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Culled from Hong Kong’s always-hot dining scene, here are some of the most exciting menus to try this month. Be prepared for chef takeovers, collaborations melding divergent cuisines and seasonal specials -- these one-off opportunities are not to be missed.

New Seasonal Menu at Aulis

[caption id="attachment_167381" align="alignnone" width="533"] Grille Salad, Aulis.[/caption]

When: Now until October 31
Price: HK$1,480 +10%; Wine pairing +HK$680 +10%

British chef Simon Rogan has steadily won over hearts and stomachs citywide with his private fine dining concept Aulis and its casual contemporary counterpart Roganic. As autumn sets in, Chef Rogan is excited to share his new menu which takes advantage of seasonal ingredients found only at this time of year, both locally and abroad. His signature tartlets get a makeover with local baby Spanish mackerel with carrot purée and pickled apple, while other new dishes include Hokkaido scallop barbecued in its shell and served with smoked pike perch roe; and buttermilk, cherry custard and rosemary caramel served with hibiscus kombucha syrup.

Aulis, UG/F, Sino Plaza, 255 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay; +852 2817 8383

Furs, Feathers & Iode Wild Game Menu at Écriture

[caption id="attachment_167527" align="alignnone" width="853"] Yari Ika Farci Hare, Écriture.[/caption]

When: Now until October 31
Price: HK$2,288 + 10%

Chef Maxime Gilbert, of two Michelin-starred Écriture, is back at it again with his annual wild game menu just as we roll into the thick of hunting season. And this year, the fresh game from France and England is designed to pair with seasonal Japanese seafood to strike a beautiful balance that brings out the flavours of these seasonal ingredients. The 10-course menu features rare proteins such as grouse, hare, katsuo fish, partridge, spear squid and doe, while seasonal accompaniments including persimmon and white truffles add that extra touch of autumn as we adjust to the colder months. The Furs, Feathers & Iode menu is available a la carte for lunch and as a tasting menu for dinner.

Écriture, 26/F, H Queen’s, 80 Queen’s Road Central, Central; +852 2795 5996

New Seasonal Menu at Senti

[caption id="attachment_167383" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Monkfish with leek, foie gras and cep, Senti.[/caption]

When: Now until October 31
Price: HK$880 +10%

Newcomer to the Hong Kong dining scene is Senti, a contemporary European restaurant dedicated to redefining the traditional fine dining experience by offering a more relaxed ambiance and innovative menu. Helmed by Chef Alex Law who previously earned recognition with Ryne, the fine dining, Chef’s Hat-rated restaurant he opened in Melbourne with partner Donovan Cooke. Senti offers seasonal tasting menus using ingredients sourced locally and from France and across Europe. The Hong Kong debut introduces a six-course tasting menu, demonstrating his sophisticated culinary skills with dishes like octopus with chorizo and capsicum, lobster with daikon, grape and cappuccino, and monkfish with leek and foie gras.

Senti, 3/F, Parekh House, 63 Wyndham Street, Central; +852 2668 4088

Pierre

[caption id="attachment_167384" align="alignnone" width="4912"] Chef Pierre Gagnaire, Pierre.[/caption]

When: October 7 to 12
Price: HK$1,988 + 10%

Legendary chef Pierre Gagnaire returns to his two Michelin-starred restaurant Pierre at Mandarin Oriental to present his signature Italian dishes from his Italian restaurant Piero TT to Hong Kong. The seven course degustation menu includes veal and white truffle paste ravioli, Blue lobster risotto, veal chop Milanese-style with artichoke salad, and of course, the most iconic Italian dessert: tiramisu with burrata ice cream. These special dishes are also available à la carte.

Pierre, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road Centra, Central; +852 2825 4001

Chef Bo Bech for PDT Hong Kong

[caption id="attachment_167385" align="alignnone" width="4480"] Geist Spicy Harissa Hotdog, PDT.[/caption]

When: October 8 to 14
Price: Average spending starts at approximately HK$350

When at PDT, it’s almost customary to treat yourself to a little sinful snacking – and by that we mean the speakeasy’s bar menu of hotdogs. This October, cookbook writer and TV Chef Bo Bech will be joining master mixologist Jim Meehan in Hong Kong for the last series of the bar’s star-studded hotdog series for 2019. New to the menu is Bech’s Geist Spicy Harisssa Hotdog -- a loaded grilled pork dog topped with his own take of harissa using sweet red peppers, red chilli pepper, red onion, garlic, coriander seeds, cumin and piment d’espelette garnished with coriander. The special hotdog series pays tribute to the first PDT in NYC which has a history of innovative culinary collaboration. Meanwhile, mixologist Jim Meehan will also bring exciting and imaginative cocktails to wash down the American staple food.

