Hong Kong restaurant news: Andō collaborates with Gallery by Chele from the Philippines, Cary Docherty returns to the Lobster Bar and Grill, and more

L’Envol, guided by culinary director Olivier Elzer, celebrates its fifth anniversary by unveiling a trio of new menus that blend French haute cuisine with select Asian influences. The new menus include Le Menu Printemps, a four-course vegetarian feast for HK$728, featuring dishes like white asparagus with strawberries and hazelnuts, and roasted celeriac with green lentils and cedar sauce. Les Inspirations de La Semaine offers a dynamic culinary experience that will change weekly, with options starting at HK$688, including highlights such as M9 Wagyu hanger steak with green asparagus and spring peas. Additionally, Les Heritages, a seven-course tasting menu priced at HK$2,688 will showcase L’Envol’s best dishes over the years. 

Caprice Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong has launched Terroir Volume Two, a new cocktail menu crafted by bar manager Anyss Saintilan. The collection features 10 cocktails inspired by regions from the mystical Outre-mer to historic Limoges. Each concoction embodies the essence of its locale. Notable highlights include La Vanille Bleue, a smoky blue vanilla Tequila Sour from La Réunion, and Sunny Lychee, a rum-based Daiquiri with Asian influences from Martinique. Guests can also savour La Banane, a banana-infused Antarctica white cognac cocktail from the Cognac region, and Old Caramel, a dessert-like libation from Brittany with Bullet Rye whiskey and salted caramel. Other innovative offerings include the Coconut and Chardonnay Negroni, Three Musketeers Martini Flight, a tribute to Provence’s flavours, and The Monk’s Highball, a herbaceous blend from Limoges. 

This month, Amber is set to host a sake masterclass featuring Juyondai Ranbiki-shu, the so-called “cognac of Japanese sake”. Created by Tatsugoro Takagi, the 14th generation master of Takagi Brewery, the sake is crafted from Hyogo Prefecture’s prized Yamada Nishiki rice and repeatedly distilled in a Charentais copper alembic still over an open flame—only the “heart” of the distillate is extracted, which is then aged in white oak sherry casks, for a decade, emerging as an ethereal nectar with nutty, honeyed notes and a subtle, spice-tinged finish. Sample this prized sake on May 18 at a masterclass with Sake Samurai Micky Chan, complemented canapés by Richard Ekkebus. Priced at HK$580 per person, make your booking here.

Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic introduces new lunch and dinner dégustation menus. The new Découverte lunch menu caters to various appetites with three, four, or six courses priced at HK$888, HK$1,280, and HK$2,380 respectively. This menu features the likes of Nishimera trout, marinated in liquorice and yuzu, served with a lactic vinaigrette infused with kombucha and smoked pine oil, and Challans duck, which is marinated with eucalyptus and coffee and accompanied by butternut squash and goji berry chutney. Optional beverage pairings are available starting from HK$588 for alcoholic and HK$328 for non-alcoholic choices, enhancing the experience with drinks including the JB Becker-Rheingau Riesling for the trout or a Chemex Geisha coffee blend for the duck.

For dinner, the Cristal Room presents two dégustation menus: the Voyage, an eight-course journey for HK$2,880, and the Escale, a six-course exploration for HK$2,380. Highlights include the Provence green asparagus, paired with a Chenin Blanc from Loire Valley, and Pic’s signature Les Berlingots ASP, a unique pasta creation filled with aged comté and champignons de Paris consommé, flavoured with tangerine Pu’er tea. Guests can also savour the blue lobster from Brittany, which incorporates Douglas Fir oil and rosemary with coral beurre blanc, or the white asparagus by Sebastien Coudray that intriguingly blends Chinese XO sauce with Shaoxing wine. For those who prefer a non-alcoholic journey, options like the clarified green asparagus beverage or the innovative amazake blend offer a complex yet refreshing alternative to traditional wine pairings.

Island Shangri-La has announced the return of chef Cary Docherty, who will bring his innovative approach to traditional brasserie fare, to the Lobster Bar and Grill. Docherty reintroduces culinary classics with fresh twists, such as the signature seafood tower—an extravagant assembly of lobster, king crab, oysters, prawns, and sashimi—and the impeccably crafted Beef Wellington. The newly introduced Sunday Brunch is a weekend feast, featuring a spread of appetisers including prawn cocktail and lobster bisque, main selections including roast meats and whole Boston lobster, and delectable desserts such as banoffee pie and yuzu meringue pie, with options to enhance the experience with free-flow drinks packages.

Evenings at the Lobster Bar and Grill transform into a vibrant dining atmosphere with live music and a menu full of delights, from Maison Kaviari caviar to whole roasted chicken and prime rib carved tableside. Meanwhile, the newly added burger bar menu offers distinctive choices like the panko-crusted Alaskan pollock fish burger and a gourmet sweetbread burger with black truffle and roasted garlic puree. For business lunches, a set and shortened à la carte menu provides selections such as steak tartare and roast scallop, complemented by a Saturday free-flow drinks package. 

Whey is marking its third anniversary with a unique collaboration with Dough Beings, a popular local bakery founded by two Singaporean sisters, known for their artisanal pastries. Available from May 17 to June 1, this partnership offers a collection of five pastries, both sweet and savoury, priced at HK$458 per box. The menu features a laksa lobster croissant with lobster and Whey’s signature laksa mayo; bak kut teh pulled pork bomboloni rich with the restaurant’s special sauce, and a pandan coffee hazelnut croissant that is baked twice. Other flavours include the strawberry ginger flower vanilla bomboloni and a buah keluak dulce de leche choux. These limited-time treats are available for pre-order from May 13, with pickup and delivery options on Fridays and Saturdays at designated locations on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. For more details and to secure a box of these exclusive pastries, visit Dough Beings’ official website.

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