Celebrity Life

If there’s one industry we must applaud for the quick-thinking, action-driven changes necessary in the face of lockdowns, it’s food and beverage. And with no dine-ins after 6pm, well, yet more pivoting became necessary. We get the scoop around town.

Foxglove

Imagine a lush jazz lounge, exquisite Chinese fare and, best of all, a cocktail menu carefully devised to match the vibe, and the first place that comes to mind is Foxglove. So aptly named after the species of poisonous flora, it’s the place to go should you miss the era of speakeasies. 

Paying homage to the golden age of jazz and aiming to capture the electric energy of the Prohibition era, its new cocktail menu features an exotic, refreshing rum-based concoction with a hit of ginger and citrus known as The Girl From Ipanema. But if you’re looking for something with a harder hit, The Wallerman Punch is a nod to the world’s first cocktail created by pirates, which comprises rum, cherry liqueur, pistachio, blood orange and a pinch of cardamom.

“The restriction has been a big challenge for us, as we’re known for our live music and glamorous cocktail vibe,” says co-founder Shakib Pasha. “However, our recent menu of new dim sum and Cantonese dishes has been very popular among weekday lunch-goers. We’ve also extended happy hour from noon to 6pm. The biggest pivot has been introducing a disco brunch for the first time — DJs, dim sum, and free flow of Foxglove’s famed cocktails.”

2/F, Printing House, 6 Duddell Street, Central; +852 2116 8949

The Daily Tot

The ultimate sanctuary for rum lovers, The Daily Tot serves up one of the most diverse selections in Hong Kong. It recently introduced the No Boundaries Vol 3 cocktail menu, designed by new assistant bar manager Maikal Gurung, previously of Island Shangri-La’s Lobster Bar & Grill, and co-founder Tiana Ludhani. For something that both tastes good and looks delightful on social media, go for What the Duck?, an ambitious blend of homemade coconut chamomile curd, lemonade and rum. 

On the subject of the latest round of restrictions, Ludhani says, “The bar industry has learned to live with Covid. When I say ‘live with’, I mean we’ve grudgingly accepted it. We’ve tried to stay ahead of the game to manoeuvre faster than the government’s flip-flopping of the rules. All of us have been forced to be incredibly creative. 

“At The Daily Tot, we came up with daytime value sets for two or four people, as well as Daily Tot Sundowners (our version of happy hour) with off-menu cocktails and wines. We also focused on safe, socially distanced daytime activities, such as trivia free-flow and cocktail masterclasses. The support from the community has been unmatched because, let’s face it, Hong Kong is a city where stress levels are at an all-time high. People need their cocktails, and we’re here to provide them.”

G/F, Felicity Building, 58 Hollywood Road, Central; +852 2366 6836

Grain Gastropub & Brewlab

It’s the best time of the year for a nice, waterfront stroll with your friends. We love Kennedy Town for the range of gastronomic offers, a highlight being popping into Grain Gastropub & Brewlab at the edge of the district for a cold one. Or a not-so-cold one, if you’re going for a beer that’s a little darker.

The venue has recently introduced an extended weekend roast from 12pm to 5pm with hearty choices that include stout-braised ox cheek, and slow-roasted lamb shoulder glazed with stout molasses. 

Co-founder Chris Woodyard says, “We’re using the time to focus on staff training and getting closer to our community with beer education through our Meet the Brewer programmes. Customers can meet the brewer, of course, and get complimentary pours fresh from the beer tanks. We just want to add more personal touches and interactions until things are back in full swing.”

G/F, New Fortune House, 3-5 New Praya, Kennedy Town; +852 3500 5870

Bacchus

If it’s wine you’re after, newly opened Bacchus on Hollywood Road is a stop you’ll have to pencil in. Serving up Asian-influenced French cuisine, the venue also doubles as a wine destination with more than 800 labels from around the world to choose from. 

Led by renowned wine educator and sommelier Hervé Pennequin – awarded third place in the World’s Best Sommelier rankings, 2004 – Bacchus offers wine-pairing options for every dish on the menu, as well as designing bespoke wine dinners. 

“Even with the new restrictions, we wanted to continue our mission of ‘edutaining’ our guests through showcasing some of the best wines from around the world,” says Pennequin. “Our offers aren’t only at a very decent price, but they introduce more obscure grape varieties that diners may not be familiar with.

“We recently created our Wine Time menu, available on weekdays from 3pm to 6pm, which allows guests to discover and enjoy 18 different wines with unlimited pours. For those who want to line their stomachs so they can drink more, we also have nibbles based on our à la carte selections too.”

3/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan; +852 852 3750 5200

The post Proof of Passion: Restaurants And Bars in The Time of Covid appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Before you hastily wave goodbye to 2021, celebrate with good friends and a grand feast for a proper sendoff to a wildly underwhelming year.

You know, 2021 was supposed to be the year where everything went Back to Normal. It didn't. How naive we all were. Instead, we sat through a rollercoaster ride of border restrictions — opened up (yay) before quickly shut again (boo) — 14, then 21 days of quarantines at home and hotels, and lots and lots of QR scans and temperature checks.

