Sourdough, brioche, soda: 11 best bread baskets in Hong Kong restaurants, from Caprice to Grissini to Whisk
- Usually served after ordering, bread is given to diners to quell their immediate hunger. For many of us, though, it’s the thing we look forward to the most
- We take a look at 11 of the tastiest, most delicious bread-and-butter pairings in Hong Kong, from an airy soda bread to a cubed brioche made for Instagram
I have a secret to share – there has been fierce competition between chefs to better this off-menu item for years. It’s a course rarely mentioned in reviews yet highly anticipated by diners, so much so we often ask for seconds, sometimes even thirds.
I’m talking about the bread basket we have before we dig into a meal and I feel we do not talk about it enough. Usually served after ordering, bread is given to diners to quell their immediate hunger – like a buffer before the first course is served.
There are purportedly several reasons why bread is served before a meal and one is that “it’s just tradition”. The phrase “breaking bread” goes back to biblical times and has always been a sign of hospitality. Another is that taverns used to serve one meal a day at a set price, and that it was better for their bottom line to fill guests up with bread before the main courses were served.
Whatever the reason, if the thought of crackly crust and warm, soft bread makes you salivate, then read on for our round-up of our favourite bread baskets in town.
Roganic
When the bread itself is listed as a course, you know it is something special. Roganic’s light and airy soda bread is such a hit that it’s also available at Simon Rogan’s retail bakery The Baker and the Bottleman. If a bread could shine just as bright as any course served on a plate, this would be it.