Coming up roses in Kowloon
A THIRD flower is blossoming in the La Rose Noire group: restaurant No 3 has opened on the ground floor of The Gateway centre, adjacent to Harbour City in Canton Road. It's a soft opening, however, as the grand launch is another couple of months away.
The restaurant has La Rose Noire's characteristic side-walk cafe feel, with an inside take-away area which can seat an additional 20 people.
Besides bringing in a new chef, the group plans to open another branch on Hong Kong island by the end of the year and to expand supplies of bread, chocolate and pastries to other restaurants and clubs. At the moment, their orders include pastries to Planet Hollywood, bread to Oliver's and sandwiches to the Pacific Coffee Company. La Rose Noire also stepped into the bread supply breach while The Peninsula's kitchens were being revamped. La Rose Noire at The Gateway will be open daily from 7.30 am - 10.30 pm. Tel: 2956-1222.
Sushi seconds Yorohachi in Lan Kwai Fong isn't wasting time or effort in serving up the latest in sushi lines. The Japanese restaurant's new offering is a range of wrist watches with little plastic sushi replicas on the dial. The watches cost $200 each.
Flash in the pan Nippon-style pancakes are doing a bustling trade in Causeway Bay. The new Japanese Pancake House, situated opposite the Times Square taxi stand, sells hot and cold pancakes for between $22-$30. The hot black pepper turkey pancakes don't seem to be as popular as those with ice cream, peaches and cream, but that hasn't stopped the chef from listing on the menu such unusual combinations as lettuce, goose liver pate and cheese pancake ($30), peanut butter and chocolate ($22) and corned beef, egg and cheese ($28). All the pancakes are take-away.
Bubbling over Pierrot has wasted little time getting the Year of the Pig off to a good start with guest chef Bernard Dance presenting his Moet et Chandon cuisine. It's the fourth successive year Dance has appeared in the hotel's kitchens. Mint-flavoured kumquats are on the menu this time, along with Scottish salmon, rack of lamb and turbot with Champagne vinegar. An a la carte menu is available for lunch and dinner. The set two-course menu is $375 a person, and three courses cost $395. The four-course dinner is $680.
Dance will be at the Mandarin's penthouse restaurant from Monday until March 3. Reservations on 2522-0111 ext 4028.