PDT, Landmark Mandarin Oriental, The Landmark, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central; +852 2132 0033

6 Hands Menu at Casa Lisboa Gastronomia Portuguesa

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When: October 9
Price: HK$880 +10%; Wine pairing +HK$480 +10%

Three chefs from three cultures join together for one night only in a very special culinary collaboration. Chef Fábio Pombo of Casa Lisboa will be joined by Angelo Vecchio of Porterhouse and Jesus Pascual of Olé to present a combined effort of Portuguese, Italian and Spanish influences. The six-course, six-hands dinner is composed of the best dishes from each of the chefs and comes together in a curated menu that highlights the freshest seasonal ingredients and each chef’s unique cooking style.

Casa Lisboa, 2/F, Parekh House, 63 Wyndham Street, Central; +852 2905 1168

Guest Chef Bee of Paste at Mandarin Oriental

[caption id="attachment_167391" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Australian trout choo chee curry, Paste.[/caption]

When: The Krug Room October 16 & 17, Man Wah October 18 & 19
Price: The Krug Room HK$2,888 + 10% (includes to glasses of Krug Grande Cuvée 167ème Édition and a glass of Krug Vintage 2004); Man Wah HK$1,888 + 10%

Chef Bongkoch ‘Bee’ Satongun of Paste Bangkok needs no introduction. Ranked 28 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2019 for her innovative Thai cuisine, and Asia’s Best Female Chef in 2018, chef Bee has made her name a prominent one in the culinary world. Having collaborated in Hong Kong previously, this time, she returns as resident chef at the prestigious Krug Room, where she will be presenting a nine-course menu for two nights.

Following her chef takeover at the private dining space, she will be partnering with chef Wing-Keung Wong of Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant Man Wah. The pair will be designing a menu with each chef serving five of their own dishes to create a harmonious marriage of flavours from their respective cuisine. Dishes not to be missed include the flower crab with Chumporn roasted shrimp paste by chef Bee and steamed and sautéed egg with lobster, sea urchin and mini goldfish dumpling by chef Wong.

The Krug Room, Mandarin Oriental, 5 Connaught Road Central, Central; +852 2825 4014   

Man Wah, Mandarin Oriental, 5 Connaught Road Central, Central; +852 2825 4003

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World's 50 Best Rank 1 Chef Colagerco at Grill 58

[caption id="attachment_167392" align="alignnone" width="853"] Chef Mauro Colagreco, Mirazur.[/caption]

When: October 18 to 20
Price: Approximately MOP$2,000 +10%

It’s not often that a chance to enjoy the world’s finest European dining comes by. This October, the legendary Italian-Argentine chef Mauro Colagreco of Mirazur in Menton will pay a visit to MGM Cotai to showcase his dishes driven by quality seasonal ingredients and Mediterranean inspired cuisine. Awarded three Michelin stars and ranked first in World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2019, chef Colagreco’s visit is one of the most anticipated guest chef visits in Macau this year. His menu will include Poultry velouté in green curry with crayfish, Char-grilled carabineros with chicken supreme, beurre blanc sauce and trout eggs, and Aveyron lamb rack with eggplants and anchovies.

Grill 58, MGM Cotai, Avenida da Nave Desportiva, Cotai, Macau; +853 8806 2318

Chef Bruno Oger of La Villa Archange at Gaddi’s

[caption id="attachment_167393" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Iced Fennel with Anise, La Villa Archange.[/caption]

When: October 21 & 22
Price: Lunch ranges from HK$1,288 to HK$2, 688 + 10%; Dinner HK$2,688 + 10%

French chef Bruno Oger, who earned two Michelin stars for La Villa Archange, takes his Mediterranean and Brittany influenced-cuisine to Gaddi’s in a collaboration with chef Albin Goblin. The two will join forces to offer a menu focused on modern interpretations of refined French classic gastronomy with fresh ingredients and delicate flavours. Chef Oger will be in Hong Kong for both lunch and dinner services, and diners can choose from four to seven courses at lunch and a seven-course prix fixe degustation menu in the evening.

Gaddi’s, The Peninsula Hong Kong, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; +852 2696 6763

Guest Chef Gordon Leung of Shangri-La Group at Shang Palace

[caption id="attachment_167394" align="alignnone" width="2652"] Deep-fried Stuffed Crab Meat in Shell, Shang Palace.[/caption]

When: October 24
Price: HK$1,600 + 10%

With his recent appointment as Corporate Chinese Executive Chef at Shangri-La Group, chef Gordon Leung lends over 30 years of culinary experience to a very special four hands dinner with Chef Daniel Cheung of Shang Palace at Kowloon Shangri-La. The duo will deliver an expertly curated menu of Cantonese and classic Chinese cuisine in the form of their signature dishes. The dishes are prepared and cooked in a way to emphasise the original flavours of the premium seasonal ingredients to bring forth the complex charred aromas known locally as wok hei. The most anticipated dishes include deep-fried stuffed crab meat in shell, oven-boiled cod with egg white and conpoy, and the delectable dessert platter, a signature of Shang Palace.

Shang Place, Kowloon Shangri-La, 64 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; +852 2733 8483

The post The Top 10 Special Menus You Can’t Miss This October appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

What happens when one of the world’s most esteemed Champagne houses brings its best bottles to dinner at one of Hong Kong’s legendary luxury hotels? The answer is at The Krug Room.

