Hong Kong restaurant news: Argo announces new beverage manager, The Peninsula celebrates all things Turkish and more

Pata Negra House Group is launching two updated tasting experiences at their Iberico ham cellar in San Po Kong, Kowloon. Both menus—a signature (HK$980) and prestige (HK$1,880) experience—take epicureans on a three-part journey through some of Europe’s best produce. The first stop is an appetisers room of sorts in which a cornucopia of canapes such as Imperial Oscietra caviar, foie gras, champagne jelly and cheese awaits. The next part of the guided tour takes guests to a hidden cave-like ham cellar. Here, guests can sample cuts of premium ham, from the juicy Iberico A5 to the buttery Iberico A4, all paired with sherry. Those who opt for the Prestige Experience can also enjoy the Rubio Dorado ham with a very rare 75-year-old sherry, Montearriut Amontillado Viejísimo, of which only 1,080 bottles exist in the world.

The journey culminates with an eight-course tasting menu in which there are new dishes for both signature and premium experiences. Expect new plates such as Iberico pork and ham ravioli and rib-eye steak with piquillo pepper in the prestige version, or white asparagus with sardines and Iberico ham confetti and Spanish red prawn angel hair pasta in the signature edition. 

Pata Negra House Group, Lee Sum Factory Building, Unit 601, 6/F, No. 28 Ng Fong St, San Po Kong, +852 2517 1808

To celebrate the recent opening of The Peninsula Istanbul, all of The Peninsula's hotels around the world will launch a culinary campaign called “All Things Turkish” in which guests can sample Turkish cuisine—from traditional sweets to dishes or meals. In Hong Kong, this is presented in the form of breakfast with items such as cilbir, a poached eggs dish served with garlicky yoghurt, olive oil and red chilli flakes, or menemen, a classic scrambled eggs dish with a ragout of tomatoes, bell peppers,
onions and garlic, offered at The Lobby restaurant.

The Lobby, G/F, The Peninsula, 22 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong; +852 2696 6772

Sushi Rin welcomes the bounty of spring with two new Hiroaki, meaning bright and abundant in Japanese, omakase dinner menus which feature an array of seasonal crab and shellfish items. The 14-course Hiroaki-kani (HK$2,380 per person; booking minimum of six people) is a crab menu available during the month of March while the 17-course Hiroaki-kai menu (HK$2,380 per person; booking minimum of two people) spotlights shellfish and launches in April. The two menus will be offered at both of the restaurant's locations in Sheung Wan and Tsim Sha Tsui.

The Hiroaki-kani menu highlights include the likes of snow crab from Shimane, helmet crab from Hokkaido, and northern Japan's best hairy crab, among others. This comes with two rounds of sashimi and four sushi courses, which may—depending on availability—also include Watari crab which is loved for its roe, and a snow crab and young mud crab claypot with Uonuma Koshihikari rice. In April, the Hiroaki-kai menu brings shelled delights to the table such as the rare arkshell from Tokyo Bay, geoduck from Aichi Prefecture, Japanese Babylon shell and more, which will be seasoned with soy and sake.

Shop D, G/F, 126-128 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong; +852 2567 1168
Shop 1, UG/F, H Zentre, 15 Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong; 852 2567 1328

For those who attended Clockenflap earlier this month, in the premium or artist lounge, official drinks sponsor Chateau Highball may look familiar. Now, the home-grown, ready-to-serve beverage brand Chateau Highball is launching in Hong Kong with a product that takes the classic highball and bottles it up for celebrations and occasions.

The large-format highball drinks are bottled in Franciacorta in Italy with advanced frizzante technology, which means preservatives and stabilisers are completely unnecessary, and come presented in premium Champagne bottles so consumers can simply pour them over ice. The range uses distilled liquors to create drinks such as vodka soda, whisky soda, gin and tonic and tequila soda, which will launch in the summer. Offered at some Hong Kong bars, clubs and restaurants, the bottles (HK$380) are also available at SoHo Wines and HKTV Mall.