Cover Dining news: eight top mixologists of Hong Kong and Macau will proceed to the finals at the Diageo World Class Competition in June
Dining news: eight top mixologists of Hong Kong and Macau will proceed to the finals at the Diageo World Class Competition in June
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Refreshed menus, collaborations and more on this week’s Hong Kong and Macau dining news
Sunshine and brighter days are finally returning to Hong Kong and Macau, and the region’s restaurants and bars are matching the energy. Chefs are looking to the season for inspiration, taking an ingredient-led approach to brunch, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.
The bar scene is just as electric. A playful trading card promotion has landed, cocktail menus are sharper and more focused, and a guest shift series is celebrating top talents across both cities. In short, it’s time to book a table or hit the bars. Read on and be inspired.
Read more: Yong Fu Hong Kong welcomes Ta Vie, Man Ho Chinese Restaurant partners with Hugo Leung, and more
Back to base
Above Savour wellness-inspired drinks from 3721 Nutrition
Above Get a refreshing scoop from Snack Baby
Savour wellness-inspired drinks from 3721 Nutrition
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Basehall 02 is expanding its food range with three additions. Local gelateria Snack Baby and health-driven drinks concept 3721 Nutrition will enter Basehall 02 on a pop-up basis, running until the end of August and July, respectively. The gelateria will serve rotating flavours crafted with seasonal ingredients, starting with a selection that includes darjeeling banana honeycomb and matcha with toasted white chocolate. All flavours are available in cups, cones and larger takeaway formats. Don’t miss the dessert-style drinks, which include an affogato and coconut espresso frostie.
A wellness-focused menu leads 3721 Nutrition’s operations at Basehall 02, with offerings designed to fuel your day. Highlights include a list of refreshing collagen electrolyte sodas, which come in sparkling lychee oolong, pink grapefruit and more flavours. The protein-led selection includes crafted drinks and bites, with the foam jasmine green, hojicha protein latte and high-protein chicken breast siu mai being standouts. All items are available à la carte or as a set.
Meanwhile, Tai On Coffee & Tea enters Basehall 02’s line-up on an ongoing basis, serving refined cha chaan teng-inspired fare from an equally nostalgic booth. Hong Kong comfort rice dishes, curries and café-style plates make up the menu, including spring onion oil chicken thigh with two fried eggs on rice and beef short ribs in Hong Kong-style curry on rice on the lunch menu, and Hong Kong-style roasted half chicken on the dinner menu. Lunch and dinner sets come with a choice of house cold brew teas, including lemon da hong pao and oolong milk tea.
Basehall 02
Address: B/F, 1 Connaught Place, Central, Hong Kong
Monkey-ing around
Above Savour the Old Fashion in three new ways at Draft Land Hong Kong
Savour the Old Fashion in three new ways at Draft Land Hong Kong
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Blended malt Scotch whisky brand Monkey Shoulder is collaborating with Draft Land, Hong Kong’s destination for cocktails on tap, to reinterpret the classic whisky-based cocktail, the Old Fashioned. Crafted from three Speyside single malts, Monkey Shoulder delivers smooth blends with vibrant notes of orange, vanilla and ginger that add complexity to each curated creation.
Three special cocktails will be available across Draft Land’s locations and are priced from HK$120 each. The Funky Monkey blends Monkey Shoulder with banana, chocolate and da hong pao tea, topped off with a shot of makgeolli (Korean rice wine). The Stoic Monkey leads with cold brew coffee and sherry, complemented with toasty notes of hojicha. The Warrior Monkey offers a fruity blend, reflecting the whisky’s fruity and citrus-forward notes with blood orange, yuzu and ginger, finished with a red wine float.
Draft Land Causeway Bay is marking the launch with a party on May 26, where guests are invited to experience the new cocktails alongside live music by DJ Johnnie Darka.
Draft Land Causeway Bay
Address: Shop D, G/F, Soundwill Plaza II, 1–29 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Draft Land Central
Address: G/F, 63 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong
It’s brunch o’clock
Above Don’t miss the house-made pasta
Above The signature burrata also feature on the new brunch menu
Don’t miss the house-made pasta
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Sai Ying Pun’s neighbourhood Italian restaurant Lucale has launched a brunch menu designed for sharing. Ingredient-driven plates lead the four-course experience, starting with an appetiser spread for the table that includes burrata with 24-month aged parma ham, porcini mushroom cake and smoked salmon with cherry tomatoes, avocado and mâche salad.
A choice of Lucale’s made-fresh-daily pasta dishes follows, which includes carbonara sauce-filled tortellini and gnocchi dressed in a rich squid and shrimp ragù. Mains offer equally compelling choices, leading with basil-crusted black cod and half baby spring chicken. Conclude your brunch with the signature tiramisu or opt for the coconut semifreddo with mango sauce for something lighter and more refreshing.
Lucale’s brunch menu is priced from HK$498 per person. Two-hour free-flow packages are available from HK$180 per person.
