Hong Kong restaurant news: Leela debuts tiffin box and tasting menus, The Old Man and Two Moons collaborate to give fallen trees a second life, and more

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Épure is unveiling its newly revamped alfresco terrace as a prelude to the occasion. The Blooms by Épure, designed by creative director Natalya J Ho, is adorned with vibrant floral arrangements and installations, providing an ideal setting along with the backdrop of Victoria Harbour to go with a themed afternoon tea set which is inspired by the French court's fête champêtre. The tea set features an array of miniature pastries and delicate finger sandwiches, with the option to indulge in The Royal tea set, offering lobster rolls, black truffle and comté cheese sandwiches, and smoked salmon and potato topped with caviar, starting from HK$598 for two and available from 3pm to 5.30pm.

Chi Yawaragu, nestled within Upper Lascar Row in Sheung Wan, is launching Offal-verse, a full offal omakase menu which offers comb-to-claw chicken skewers for HK$780 per person, until March 31. This 13-course menu, which is a great way to enjoy chicken in a waste-free manner, features rare cuts including the aorta, thyroid, and chicken testicles, along with more familiar selections such as heart and liver. The experience is enriched with a complimentary Suntory draft beer, daily salad, stewed dish, and the house speciality of Inaniwa udon in chicken soup and a Japanese dessert.

The Japanese eatery is also launching After Four at Chi Yawaragu, a happy hour that offers unlimited complimentary Japanese snacks with any beverage purchase from 4pm to 7pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Guests can enjoy free-flow treats like wasabi raw octopus and pickled yuzu daikon. The drinks menu, featuring niche sake, wine, whisky and beer selections, pairs well with the robust flavours from the grill, inviting guests to explore lesser-known labels. 

Chi Yawaragu
Address: G/F, 28 Upper Lascar Row, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

British Airways is celebrating the Year of the Dragon with festive culinary offerings and special touches for passengers flying between London and key Asian cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore. A nod to traditions that symbolise luck and prosperity, First class customers can savour a black pepper-spiced fillet of beef with Chinese seven-spiced broccolini, while Club World travellers can indulge in kung pao prawn, a homage to its Imperial Palace origins. Both cabins will enjoy a white chocolate tangerine mousse, highlighting the fruit’s cultural significance as gold. Economy and premium economy guests are treated to lion’s head meatballs, a Huaiyang cuisine classic symbolising unity.

To enhance the festive spirit, passengers at London Heathrow Terminal 5 will also receive red envelopes with chocolate coins, and lion dancers will perform on the concourse. Additionally, in a gesture of holiday goodwill, British Airways is offering surprises like upgrades to Club World and lounge access to select passengers born in the Year of the Dragon. 

See also: How British Airways’ Club Suite offers a taste of Britain at 35,000 feet

Olé, a stalwart of Spanish cuisine on Ice House Street in Central for almost 26 years, is welcoming spring with an exciting array of five new limited-edition dishes, available until February 29. This culinary tribute includes a hearty venison stew with chestnuts and wild mushrooms and golden canelon filled with partridge, porcini mushrooms, foie gras and truffle béchamel, both of which nod to Spain’s rich hunter-gatherer heritage. Additionally, the creative Challans duck breast with black pudding and apple cabbage ravioli alongside the pan-seared scallops with artichoke and parsnip paramentier in truffle oil showcase traditional ingredients with a slightly modern twist. The menu is rounded off by the classic baked whole sole fish with potatoes, zucchini and bilbaina sauce, a staple in Spanish households and restaurants. 

Olé
Address: 1/F, Shun Ho Tower, 24-30 Ice House Street, Central, Hong Kong

Wood is an essential element in creating whisky thanks to the barrel-ageing process, but what about when it comes to making cocktails? That’s the question that underpins The Old Man’s latest collaborative menu with local gin maker Two Moons, who partnered with Hong Kong-based woodworking studio Made to infuse the flavours of native trees that fell during typhoons directly into a trio of original cocktails. Arranged to correspond to the different parts of a tree, from root to shoot, the cocktails include Old Country, a spirit-forward libation of Two Moons signature dry gin, caramelised pumpkin, ginger vermouth and smoked pomelo wood; the refreshing Catherine Barkley, made with Two Moons five flowers tea gin, charred longan wood-infused Lillet, mint and dill cordial and soda; and the fruity Into The Trees, featuring Two Moons calamansi gin, charred Indian almond wood absinthe, pineapple and aeroplane olive.

Hennessy celebrates the 2024 Chinese New Year with a limited-edition collection inspired by Chinese artist Yang Yongliang’s digital art piece, Dragon’s Odyssey. The collection pays homage to the Year of the Dragon, featuring metallic dragons dancing amidst waves, brought to life through a combination of traditional drawings and striking digital art. Each bottle represents the aspirations of the new year, with red symbolising joy and luck, and gold representing prosperity. The collection includes V.S.O.P, X.O, and Paradis editions, with the Paradis decanter featuring wraparound gold dragon artwork on handcrafted porcelain. To celebrate the occasion, a Hennessy Chinese New Year pop-up is now open at Harbour City to showcase the collection and offer immersive experiences.

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