Cover Embla's new menu for spring
Embla's new menu for spring
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From new chef collaborations and menus to product launches and announcements, these are the events and happenings that you should know about this week
As we get ready to celebrate mums for Mother's Day, the rest of Hong Kong is gearing up for another week of culinary crossovers, menu launches, announcements and more. The introduction of a new animal-free sweet treat also has us enthused for the upcoming heat of summer.
The next chef collaboration at Tatler Dining Kitchen: Awards Edition, featuring Ho Lee Fook and New Punjab Club on May 22 and 23, has a few seats left so all those who wish to hop aboard a spice-laden excursion from Hong Kong to Punjab should book now.
In case you missed it: Andō teams up with Ode from Tokyo, Shane Osborn launches Victuals by Moxie and more
Family first
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Black Sheep Restaurants recently announced the expansion of its Family Fund, a financial assistance programme that was initially focused on providing support to team members and is funded by a portion of Black Sheep’s profit that goes into the fund every quarter. In the last 10 years, the fund has supported over 250 requests, estimated at around HK$10 million, in the form of emergency grants and interest-free loans. Now, in a bid to make meaningful change in the wider community, the restaurant group will extend its focus and has also committed to an exclusive two-year partnership with local NGO and winner of Tatler Dining's Impact Award 2023, Feeding Hong Kong. This commitment translates to HK$3 million going towards Feeding Hong Kong and its mission to help fight hunger and reduce food waste.
“Service has always been at the heart of who we are and what we do at Black Sheep and building the strong community that makes up our team is the result of that,” says founder Syed Asim Hussain. “We have always been supporting our team through the Family Fund, but as we move forward in our journey as a hospitality team, we have an understanding in our hearts that our community is not just those people in Black Sheep, but the greater ecosystem that we are a part of. We are proud to be announcing the formalisation of Family Fund and its outer ring and the partnership with Feeding Hong Kong is the first step.”
The not-so-terrible twos
Above Chefs Jimmy Lim, Angela Lai and Barry Quek
Chefs Jimmy Lim, Angela Lai and Barry Quek
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Whey turns two this year and chef Barry Quek is marking the occasion with a special six-hand chef collaboration with fellow Singaporean chefs Angela Lai, chef pâtisserie of Taïrroir, and Jimmy Lim of JL Studio, both of whom will be flying in from Taiwan to celebrate with him. Having met Lai in culinary school and Lim while they were cooking at a gala dinner, Quek will work with the two chefs in presenting a menu that showcases the diversity of Singaporean flavours, while reflecting the chefs' own creative flair and heritage. The two-night-only dinner event will take place at Whey on May 25 and 26 with an eight-course tasting menu for HK$2,988 available for guests.
New and Nordic
Above Danish pancake æbleskiver, applewood smoked trout and borage
Above Cured yellow tail, spring radish, vendace roe from Kalix, rosenkvitten & lemon verbena
Danish pancake æbleskiver, applewood smoked trout and borage
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Contemporary Nordic restaurant Embla has launched new menus for the season including a five or six-course spring lunch set, available on weekdays for HK$688 (five-course) or HK$888 (six-course) and weekends for HK$888 (six-course) or HK$1,088 (seven-course). Meanwhile, a new spring dinner menu priced at HK$1,288 for five courses and HK$1,788 for eight courses is available with a wine pairing curated by sommelier Yulia Ezhikova for an additional HK$888. Highlights from the menu include a Danish pancake called “æbleskiver” served with applewood smoked trout and borage; radish rose with cured yellowtail, vendace (which is the smallest fish in the salmon family) roe from Kalix, “rosenkvitten” quince fruit, and lemon verbena; and wild turbot, served with butter poached razor clams, thyme velouté, potato and parsley.
Keeping it cool
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Californian ice cream brand Coolhaus has launched in Hong Kong and is offering animal-free dairy desserts in various flavours including hojicha, cookies ‘n creme, and molten chocolate in cups (HK$30) at 7-11 locations as well as hojicha ‘n boba, cookies ‘n creme, taro ‘n boba, molten chocolate, and peanut butter ‘n fudge in pints (HK$80) at Wellcome supermarkets. What's more, on Saturday and Sunday, May 20 and 21, from 10am to 7pm, Coolhaus invite all of Hong Kong to join them at The Cupping Room in West Kowloon to sample the ice cream as they enjoy live music, games and giveaways.
Made using microflora through fermentation, the result of which produces a dairy protein that is identical to whey found in conventional dairy, Coolhaus looks and tastes a lot like traditional ice cream but is actually lactose and cholesterol free. Plus, due to the lack of animals needed in this process, the brand also states that they have a much smaller environmental footprint.
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A storyteller by day and a first-class food devourer by night, Fontaine is the Regional Dining Editor at Tatler Asia, overseeing dining content across all regions and shaping the brand’s editorial voice on food, chefs and culinary culture.
She is also Content Lead for Tatler Best and Co-jury Head for Tatler Best Hong Kong and Macau, guiding the awards’ editorial direction and evaluation process. With over a decade in the lifestyle and media industry spanning London and Hong Kong, she brings a cross-regional perspective to the table.
Follow her on Instagram at @fontimes.
