Cover Tatler rounds up the best ideas for Diwali food, gifts and parties in Hong Kong
Tatler rounds up the best ideas for Diwali food, gifts and parties in Hong Kong
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Diwali is all about bonding over good food and drinks, gifts and parties. Here’s how you can celebrate the Festival of Lights in Hong Kong
Diwali, the Festival of Lights, falls on October 31 this year, and Indians—and Hindus—all over the world are waiting with bated breath for their biggest festival of the year. And any festival is incomplete without good food, a good party and good vibes. Additionally, it’s traditional to give gifts to friends and family during this time.
Though it all sounds fun, it means that one has to put in a lot of planning and preparation to make sure that Diwali is a success. To help you do just that, Tatler has curated a list of the best food, drinks, parties, and gift ideas. Also, no worries if you’re not celebrating Diwali; read on to get into the mood for good Indian food or for dancing the night away to Bollywood beats.
Best food for Diwali
Above Food plays a pivotal role in any Diwali gathering, and knowing that, several Hong Kong restaurants have stepped up to create Diwali menus
Food plays a pivotal role in any Diwali gathering, and knowing that, several Hong Kong restaurants have stepped up to create Diwali menus
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Several Indian restaurants in Hong Kong are offering Diwali menus or Diwali-focused dishes. At Black Sheep Restaurants’ Rajasthan Rifles, the culinary team is hosting a one-night-only Diwali dinner on November 1, with traditional must-haves such as ragda pattice and gulab jamun. For an elevated Indian culinary experience, head to Leela, where head chef Manav Tuli is curating exclusive Diwali specials on November 1 and 2. We’re talking Shalgam gosht, a Kashmiri delicacy that marries lamb with turnips and aromatic spices, and wild mushroom ghee roast, a part of South Indian Mangalorean cuisine in which the creamy texture of mushroom is refined further with ghee (clarified butter). Yummy!
Best drinks for Diwali
Above No Diwali party is complete without a drink
Above Vada pao is the ideal snack to match with a drink this Diwali
No Diwali party is complete without a drink
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Honky Tonks Tavern is doing a special collab with Chef Samaira Kavatkar, also known as The Bombay East Indian Girl, on October 30. Taking inspiration from the flavour profiles the chef likes to work with, the mixologists have created four Diwali-special cocktails: Honky’s Light, a hibiscus-infused gin, Aperol and lime; Pineapple Crown, with tequila, Ancho Reyes, pineapple, lime and tamarind; Berry Fields Not Forever, featuring rum, strawberries, basil, mint, coconut and lemon; and Lazi Lassi Slushie, a blend of rum, mango, coconut, yoghurt, lemon and spices.
To accompany these drinks, chef Kavatkar has created bar bites that are just as delectable: vada pao, a crispy batter-fried potato patty served with chutney in a soft bun, and lamb keema pao, minced lamb served with a soft bun. Come for the drinks, stay for the food.
Best gifts for Diwali
Above Bengal Brothers x Conspiracy Chocolate’s limited-edition bag of chocolate chikki will have you licking your fingers
Bengal Brothers x Conspiracy Chocolate’s limited-edition bag of chocolate chikki will have you licking your fingers
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It’s traditional to give gifts to family, friends and colleagues on Diwali. These gifts usually constitute dry, non-perishable food items such as cashews, almonds, pistachios and raisins, as well as Indian sweets. Because it’s really hard to get fresh Indian sweets in Hong Kong, you can instead look towards Bengal Brothers x Conspiracy Chocolate’s limited-edition bag of chocolate chikki, which is a chocolate and toffee brittle garnished with almonds and rose petals. Or if you’re really craving Indian sweets (we understand, we’ve been there), you can order kaju barfi, ladoo and other traditional sweets from Kamal Sweets in Chungking Mansion.
Best party for Diwali
Above No party like a desi party, and Diwali is the biggest of desi parties
No party like a desi party, and Diwali is the biggest of desi parties
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If you want to groove the night away to Bollywood music, head to Versus Club on October 26 where DJs Deep and Agni will take over the decks with some pulsating numbers that will pull you to the dance floor like a magnet. The dress code is Indian attire or Indian attire-adjacent, so bring out those glittery, shimmery, blingy outfits. More is, indeed, more when it comes to Diwali celebration.
Suchetana Mukhopadhyay is the Digital Content Manager for Tatler Hong Kong. In this role, she leads all digital editorial and branded content on Tatler Hong Kong’s website, from brainstorming story ideas with the writers to editing and publishing the articles, and from managing the overall content flow to driving search engine optimisation. She also leads the beauty content at Tatler Hong Kong and across the region, and is always looking to champion diversity through her articles. She was previously with Cedar Hong Kong and Gafencu, and freelanced for the South China Morning Post, Campaign Asia-Pacific, CNN and more. Contact her here.