Draw a card
Above Try your luck and draw the rare Earl Grey Caviar Martini card from Quinary’s cocktail-inspired deck
Try your luck and draw the rare Earl Grey Caviar Martini card from Quinary’s cocktail-inspired deck
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In celebration of Earl Grey Caviar Martini Day, Quinary has launched a promotion that blends cocktail culture with the collectibility of Pokémon cards. From May 24 to 26, guests who order the signature drink will receive a pack of five random Quinary cards. Those who pull the rare Earl Grey Caviar Martini Card among the 17 cocktail-inspired designs will be rewarded with a gift pack containing exclusive merchandise plus a voucher for two complimentary Earl Grey Caviar Martinis redeemable during a future visit.
Flan it up
Above Enjoy the Hokkaido chocolate flan alongside a curated selection of sweets and savoury
Enjoy the Hokkaido chocolate flan alongside a curated selection of sweets and savoury
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The Butterfly Room has launched a new seasonal afternoon tea experience centred around the new Hokkaido chocolate flan. Crafted by executive pastry chef Jonathan Soukdeo, the chocolate creation pivots the popular Hokkaido flan series towards more classic and comforting flavours. The rich and indulgent treat is paired with a seasonal selection of sweets and savouries, including green peas soup with jalapeño, parmesan cruffin, a refreshed finger sandwich selection that includes Hainanese chicken with celtuce and a luxurious caviar French toast presented table-side from a caviar trolley.
The afternoon tea menu is available until early July and is priced from HK$598 per person.
The Butterfly Room
International
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$ $ $ $
2/F, Rosewood Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Raise a glass
Above The Gold Shop is a riff on the Espresso Martini
Above Asian-inspired presentations and ingredients lead the new cocktail menu
The Gold Shop is a riff on the Espresso Martini
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Maggie Choo’s is celebrating its third anniversary with a new cocktail menu. Led by newly appointed head of cocktail programme Abim Malla, the collection draws on the intrigue of the 1920s, the east-meets-west cultural exchange of the era and the art of travel, expressed through sweet and savoury profiles and Asian ingredients and flavours.
A highlight is the spice-led Driven by Her Dreams, a tequila-based cocktail built around Sichuan pepper, chilli and coriander. The Gold Shop offers a subtle twist on the Espresso Martini, replacing sugar syrup with amaretto for extra nuttiness. Meanwhile, the Remains of Mystery takes on a distinctive Japanese character with a mix of umeshu, plum and gin, served in an ornate Chinese ceramic cup.
New cocktails are now available and are priced from HK$168 each.
Maggie Choo’s
Address: G/F, 1 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
Dine to the season
Above Treat yourself to a hearty lunch at The Drawing Room
Above Leave room for hand-crafted sweets served from the dessert trolley
Treat yourself to a hearty lunch at The Drawing Room
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The Drawing Room is refreshing its offerings with a new à la carte selection and a bi-weekly rotating lunch set guided by seasonal ingredients. Led by executive sous chef Hugo Cheng, the menu leans on acidity and lighter flavours, with appetisers that range from Hokkaido scallop crudo with shio kombu to tiger prawn poke bowl. Mains are similarly balanced, highlighting pan-fried Ibérico pork and roasted whole yellow chicken alongside pan-fried sea bass with Hokkaido scallop, mussel and tiger prawns.
Meanwhile, executive pastry chef Rémy Gaulé has updated the dessert series accordingly with fruity, citrus-forward creations. Served from a dessert trolley, guests can choose from yuzu and lime bavarois (French custard pudding), kiwi and aloe mousse, raspberry and earl grey tart and more.
Cheers to the best
Above Amilie’s Rhapsody by John Patrick Poon of Mius, Hong Kong
Above Melon & Old Friends by Nans Petit of Penicillin, Hong Kong
Amilie’s Rhapsody by John Patrick Poon of Mius, Hong Kong
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The Diageo World Class Competition is returning to Hong Kong and Macau this June, bringing with it the World Class Cocktail Festival set to take place across top bars in both cities. Past regional winners, including Damon Park of Seoul’s Ace Four Club, Morris Su of Testing Room in Taipei and Navjot Singh of Lair in Gurgaon and New Delhi, will host one-night-only collaborations in participating venues such as Skye Bar and The Opposites in Hong Kong, and the Ritz Carlton Bar & Lounge and Wing Lei Bar in Macau until June 16.
The cocktail festival culminates in a grand final at Wynn Palace Macau, where eight finalists, including Brian Chan of Hong Kong’s Coa, John Patrick Poon of Mius in Hong Kong, Nokoy Mak of Macau’s Long Bar and Wanjia Fu of Palace Reserve Club in Macau, will compete for the top spot.
Formerly a lifestyle editor, Celia is now an Associate Dining Editor at Tatler Hong Kong, where she covers local dining stories with a strong sense of narrative and cultural context. She focuses on the people, places and moments shaping the city’s food scene, bringing a storytelling-led approach to restaurant features, chef profiles and on-the-ground coverage.
