Dining Promotions at La Marmite and Nadaman and 4 New Restaurants
Watch Out For…
Quemo (5/F, QRE Plaza, 202 Queen’s Rd. East, Wan Chai, 2836-0699) confirms that the Spanish invasion is not yet over—in fact, far from it. Slightly different from the tapas bars of late, Quemo gives off more of a Barcelona Market vibe, with hearty Spanish barbecue and platters of paella taking center stage. Sharing is the order of the day, and sangria is the tipple of choice. I just came back from a media tasting and am absolutely in love with the squid ink bomba rice paella.
Newcomer Enomod (1/F, 1-5 Elgin St., Central, 2555-6065) is a lovely upstairs space in SoHo that offers contempo Mediterranean. It tries to be a lot of things on paper, but really it’s just a bright, large-ish hangout with very on-trend furniture (light-colored wood, communal tables). Large barrels of wine that are directly tapped for tipple can be found on the floors, and the décor is homey and comfortable—inspired by Prohibition-era America, supposedly (although it feels very different from Lily & Bloom and Blue Butcher, two similarly themed establishments). Marinated veggies, herby and citrusy seafood pastas, steaks, and fresh ricotta are all menu highlights.
Round Lantau way? Melt Tai O (G/F, 67 Kat Hing St., Tai O) is a new alfresco café on the island that serves snacks, toasted sandwiches and coffees and teas. The space looks simple and vaguely Latin American (yellow walls and orange tiled floors inside)—it’s the type of place where you can spend a whole afternoon with a cup of tea and a book in hand.
Be prepared for spicy Sichuan at Qi (2/F, J Senses, 60 Johnston Rd., Wan Chai, 2527-7117), J Senses’ newest resident. Tingling, mouthnumbing spices being my soft spot, this resto, which specializes in “modern interpretations” of Sichuanese classics (whatever that means), is high on my list of to-gos. Browsing through the menu, I can see lots of dishes prefaced with the word “chili”—exactly my kind of place.
Talk of the Town
Our Editor Adam White went to a La Marmite (46 Staunton St., Central, 2803-7808) dinner tasting the other night and was promptly wowed. He came back praising the slow-cooked pig’s trotter from LM’s “Le Bib Gourmand” menu (in honor of their Michelin mention) to the high heavens, and now I’m drooling all over the pics. From now until mid-June, diners will be able to order from this $300-plus special menu that includes dishes like apple Vichyssoise, sourdough toast and duck breast with ratatouille. Meanwhile, the regular menu will still be available to hardcore loyalists.