Hong Kong restaurant news: Whey welcomes Singapore's Seroja, Andō celebrates third anniversary, and more

Chef de cuisine Giovanni Galeota at The Dining Room in Rosewood Hong Kong is presenting a new culinary experience this summer. The revamped a la carte menu is replete with creative dishes including the la tartelette, a savoury tart with burrata, baby sweet peas, vermouth and Kaluga caviar, and Japanese Kampachi fish crudo with Italian Piennolo tomatoes marinara, among others.

There are also new pasta dishes to sample such as a homemade tagliolini pasta topped with sustainable bluefin tuna, fennel pollen and bottarga and main courses like the breaded and fried rack of Piedmont milk-fed veal served with agria potatoes, heirloom tomato, Sicilian capers, and Xerez vinegar for a fresh take on Italian culinary traditions. The restaurant's vast Italian wine list, featuring a unique “Museum Collection”, complements the diverse menu.

The Dining Room, open for dinner from Tuesday to Sunday, also introduces two new set menus, the five-course L’Assaggio for HK$988 per guest and the seven-course La Degustazione for HK$1,288 per guest.

Hong Kong's culinary scene is set to sizzle with the much-anticipated event at Whey, scheduled for August 8 and 9. Celebrating Singapore's National Day, one-Michelin-starred Whey hosts chef Kevin Wong of Seroja, which took home its first Michelin star and Michelin green star this year at the Michelin Guide Singapore 2023. Wong, also this year's recipient of Michelin's Young Chef Award, has been recognised for his unique blend of Southeast Asian and Malay cuisines.   

Promising a remarkable four-hands dining experience that pays tribute to their shared Hokkien and Malaysian heritage, the exclusive menu is available for HK$2,888 per guest. To augment this dining experience, a sommelier-curated selection of wines will also be on offer, harmonising with the distinct flavours of the dishes. 

There’s no denying it, Hong Kong loves its afternoon tea, and The St. Regis is tapping into this very enthusiasm with its exquisite summer afternoon tea at the hotel’s lounge called The Drawing Room. Unlike other afternoon tea sets that come with a fixed number of savoury and sweet items, you can choose any eight dishes from the menu here, meaning those who prefer savoury can do just that, while those with a sweet tooth can gleefully opt for more desserts.

Must-try items include the likes of a foie gras lollipop, Oscietra caviar and a Brillat-Savarin cheesecake, Balik salmon, canelé and chocolate St Martin. To experience a little extra pizazz, guests can stay until 5:30pm and witness the hotel’s daily
Champagne sabrage ritual, in which a member of the culinary team opens a bottle of bubbly with a sword.

The Drawing Room, The St. Regis, 1 Harbour Drive, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

To celebrate three years in Hong Kong, Andō is launching a new tasting menu priced at HK$988 for lunch and HK$1,888 or HK$2,488 for dinner. The third-anniversary menu offers a creative showcase including the likes of hamachi escabeche, a modern take on the refreshing Spanish chilled and marinated fish dish; botan ebi marinated in smoked soy sauce with roasted Japanese fruit tomatoes sauce Kristal caviar; and a marzipan cake topped with orange blossom honey ice cream, saffron-infused espuma, tuille, and passionfruit sauce. 

Following its anniversary celebrations, chefs Agustin Balbi of Andō and Li-guang ‘LG’ Han of Labyrinth in Singapore will team up for a cross-country culinary exchange. Labyrinth is best known for its contemporary cuisine that pays tribute to Singapore's culinary heritage. The two restaurants will alternate as hosts for this chef collaboration with Labyrinth hosting the first set of events on August 9 and 10 in Singapore, and Andō hosting on September 7 and 8 in Hong Kong. 

Andō continues to work with food charity More Good and through this partnership, Balbi will team up with other top chefs and restaurants in Hong Kong to prepare and distribute high-quality meals to those who need them. The upcoming schedule includes collaborations with several Michelin-starred establishments including Ecriture, Amber and Estro with approximately 160 meal boxes distributed per event.

On July 26, French bistro Jean May is due to partner with wine specialists Premier Cru for a special wine dinner featuring select vintages from the Bourgogne region. Featuring food and wine pairings like poached oyster with cucumber and beurre blanc and oeufs en meurette with cult labels like Ladoix and Savigny-les-Beaune, the menu clocks in at five courses and is inclusive of wine pairings for HK$1,488 per head. 

The fever pitch of Asia's 50 Best Bars 2023 may have subsided, but there's still plenty of new cocktails to try around town. At The St Regis Bar, bar manager Nicola Mangiacapra has reintroduced two of the hotel's rituals—the Canto Mary 2.0, which evolves the hotel's local iteration of the original Bloody Mary with new flavours; and The Violet Hour, which celebrates the winding down of the day with a tableside martini service. An all-new cocktail menu has also launched, celebrating the connection between Hong Kong's trams and New York's subway—both were founded in 1904, the same year as St Regis.

Meanwhile at Sam Fancy, mixologist Jon Ching has introduced new additions to his menu of contemporary Chinese cocktails inspired by the history of San Francisco's Chinatown. With each drink a spirited nod to little-known classics, this is one for cocktail nerds and history buffs alike.

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