But what we did discover while anchored in the city is that new restaurants were the one thing that got us through. They never stopped opening! We went beyond the two usual stops on the Island Line to explore new venues and cuisines far and away from home. So with a final goodbye to 2021, and a hopeful look-ahead to 2022 (please, let us go somewhere; anywhere!), celebrate New Year's Eve with a memorable dinner at the many venues that helped sate our appetites this last 12 months.

Where to celebrate New Year's Eve Dinner in Hong Kong

Écriture

To mark an occasion as rare as the welcoming of a new year takes one very special location indeed. New Year's Eve only happens once a year! And that's a location like two-Michelin star Écriture where stunning views are only rivalled by an even more stunning array of dishes prepared by chef Maxime Gilbert and chef Heloïse Fischbach. The seven-course New Year's Eve dinner menu is a complete showcase of the restaurant's refined take on contemporary French cuisine, and includes roasted giant Brittany langoustine, Brittany live sea urchin prepared like an egg cocotte with caviar, Normandy scallop shaved with winter black truffle and a whole roasted rack of beef that's finished off over smoky binchotan.

Écriture, 26/F, H Queens' 80 Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2795 5996

Margo

Chef Mario Paecke of Margo prepares an eight-course dinner of decadence in bidding adieu to 2021. The modern European brasserie serves up a classic menu coupled with delightful contemporary twists the likes of a Fukuoka snow crab cocktail concocted with green asparagus and seaweed brioche, roasted pork belly with Brussel sprouts, muscat grapes and violet mustard and an Alexandre Polmard beef tartare topped with cep & white onion purée. To finish, chef ends on a sweet note with a German holiday tradition: bratapfe — baked apples served with vanilla custard.

Margo, Shop 6, G/F, The Galleria, 9 Queens Road Central, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2130 7731

Osteria Marzia

If counting down to the New Year is typically done in a seaside locale of some sort, the lack of travel this holiday season means very inventive alternatives. Osteria Marzia is one such location, evocative of coastal Italy with airy interiors and sea-fresh produce which includes Seppia, cuttlefish prepared with pistachio di Bronte, Fine de Claire oysters and a dedicated Catch of the Day, set to stun and surprise with bright Italian flavours. The meal rounds out with a decadent Foresta Nera Flambé — a fabulous way to see out the end of the year, I'll say.

Osteria Marzia, G/F, The Fleming, 41 Fleming Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong; +852 3607 2253

Rajasthan Rifles

The Peak will be having New Year's excitement of its own, with celebrations at Anglo-Indian mess hall Rajasthan Rifles kicking off at 9pm beginning with a grand feast starring all of the venue's beloved comforts: Tandoor-cooked lamb chops, lobster garlic butter fry and a Calcutta-style Asian sea bass curry, Macher Kalia. Also served around the room, free flow of any of your go-to beverages, with anything from Pimm's Cups to G&Ts and flutes of Champagne. Swing out the evening with tunes from the live band just in time for welcoming 2022 toasts.

Rajasthan Rifles, G/F, The Peak Galleria, Hong Kong, +852 2388 8874‬

Hue Dining

Not only will you be seated with a front-row view of Victoria Harbour (no fireworks this year, sadly), you'll sit with a sweet serenade by way of professional accordionist Nazar Tabachyshyn's stunning live music performance. Dinner comes in either three- or four-course seating with chef Wilson Leung's take on modern Australian cuisine of fresh seafood and quality produce, including saffron risotto with scallop and edamame, Carabinero prawns, Australian Grade 9 Mayura wagyu sirloin, banoffee cheesecake and the entrance of a glorious cheese trolley filled to the brim will all sorts of tasty treats.

Hue, 1/F, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong;+852 3500 5888

Roji

If you're counting down to 2022 at Roji, fantastic choice. Not only is the Central hideaway izakaya throwing a grand New Year's Eve soirée to farewell 2021, you'll also be dining with some of the venue's latest seasonal serves: Crispy-fried chicken skin with a miso mayo dip, Polmard beef tartare and a personal favourite (which I gushed endlessly about in one edition of our weekly Best Bites), Mentaiko udon, coated in rich, creamy ginger-garlic dressing sprinkled with mentaiko pollack roe. The dinner, available in two seatings, will also come with a welcome glass of Moët & Chandon Champagne but we recommend going for the list of special-made cocktails, including the flavoured Highballs, which I also enthusiastically raved about here.

Roji, G/F, 20A D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central, Hong Kong; +852 +852 9884 0704

La Rambla

When it comes to the final minute of 2021, you'll probably think back on the the past 12 months, flipping through all the best memories had. But no need to flip so far — just remember this delicious Catalan meal at La Rambla you had just a few hours ago. Staying true to a memorable feast, the eight-course menu includes a selection of cuisine favourites like fresh tomato on toasted crystal bread with a drizzle of olive oil, a unique Hokkaido uni doughnut served with miso mayonnaise, foie grass mi-cuit and a hearty Boston lobster paella, topped with the classic trio of clams, squid and mussels.

