Oysters, Burritos, Rendang Bao, Celeb Chefs at the Ritz, and a New French Bistro

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Published: 4:00pm, 30 Oct 2014Updated: 4:23pm, 19 Oct 2016

Mothers of Pearl

M&C (www.mnc-asia.com) has started stocking some very special oysters from Brittany. The supplier of French seafood to the city’s fancy restaurants— and online retailer for picky diners in Hong Kong—has persuaded prestigious French grower Prat-Ar-Coum to start shipping some seriously juicy bivalves known as “La Royale.” What makes these babies stand out from the rest? It all comes down to the region they were cultivated in (an exclusive oyster park in Aber Wrac’h, a seaside village in Brittany); their age (minimum three years); and the special care given by the Madec family, the folks who run the oyster farm. You can purchase them straight from the M&C website in batches of 25-100, starting from $756 per order.

United Colors of America

Americanos (2 Lok Ku Rd., Sheung Wan, 5976-4730) is the latest “American” thing, but you’re not gonna see burgers or fries at this Sheung Wan establishment that’s set up where Il Moro used to be. Essentially, it’s a burrito place, but on top of your usual Tex-Mex flavors you can also have your chicken/pork/steak rice bowl marinated in a Korean barbecue sauce and paired with kimchi and shiitake.

Pound for Pound

Mrs. Pound (G/F, Ming Fat House, 6 Pound Lane, Sheung Wan, 3426-3949) is finally open, but you wouldn’t know it if you just walked by: it’s cleverly disguised as an antique Chinese stamp shop. The mechanism to open the door is also not in the least bit obvious—although I’ll leave this for our genius readers to figure out. (HInt: it is NOT the fireman’s crank on the right.) Once you walk in, there are plush booth seats and a long bar to choose from, with hipster Asian tapas/”street food” on the menu—think Sichuan spicy mala wings, rendang bao, and Xinjiang spiced lamb.

A Star-Studded Affair

Two international celebrity chefs are descending on the Ritz-Carlton (International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Rd. West, West Kowloon, 2263-2270) from November 6-8 to prepare a handful of exclusive set lunches and dinners for fawning guests. The first is Taiwanese chef Lanshu Chen, who runs Le Mout in Taipei and can count Le Cordon Bleu as her alma mater. Then there’s Swiss virtuoso Andreas Caminada, the youngest European chef to attain three Michelin stars (at age 33, back in 2010) for his restaurant Schloss Schauenstein in Switzerland. I’ve been told that chef Lanshu’s tastings are sold out, but chef Andreas’ exquisite dishes are still up for grabs. Depending on whether you go for lunch or dinner, prices range from $680-2,980 per head. Guests will be served in Tosca’s private dining rooms. Call to book.

Bistro, Please

The American movement might be going strong, but the French are working hard as ever to keep their dominance on the dining scene. Jules Bistro (King-Inn Mansion, 13-15 Yik Yam St., Happy Valley, 2838-1115) has chosen to conquer Happy Valley with a cozy shop that looks like it was plucked straight out of France—at least from the outside. On the menu are homey options such as charcuterie platters, ham gratin and carrot soup. Glasses of wine start at $58.

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