Spring is here and it’s a great time to gravitate towards our beautiful outdoor spaces to catch up with family or friends over a picnic in Hong Kong. Even better if you’re bearing a wicker picnic basket full of treats! We review four picnic food offerings that will add some luxe into your lunch.
Picnic spread by The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong
Collect your picnic basket from the hotel’s welcome lobby on Level 9 and head over the walkway to West Kowloon Cultural District. Pick your spot to relax and soak up the views and golden hour vibes! This is a super pretty picnic, as you’d expect from The Ritz-Carlton, and everything is of the highest standard. The Insta-worthy traditional wicker basket contains crockery and cutlery and the matching red-and-white chequered picnic rug completes the look.
The basket is packed with delicious bites including sandwiches, freshly baked bread rolls with cheese, charcuterie and fruit. There were three salads – all delicious: seared tuna niçoise, chicken and quinoa, and succulent prawns with roasted beetroot. Two very tasty dips, guacamole and sun-dried tomato and cheese, were served in glass mason jars to complete the line-up.
Of course, a picnic would not be complete without a sweet treat or two! You can choose between an apple or pear tart – we chose apple, which was ideal to share – and then either a smaller apple or pecan nut tartlet.
And finally, the most decadent square of chocolate cake! There’s also bottled water and the hotel’s selection of freshy squeezed juices, served in glass bottles – we chose watermelon and lemonade.
Whether you’re enjoying a romantic picnic in Hong Kong with your partner or an afternoon with your bestie, this picnic food and set up will impress.
Price: The Ritz-Carlton picnic basket is $866, with the option of adding on champagne and caviar. $500 deposit refundable on basket return. Order 48 hours in advance.
Note: The hotel will also deliver the picnic to a residential or business address (additional charges apply) so you can choose where you’d like to dine and head directly there.
The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong
Level 9, ICC, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon
2263 2263 | ritzcarltonhkshop.com
Hampers from Brick Lane
British gastropub Brick Lane offers four picnic sets: the Baron Hamper and Vegetarian Hamper, each designed for two people, the Earl Hamper for four, and the Duke Hamper for six. What’s more, you can add to your picnic from a choice of Extra Bites.
We tried the Earl Hamper, which was full to the brim with tasty food and perfect for a family picnic in Hong Kong with hungry children – think chicken avocado sandwiches, a prawn salad, and half a roast chicken. Black truffle fries and nachos with sour cream, salsa and guacamole were both a huge hit with the kids. We also added a side of super delicious meatballs in tomato sauce, another crowd pleaser. For dessert, there’s plenty of freshly cut fruit and chocolate brownies. We added a royal scone set, which included jam and cream for a little afternoon tea indulgence.
The set includes two bottles of water and two bottles of wine and your hot food is packed in an insulated bag. Glasses, plates and cutlery are all provided in a pretty picnic basket along with a couple of blankets.
With six pick-up locations available – Brick Lane’s restaurants in Admiralty, Causeway Bay, TST and Tai Wai, and Campsite in Quarry Bay and Mong Kok – you’re spoilt for choice of parks to enjoy this fab picnic in.
Price: Earl Hamper, $660 for four people, with Extra Bites from $46 a portion. Order 72 hours in advance; $1,000 cash deposit is refunded on return to the restaurant.
Order online at bricklane.com.hk.
Picnic food by Relish
Relish, renowned for its upmarket event catering, also offers a couple of picnic options. Perfect for date night at home, the Relish Picnic is a sophisticated choice consisting of two mains, two salads, a cheese and charcuterie board, a dessert and a bottle of wine. You can also add a bouquet of flowers for a romantic touch. The food is simply delicious and the portions are very generous. And the super online menu also has a decent selection of vegetarian dishes.
The cheese and charcuterie board is a feast on its own. It’s perfect to graze on with a chilled glass of wine. For mains, we chose grilled cabbage steaks with a delicious jalapeño lentil chimichurri and maple mustard tahini dressing, and perfectly grilled rare beef tenderloin garnished with burnt baby gem lettuce, cherry tomatoes and a tangy red onion relish.
I love soba noodle salads and Relish’s version with cucumber, carrot, purple cabbage in a soy sesame dressing is a winner. Then there was a couscous salad that came with zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes, chickpea, feta and pomegranate, and a mint honey dressing that could have been a little more minty for our tastes.
Save room for dessert! The lemon meringue pie is exquisite – sharp, smooth, lemony curd topped with a soft sweet meringue in a crisp pastry case. Relish’s picnic is delivered in elegant packaging, which is nice enough to put on your table to save on washing up or decant onto your own servers. Disposable bamboo knives and forks are provided, but use crockery and cutlery to do the food justice. This is a great choice for a restaurant-quality meal in the comfort of your own home.
Price: $480 per person plus delivery. Order 72 hours in advance.
3481 1924 | relish.com.hk
A picnic basket from Rajasthan Rifles
Pick up your picnic basket, rucksack and blankets from Rajasthan Rifles on The Peak and Mount Austin Playground is just a five-minute walk from the restaurant – or carry on up the hill to Victoria Peak Garden. This Anglo-Indian spread is delicious and the portions generous. The team has thought of everything you might need, including a set of smart racing-green enamel ware to eat from, mugs, cutlery and a pile of napkins. There’s even some mozzie spray!
Nibble on freshly roasted walnuts and peanuts as you set up your picnic in Hong Kong. For the savouries, there’s a choice of club sandwich – either chicken tikka or paneer bhurji masala (we chose the paneer, which was delicious) – plus a portion of spicy masala fries and a couple of potato and pea samosas.
For something sweet, there are squares of rich and decadent chocolate brownie and preserved fruit cake. Both are heavenly! To drink, choose from masala chia or “nimbu soda”, a salty-sweet lime soda, super refreshing on a warm day. Or there’s an option to add a bottle of house wine. We really enjoyed this picnic, and tranquil Mount Austin Playground is the perfect spot to while away the afternoon.
Price: $518 per hamper or $798 with a bottle of house wine, serves two. A $500 deposit is refunded on return to the restaurant. Book 48 hours in advance.
Rajasthan Rifles, Ground Floor, The Peak Galleria, The Peak
2388 9974 | rajasthanrifles.com
ALSO: Where to go to enjoy your picnic
The picnic – or pique-nique, meaning “to pick at food” – may be of French origin, but when the weather’s just right, Hong Kong is a great place for making use of the city’s beaches, parks and hillsides for a spot of alfresco entertaining. Find a handful of spots to settle in with your sandwiches and cakes here!
This article first appeared in the Spring 2024 issue of Expat Living magazine. Subscribe now so you never miss an issue.
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