Shirley Kwok of The Cakery has launched Cultured, a new brand of fermented, plant-based kitchen staples that aim to redefine traditional snacking with healthier alternatives, featuring products like the Original Cream Cheese alongside various vegan “cheese” flavoured with the likes of truffle, jalapeño, roasted garlic, sundried tomatoes and more. Other products include dairy, gluten-free hummus varieties, and nutritious Five Seed Crackers. Utilising the age-old fermentation technique, these products are made to deliver rich, umami flavours and significant health benefits, thanks to probiotics. The products are now available online at culturedhk.com and The Cakery outlets.

Estro is welcoming the new year with a special four-hands collaboration with Tokyo’s Bvlgari Il Ristorante. Spearheaded by chefs Antimo Maria Merone and Luca Fantin, this event will run from January 25 to 26. The two chefs will present a seafood-focused menu while showcasing their shared passion for Italian gastronomy and culinary innovation. The eight-course dinner, available for HK$2,880, and the six-course lunch, priced at HK$1,880, will offer a menu titled Il mare D’inverno: The Winter Sea, featuring dishes such as aori ika (bigfin reef squid) with cauliflower and black truffle; langoustine with asparagus, olive oil sabayon and lemon; spaghetti with sea urchin and tomato; and gnocchetti with honey peas and salted cod. 

On January 18, Thailand’s LeDu and Chim By Siam Wisdom, both boasting one Michelin star, will collaborate for a four-hands dinner at Niras in Hong Kong. This unique event features chefs Thitid ‘Ton’ Tassanakajohn from LeDu Bangkok and Thanintorn ‘Noom’ Chantharawan from Chim By Siam Wisdom. The dinner will highlight Ton’s signature dishes alongside Noom’s tom yum goong which is crafted from a celebrated 150-year-old recipe. Priced at HK$1,880 per person, this dinner offers a deep dive into Thailand’s rich gastronomic heritage, blending top-quality ingredients with robust Thai flavours.

The Market at Hotel Icon has launched a ‘Lobsterlicious’ buffet, available now until February 29. Celebrating lobster season with a wide range of dishes, guests can enjoy lobster for lunch and dinner with ocean rock lobsters sourced from the Indian Ocean. Dishes include everything from chilled lobster and lobster salad to wok-fried lobster with ginger and onion, Singapore-style lobster with black pepper sauce, Thai-style fried lobster with chilli, Indian curry lobster, and more. For more sustenance, guests can also try seafood congee, or fried rice with lobster, lobster e-fu noodles and lobster pasta with cheese sauce for lunch.

Another one-night-only event, occurring on January 18, sees two Michelin-starred Baan Tepa from Bangkok Thailand teaming up with Hong Kong’s Plaa for a chef collaboration dinner, bringing together the exceptional skills of chefs Richie Lin and Chudaree ‘Tam’ Debhakam. This one-night-only event will feature an eight-course menu, priced at HK$2,180 per person, showcasing the two chefs’ finest signature dishes and their innovative approach to Thai cuisine using rare and wild ingredients. 

LPM Restaurant & Bar is introducing Une Petite Pause, a menu created for Dry January in collaboration with non-alcoholic spirits brand Lyre’s. Available in January, the menu features four non-alcoholic cocktails including the Nogroni Sbagliato, made with Lyre’s Aperitif Rosso, Italian Spritz, and Classico mixed with Earl Grey and gentian root; Watermelon Gazpacho which is based on Lyre’s Dry London and LPM’s watermelon and tomato gazpacho; L’Orgeat, a mix of Lyre’s Amaretti with lemon, toasted almonds and whey; and Rosé Champagne Colada with Lyre’s Spiced Cane, Classico, rosé wine, and coconut-pineapple cordial. This sober twist on classic cocktails will be available at all LPM Restaurant & Bar locations around the world, including London, Dubai, Miami, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Riyadh, Limassol, Doha, and Las Vegas.

See also: Hong Kong is over hangovers: How the city’s dynamic nightlife is transforming

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