Dining news: Amber celebrates 20th anniversary, Rosewood Hong Kong teams up with the Simon Rogan Academy, and more

Niwa, the discreet omakase counter tucked into Soho’s side streets, has handed the reins to head chef Katsuji Shibayama, a Hokkaido-born veteran of Edomae traditions with over three decades of training and service. His style is unfussy but meticulous, the focus firmly on seasonality rather than signatures. The refreshed summer menu is a quiet showcase of precision: Hokkaido scallop tempura that melts into crispness, snapper sashimi pared back to its cleanest line, and a sardine roll built from Iwate sardines at their fleeting peak. Staples such as tuna provide ballast, but the menu pivots on the rhythm of what the markets allow each week.

New arrivals keep things compelling. There’s salt-grilled mehikari, a rare deep-sea fish prized for its luminous eyes and gentle sweetness; geoduck sushi with its crunch and brine; and barracuda, coaxed smoky with a sear of the torch. Flounder, striped shrimp and gizzard shad (kohada) each bring their own subtle readings of Edomae discipline. Every grain of rice is tuned to the cut in front of you—temperature, acidity, texture—so the progression from course to course feels less like a performance, more like a steady cadence. Omakase runs from HK$580 at lunch for 14 courses, or HK$1,580 at dinner for 20 courses, available Monday to Saturday.

Niwa
Address: G/F, Cockloft Ichang House, 61 Caine Road, Central, Hong Kong

The Old Man has marked its eighth year with a new menu titled Relations, a dozen cocktails tracing the rivalries, romances and friendships that shaped Ernest Hemingway’s life. Each drink riffs on a different connection: Handshake brings jalapeño heat in tribute to Ezra Pound’s mentorship; Lost Brothers balances sweet and bitter notes in a nod to Hemingway’s fraught bond with Francis Scott Fitzgerald; while Partners in Crime goes playful and spicy, echoing his riotous friendship with James Joyce. Love affairs appear too, from the delicate First Light for Hadley Richardson to the aromatic For a Moment Only, inspired by Adriana Ivancich. Deeper ties are poured into Paradox and Father & Son, which channel the complexities of his parents, while Brightline takes its cue from Paul Cézanne’s luminous vision. Available from September 26.

Rosewood Hong Kong will once again team up with the Simon Rogan Academy and the International Culinary Institute this October, bringing apprentices and students together for a collaborative six-course dinner at Botanical Kitchen. Held on October 17 and 18, the event follows a masterclass led by chef Simon Rogan on October 16 and marks the culmination of the year’s training programme.

The menu includes crisp nori with smoked eel, malt miso eggplant tartlet with black garlic and tomato, raw mackerel in dulse with wasabi, and a main of Peking duck breast with squash purée and fig leaf-infused sauce. Diners will finish with a playful line-up of desserts such as frozen golden diamond pineapple with elderflower and tonka bean ganache with buckwheat praline. Priced at HK$880 per person, with an optional three-glass wine pairing at HK$380, the dinner highlights the next generation of talent shaping Hong Kong’s kitchens.

Botanical Kitchen
Address: 6/F, Rosewood Hong Kong, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong  

Heimat is marking Oktoberfest with an à la carte spread that runs the gamut of Bavarian staples. There’s crispy schweinshaxe, the crackling-skinned pork knuckle that’s practically mandatory at a Munich beer hall; roasted nürnberger wurst, petite sausages served with sauerkraut; and käsekrainer, cheese-filled sausage paired with a cabbage salad. A touch of luxury arrives with smoked sausage laced with black truffle, while sides include the classic Kartoffelsalat potato salad. To finish, apfelstrudel layers apples and pastry with cinnamon sweetness, while schwarzwälder kirschtorte delivers the kirsch-soaked punch of Black Forest cake. German beers from Kaiserdom to Karlsbrau keep the steins flowing. Available from September 30 to October 26, the menu is offered at lunch and dinner with a minimum spend of HK$450 per person.

Amber at Mandarin Oriental The Landmark, Hong Kong marks its 20th anniversary with #AmberAt20, a three-month series of collaboration dinners that gathers some of the world’s most acclaimed chefs. The programme opens on October 24 with East Meets West, where Richard Ekkebus teams up with Umberto Bombana of 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Hong Kong, Vicky Cheng of Wing in Hong Kong, and Tam Kwok Fung of Chef Tam’s Seasons in Macau to explore the dialogue between Chinese and Western traditions.

On November 17, Amber hosts a 12-hands dinner devoted to Dutch gastronomy, paying tribute to Amber’s first guest chef, the late Jonnie Boer. Joining Ekkebus are Sergio Herman (La Pristine, Antwerp; The Jane, Antwerp; Pure C and Air Republic, Zeeland), Nelson Tanate (De Librije, Zwolle), Hans van Wolde (Brut172, Reijmerstok), Joris Bijdendijk (RIJKS and Wils, Amsterdam) and Ron Blaauw (Ron Gastrobar, Amsterdam).

The series concludes on December 16 with a Dom Pérignon collaboration featuring Jungsik Yim of Jungsik in New York and Seoul, Cédric Satabin of Alain Ducasse at Morpheus in Macau, and Yusuke Takada of La Cime in Osaka. Together, these dinners assemble more than 40 Michelin stars in just three months, underscoring Amber’s role not only as one of Hong Kong’s benchmark dining rooms but also as a platform for global culinary exchange.

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