Hidden away on the first floor of the Mandarin Oriental, The Krug Room is said to be one of the city’s best kept secrets offering an exclusive dining experience like no other. After all, it is the last remaining room of its kind in the world. Here, guests are led discreetly through a series of doors and into an intimate space that can only entertain 12 diners at a time.

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The room is designed to resemble the interior of a luxury train carriage, complete with views of the working kitchen, and (wait for it oenophiles) houses one of the largest collections of Krug champagne in Asia. Of course, gourmands are not forgotten as they buckle up for a culinary journey driven by the hotel’s Executive Chef Robin Zavou, who serves up his elegant yet playful cuisine, paired with Krug’s finest cuvées.

Leading the Krug Room kitchen, as well as nine other renowned restaurants and bars at Mandarin Oriental, Chef Zavou has an incredible background that spans the Shangri-la Hotel Group in Hong Kong and Singapore, on top of Michelin-starred restaurants across the UK such as L’Ortalon in Berkshire, Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons in Oxfordshire, and New Angel (now The Angel) in Dartmouth.

[caption id="attachment_138011" align="alignnone" width="1654"] Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong's Executive Chef Robin Zavou leads The Krug Room[/caption]

Chef Zavou, a huge Krug enthusiast himself, has been with The Krug Room for almost three years and looks to create dishes that complement the unique nuances of the champagne, but also shine a light on the season’s best produce. And this spring is no exception, as Chef Zavou delivers a symphony of flavours from land and sea for the new 10-course menu.

The spring menu begins with a glass of Krug Grande Cuvée 166^ÈME  Édition — the 166th release since the foundation of Maison Krug in 1843 — which is an elegant blend of 140 wines from 13 different harvests between 1998 and 2010. It’s bright in acidity with toasty brioche on the nose, but it’s the fresh lemon overtones that cut through the rich savoury snacks. In which a highlight is Chef Zavou’s surprising take on “KFC” or Korean fried crab in this case, as Alaskan king crab replaces chicken and is spiced with an addictive Korean chilli sauce, white sesame and black sesame paste in a crunchy tempura batter. The fruity accents from the champagne continue to lend a much needed zing for the Japanese ebi, with expressive flavours that bring out the umami of sea urchin custard, soy jelly, garam and shiso.

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Other spectacular pairings include Krug 2004 and the best of spring vegetables. Crafted from a selection of the year’s most vibrantly fresh wines (hence its nickname ‘luminous freshness’) the vintage is bright but well-balanced with warm honey that gives way to plenty of citrus and floral notes. It whets the appetite for the season’s Asparagus, lightly poached in konbu butter and served with crispy buckwheat, slices of speck and, roasted marron — a fresh-water shellfish, with white mushroom and morels.

But the start of spring wouldn’t be quite as fresh without rosé, and so the Krug Rosé 20^ÈME Édition is a blushing toast that is welcome with any dish. This time, its partner is the creamy Veal sweetbread that sets the tone with a deep sweetness from molasses, while French garlic, spring leek, fresh morel and roasted onion provide an intense base of flavour to the aromatics of orchard blossom and juicy fruits in tune with the vivacious rosé.

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The finale of impressive desserts also await with Carrot, an artistic impression of carrot sorbet, confit carrots and honeycomb, along with the stunning Strawberry treat that uses pink Japanese strawberries and rosé in fresh, ice-cream and mousse form. This invites a chilled glass of Krug Grande Cuvée 160^ÈME Édition as it delivers a fresh bouquet of peach, apple and grapefruit before revealing its elegance with fine bubbles.

The Krug Room Packages:

• Krug Experience for HK$2888 + 10% per guest includes 2 glasses of Krug Grande Cuvée 166^ÈME Édition + 1 glass of Krug 2004
• Krug & Krug Rosé (6 guests or above) for HK$3888 + 10% per guest includes 1 glass of Krug Grande Cuvée 166^ÈME Édition + 1 glass of Krug 2004 + 1 glass of Krug Rosé 20^ÈME Édition + 1 glass of Krug Grande Cuvée 160^ÈME Édition
• Krug Soloist to Orchestra (6 guests or above) for HK$5,888 + 10% per guest includes 1 glass of Krug Grande Cuvée 166^ÈME  Édition + 1 glass of Krug Clos Du Mesnil 2003 + 1 glass of Krug 2004 + 1 glass of Krug Rosé 20^ÈME Édition + 1 glass of Krug Grande Cuvée 160^ÈME Édition.

• Individual bookings are available on Thursday and Saturday at The Krug Room.

The post Spring Arrives at The World’s Only Krug Room with Bright and Fresh Pairings appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Max shows us how the American Express Platinum lifestyle is all about experiences through entering his venues.

The post American Express Presents: Substance, Style and Max Dautresme appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The maison’s Hong Kong ambassades explore 'Tails of the Sea' for an unforgettable dining experience.

The post An Ocean of Possibilities: How 6 Hong Kong Chefs Pair Fish with Krug Champagne appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.