spring rolls were perfectly crispy and filled with a generous amount of prawn. The Signature menu also comes with dumplings, so we indulged in their signature shrimp dumplings. The Signature set has six starters to choose from. On the day of our visit we chose the crab meat sweet corn soup, before diving into a delicious dish of tender stir-friend New Zealand lamb with wok-fried leeks from the main courses. The meal was rounded out with creme brulee, given an Asian twist with the use of ginger. Fang Fang also offers a great range of cocktails – or mocktails for those who need to head back to the office – making its new lunch sets a winner on all fronts.
More: fangfang.com.hk
Best restaurants of 2018
Hong Kong has secured nine places on the 2018 list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. Amber took out the No.7 spot and was also named The Best Restaurant in China for a third successive year. Meanwhile, 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana was at No.13, Ta Vie was No.16, Lung King Heen was No.24, and Ronin was No.41. The 2018 list includes newcomers Neighbourhood at No.32, and Belon at No.40, while Caprice re-entered the list at No.46. The Chairman at No.22 in Hong Kong and Mume in Taipei (No.18) tie for the Highest Climber Award with both restaurants rising 25 places. Nicolas Lambert of Caprice is also the 2018 recipient of Asia’s Best Pastry Chef Award.
More: theworlds50best.com
Lily & Bloom Brunch Party
Lily & Bloom is launching its new series of ‘blackout brunches’ on the last Sunday of every month from 29 April. Priced at HK$530 or unlimited food and drinks per guest or HK$265 for unlimited drinks from 12pm-4pm, expect an afternoon of cranked-up hip hop and soul funk tunes, breakfast food, limitless alcohol, and party vibes. There’ll be free-flow Prosecco, wine, beer, Bloody Mary, and Aperol Spritzes, and an all-you-can-eat sharing-style meal of watermelon feta salad, corn on the cob, avocado toast, blueberry pancakes, fried chicken, hash browns, and eggs.
More: info@lily-bloom.com/
Izakaya dining coming to Soho
A Japanese-style izakaya restaurant is coming to Soho in May, with the opening of Fukuro. Expect an atmosphere of revelry, along with amazing food. Chef Shun Sato will head up Fukuro’s bustling open kitchen and much of the inspiration for the menu comes from his memories of growing up in his father’s izakaya in his hometown of Sendai. Executive chef Jowett Yu, of Ho Lee Fook, will oversee the menu of the Elgin Street venue. Signature dishes will include a pristine seasonal Sashimi platter served on ice, followed by hot seafood dishes. From the grill, dishes include A4 Wagyu sukiyaki topped with a cured egg yolk and smoked negi onions. All dishes are designed to share and pair with beer and spirits, especially whisky highballs. The design combines Edo period influences with a contemporary feel.
More: info@fukuro.com.hk
Lovely Dear Lilly
Dear Lilly, a romantic restaurant and lounge bar filled with flowers, fine food and superb cocktails, has opened its doors in IFC. Located on the Level 4 podium, the sweeping views of Victoria Harbour are coupled with the stunning interior which has the trademark detail associated with design by Ashley Sutton. The mastermind behind other Dining Concepts venues, such as Ophelia and Iron Fairies, has created an elegant French feel with floral accents at Dear Lilly. Perfect for lunch, leisurely dinners, cocktails with friends or a relaxing drink. Dear Lilly is open Sunday and Monday from 11am to midnight, Tuesday to Wednesday from 11am to 1am and Thursday to Saturday from 11am to 2am. Dress code is smart casual and corkage is HK$250. Shop 4010, Level 4, IFC Mall, 8 Finance Street, Central.
More: diningconcepts.com
Cheese & Wine Nights
Timothy Oulton’s restaurant, Gough’s on Gough, is continuing to champion UK cuisine with its British Cheese & Wine Nights. From Sunday to Wednesday, the restaurant will offer a selection of house and premium international wines with fine British cheeses. Opt for three of five glasses of wine from the extensive wine list, which are paired with cheeses by sommelier Francois Ferrand. The cheese menu presents six varieties of artisanal British cheeses; each sourced from a different family-run farm in the UK. Served with walnut raisin bread and grandma’s onion jam, guests can mix and match 3 cheeses of their choice (HK$198) or simply go for tasting portions of all 6 varieties. 15 Gough Street, Central.
More: goughsongough.com
Rotisserie chickens
Little Birdy is serving up fresh, tasty free-range rotisserie chicken, along with superfood salads, handcrafted sandwiches and daily specials in Sheung Wan. Co-founders Danielle Giambattista and Yuey Tan bring a playful approach to the world’s favourite poultry, inspired by traditional suburban Aussie chicken shops. They use only free-range Australian chickens accredited by Free Range Egg and Poultry Australia (FREPA). The chickens are brined in advance before being roasted. 15-17 New Street, Sheung Wan.
More: littlebirdy.com.hk
Moi Moi semi-buffet dinner
Vietnamese restaurant Moi Moi has launched a semi-buffet dinner, which is available between Monday to Sunday from 6 pm to 9 pm, and priced at HK$238 per person. Enjoy a wide array of authentic Vietnamese dishes, fresh fruits and desserts from the buffet table, including the lotus stem salad, Wagyu beef rice paper rolls, Vietnamese spring rolls, deep-fried fish cake, and grilled pork neck. Moi Moi’s signature dishes such as Vietnamese chicken salad and Tiger Prawns rice paper rolls will also feature. Apart from the buffet, guests can indulge further in the mains with an extra HK$68 up. Lobby, Nexxus Building, 41 Connaught Road Central.
More: moimoi.hk
Noshing on Nonya
Nonya food fans will be excited to hear of the opening of Rempah Noodles in Wan Chai. The restaurant has been opened by Bobby Poon, a Singaporean living in Hong Kong for over 20 years, who wanted to recreate popular Nonya dishes, such as Nonya laksa lemak and prawn noodles, which are considered comfort food in Singapore and Malaysia. Nonya or Peranakan cuisine is derived from the Peranakans, who are descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesian, while ‘nonya’ is a Malay word used to respect women of prominent social standing. ‘Rempah’ means ‘spice mix’ in Malay. G/F, 18 Hennessey Road, Wan Chai.
More: 3618 4863
Shake Shack
Big Hong Kong restaurant news with the announcement that cult burger chain Shake Shack is coming to Hong Kong! The New York institution will open its doors on the fourth floor of the IFC mall later this month. Since the original Shack opened in 2004 in NYC’s Madison Square Park, the company has expanded to more than 90 locations in 19 US states, and more than 50 international locations including London, Istanbul, Dubai, Tokyo, Moscow, and Seoul. Shake Shack has ranked No. 16 in Bon Appétit’s “The 20 Most Important Restaurants in America” and No. 7 in TIME Magazine’s “17 Most Influential Burgers of All Time”.
Beef & Liberty at airport
Much-loved gourmet hamburger chain Beef & Liberty has opened a branch in Terminal 1 at Hong Kong International Airport. It is located past the South departure entrance, and will be able to seat 120 diners. It offers all Beef & Liberty’s popular menu items, along with new dishes exclusive to the airport outlet only, such as Hong Kong milk tea crème brulée, and a macaroni cheese breakfast sandwich. It will also have a craft beer and cocktail bar.
More: beef-liberty.com
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