La Rambla, Shop 3071 -3073, Level 3, ifc mall, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2661 1161

Bacchus

The secret to successful New Year's celebration? Good food and lots and lots of wine. A wish that is sure to come true at the newly opened Bacchus on Hollywood Road, which prides itself on its very extensive list of fine wines. Naturally then, the seafood-centric, six-course New Year's Eve dinner comes paired with a thoughtfully curated selection of vinos, set to highlight the exquisite flavours of the venue's Asian-inspired French cuisine. Caviar is, of course, in attendance, but so are some very extravagant serves: Russian Red Merus king crab leg, French Brioche Perdu, Japanese sea urchin and grilled Atlantic turbot in a decadent Champagne-caviar sauce.

Bacchus, 3/F Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong; +852 3750 5200

Giacomo

On the flip side of New Year's Eve extravagance, there's comfort. Time spent with nearest and dearest all wrapped and warm as you anticipate an exciting welcoming to another new year. Giacomo's New Year's Eve menu is a six-course dinner celebration that allows you to do both: Southern Italian comforts made with intent for complete indulgence. Foie gras with chestnut emulsion. Royale oysters topped with caviar. Mayura beef tenderloin with winter black truffle. Then the hearty, home-style pastas by executive chef Keith Yam: Brittany blue lobster Sardinian gnocchi, tagliolini with mushroom jus and Alba white truffle. A wonderful end and beginning to the years.

Giacomo, G/F, 8 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong; +852 3980 3008

Cornerstone

When the clock strikes 12 on 31 December, all that matters is you, you loved one and the kind of celebration you share to toast a year just had and to be had. An intimate dinner prior is sets the scene, then. Cornerstone, with its sleek interiors and cosy seating, presents a perfect setting along with a delicious menu representative of chef Neal G. Ledesma's sophisticated plates that manage to comfort. For New Year's Eve, the modern bistro prepares a four-course menu topped with smoked ricotta raviolo, pan-seared wagyu rump cap and celeraic risotto, before finishing with a modest yet very indulgent banana cake topped with dulce mousse and a drizzle of caramel.

Cornerstone, G/F, 49 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong

LPM Restaurant & Bar

Now don't be mistaken, LPM Restaurant & Bar might be known for its fresh and bright French-Mediterranean serves but it doesn't mean it's a reason not to dress up. The restaurant encourages you to with the welcoming of 2022, and set the theme of the evening to the glamorous setting of Studio 54. So find the glitziest sequins dress you own and shimmy your way to the restaurant's H Queen's location. The menu itself is a true dedication to LPM's coastal flavours, devised by head chef Maurizio Pace. Except crowd favourites like the scallop tartare and grilled pink sea bream, grilled "Black Onyx" sirloin steak and a comforting sun-dried tomato pesto spaghetti topped with squid. Of course, it not a complete LPM experience without the glamorous cocktails, with a choice of four for the evening. The Criquet de Milly of white cacao, peppermint liqueur and coconut sorbet, in particular, will be a delightful end, with flavour profiles similar to an After Eight mint.

LPM Restaurant & Bar, Shop 1, 1/F, 23-29 Stanley Street, H Queen's Central, Hong Kong; +852 2887 1113

Zuma

When it comes to throwing grand affairs, you can count Zuma high upon the list. The contemporary Japanese izakaya in infamous for its free-flow brunches, which marks yet another return on New Year's Eve with the Yashoku Night Brunch. The premise is same as usual, with free-flow dishes and drinks including sake and beer and addition entry to the countdown party later on in the evening.

Alternatively, Zuma has also put together a less raucous New Year's Eve Dinner for sophisticated celebrators. The menu is a curation of venue highlights from Japanese wagyu tataki with white truffle shavings, grilled Gillardeau oyster, crispy Mazara red prawn and, of course, decadent spoonfuls of Kristal Zuma Caviar.

Zuma, Level 5 & 6, Landmark, 15 Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong; +852 3657 6388

NYE Steak Rebellion

Something with a lil difference than your usual glitz and glam New Year’s Eve celebration. Steak Rebellion at The Factory is all about great food and great atmosphere. And with a twist of an immersive dining experience too; this year, dress to theme of "Gangs of New York x Sweeney Todd". 

A five course dinner that begins with caviar and shots of vodka, just before you've fully recovered, the dinner also comes with a complimentary bottle of quality wine to sip alongside fresh oysters and dry-aged steaks. With the pulsating beat of live musicians at the venue, it's the perfect scene for a fantastic welcoming to 2022.

The Factory, 16A Kwai Bo Industrial Building, 40 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong; +852 9085 1817

The post Welcome, 2022! 13 Restaurants for New Year’s Eve Dinner appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The irony is that this wine-hued stone is associated with helping to prevent drunkenness and intoxication.

The post Amethyst: All you need to know about the birthstone for February babies appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.