New Restaurants Mum, 126 Grammes, Hero, and Zabon Ramen, and a Comparison of HK and USA Trends
Watch Out For…
Many exciting new venues quietly opened on the island side during Christmas break, one of them being Mum (Shop G07, G/F, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Rd., Wong Chuk Hang, 2115-3348) at One Island South, a trendy office-slash-retail complex in Wong Chuk Hang. I went to this vegetarian resto for a casual lunch last weekend and was impressed by the modest botanic garden at the front of the shop, the high ceilings that gave the space a lofty vibe, and the reused church pews that now serve as dining table seats. Food-wise, Mum serves predominantly Asian fare, such as steamed rice with eggplant or udon noodles in soup, but you can also get a pasta dish and green tea chiffon cakes if you wanted something more western. The resto is still tweaking its dishes at this stage, so don’t be surprised if you see a totally different menu from what I described.
In the Central area, French patisserie 126 Grammes (42 Aberdeen St., Central, 2886-1885) is poised to start a post-macaron, post-cupcake desserts craze with their offerings of delicate cream puff pastries also known as choux a la crème. (Leave it to the French to make everything sound so much more delicieux.) The choux come in many different flavors, including the exotic mango and coconut that I tried (and really enjoyed), and more classic varieties like vanilla, dark chocolate and caramel. Madeleines, financiers, cakes and other French treats are also available.
Hero (Shop 1, G/F, Lyndhurst Tower, 1 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central) has opened a third outlet, right where Café Punta del Cielo used to be. This chilled-out sandwich shop started its humble but successful beginnings in Tai Kok Tsui and has another branch in Sheung Wan at the Grand Millennium Plaza. Everything from rib-eye steaks to tuna salad to frankfurters to roasted pork chops are offered in a sandwich format, stuffed between two sub-style buns. Reasonably priced salads (all around $40 each) in a variety of flavors and combos are also offered, as well as baked potatoes and fries.