8 art-inspired menus now serving in Hong Kong: from Mandarin Oriental’s Banksy dessert to celebrity drag queen Courtney Act live at Sevva and the Rosewood Artistry culinary events series

Mar 18 , 2023

Mandarin Grill + Bar’s The Artistry Moments menu in Hong Kong takes inspiration from well-known art pieces. Photos: Handout

Creative chefs are constantly showcasing their artistic capabilities, from the vision required to conceive and create a noteworthy menu, through to the aesthetics of plating and the edible art that is presented to diners. Art informs many stages of the elevated dining experience.

During art month in Hong Kong, these culinary creatives take inspiration from the plethora of works on show, delving deeper into their inner artist to produce limited-time menus or dishes celebrating art in all forms.

1. Mandarin Grill + Bar

Select dishes from the Artistry Moments menu.

Taking inspiration from well-known art pieces is the Artistry Moments menu from Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong’s Mandarin Grill + Bar, available until April 2. Curated by executive chef Robin Zavou and chef de cuisine Matthew Reuther, each of the three or four courses pays homage to a different artist or artwork in edible form. For example, main course The Currency mimics the circular features from Damien Hirst’s painting of the same name, with each element of the dish presented in circles. Meanwhile, the dessert – a sakura and strawberry parfait with a heart-shaped sugar balloon – is inspired by Banksy’s work Girl with Balloon. It’s priced at HK$1,288 per person for three courses or HK$1,488 for four (plus 10 per cent service charge).

1/F, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road Central, Central

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2. Veda

Good enough to eat? Marinated beetroot with baby spinach and pickles.

Contemporary Indian restaurant Veda is taking the bold step of working directly with a visual artist. Until March 26, chef Raul Tronco Calahorra and modern artist Riya Chandiramani will be presenting the The Art. Full. Dinner at Veda, an exclusive nine-course plant-based art-dining journey. Pictured above is the first course of marinated beetroot, baby spinach and pickles, a combination of vibrant ingredients and textures that reflects the vivid palette of Chandiramani’s work. By contrast, the tofu chilla cannelloni encapsulates the artist’s favourite flavours. Priced at HK$1,688 per person (plus 10 per cent), only 50 seats are available throughout the promotional period, with each diner taking home a limited-edition signed work of art.

2 Arbuthnot Road, Central

3. Rosewood Hong Kong

Chef Nokx Majozi of The Pie Room, Holborn Dining Room at Rosewood London will share her insider secrets in the pie-making masterclass as part of Rosewood Hong Kong’s artistry events line-up.

The Rosewood is paying homage to the return of Art Basel while celebrating its own fourth anniversary with the Rosewood Artistry. Running until March 23, the curated culinary series comprises expert-led masterclasses, collaborations and four-hands dinners with renowned chefs, spread across all of its F&B outlets. Masterclasses range from the art of gourmet pie-making through to a caviar tasting workshop, and a deep dive into the world of truffles. The one-of-a-kind dining experiences all feature visiting chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants or sister Rosewood hotels worldwide, including Netflix’s The Final Table winner Timothy Hollingsworth from Otium.

Rosewood Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

4. K11 Musea

A graffiti-themed afternoon tea at K11’s Artisan Lounge.

As part of K11 Musea’s annual Art Karnival – which this year includes a celebration of street art – a number of its restaurants are offering special dishes or complete menus inspired by a variety of art genres. This includes Artisan Lounge presenting a graffiti-inspired afternoon tea that features an interactive painting component. Elsewhere, Tirpse is serving a dessert paying tribute to Banksy’s Love is in the Air, Curator Art & Café is offering a colourful neo-expressionism style print coffee, and Oniku Kappo Jikon is serving an artfully plated Sakura Spring menu.

Units 008 & 008A, G/F, K11 Musea, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

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5. Sevva

The performing arts, pride and diversity will all be celebrated at Sevva on March 21 and 23, with a four-course dinner and show courtesy of celebrity drag queen Courtney Act. The singer and TV personality is known internationally for flamboyantly entertaining performances that incorporate song, dance and comedy. Expect complimentary canapés and champagne before the show and during its intermission, while the menu’s show-stopping dishes include wild Ossetra caviar and balik salmon, butter Boston lobster, and Wagyu sirloin with Diane sauce. Priced at HK$2,500 (plus 10 per cent).

25/F, Landmark Prince’s Building, 10 Chater Road, Central

6. Castellana

Executive chef Romeo Morelli of Piedmontese restaurant Castellana is presenting a five-course Art Week menu until March 26. Each elegant dish is a reflection of the refinement and vibrant colour palette found in the most striking art, featuring detailed and visually impressive plating. For example, the above prawn tartare, which features a tartare marinated with lemon zest and extra virgin olive oil, topped with a crispy and edible prawn head, complemented by a complex prawn bisque made in-house. Other bright-hued dishes include angel-hair pasta with Japanese white sea urchin and hazelnut, and seared Fassona beef served on a bed of grapes. Priced at HK$1,380 (plus 10 per cent).

Club Lusitano, UG & 1/F, 16 Ice House Street, Central

7. Lobby Lounge, Island Shangri-La

Highlights from Island Shangri-La’s Art on the Plate afternoon tea.

Island Shangri-La’s executive chef Uwe Opocensky and executive pastry chef Julien Gourmelon have created an Art on the Plate afternoon tea, with each sweet and savoury bite decorated or garnished in a way that makes them look like mini works of art. A feast for multiple senses, and ideal for Instagram, the seven-item menu is available daily until March 31 and split into three themes: “black and white” (sesame sponge, black sesame nougatine, sesame mousse), “sakura x butterfly” (strawberry confit, sakura mousse, vanilla sponge), and “home” (smoked salmon with seaweed and tapioca). Priced at HK$888 for two (plus 10 per cent).

Level 6, Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Admiralty

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8. Argo

Created to resemble a pill, the Smart Drugs dish is one of Ringo Chan’s “sweet art” desserts available at Argo’s lunch buffet.

The talented Ringo Chan, executive pastry chef at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, is presenting a selection of playful new desserts that will be served at Argo’s lunch buffet, until March 31. The “sweet art” creations reflect both Chan’s creative flair and art’s whimsical and inspiring side. This includes the Chocolate Painting Board – a chocolate artist’s palette served alongside a selection of mango, strawberry and blackcurrant sauces displayed to resemble paint. The pop-art inspired Smart Drugs is a “pill” packed with walnut and vanilla crémeux, Paint Brush is a chocolate brownie in a variety of colours, and Stone Art features appearance of hard stone giving way to a tea-infused chocolate mousse.

Lobby, Four Seasons Hong Kong Hotel, 8 Finance Street, Central

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Art Basel

To celebrate Art Basel, Veda invited modern artist Riya Chandiramani to collaborate on a nine-course plant-based menu which will only be served to 50 diners
Netflix’s The Final Table winner Timothy Hollingsworth will be appearing at Rosewood Hong Kong, while K11’s Tirpse is serving a dessert paying tribute to Banksy’s Love is in the Air