BEDU offers North African dishes with Middle Eastern flavours mixed in

After the success of its first restaurant Uma Nota which opened in Hong Kong last year, Meraki Hospitality Group opens its second restaurant brand, BEDU, in Gough Street today.

You cannot miss it, as the floor-to-ceiling windows open up to the outside pedestrian area on Shin Hing Street. The bar is large and there’s a semi-open kitchen that looks onto the main dining space. The décor is modern low key, using natural materials such as leather, reclaimed wood and distressed metals. The vibe is relaxed and chill.

The décor and dishes are inspired by North African bedouin tribes as well as Middle Eastern classic ingredients. Australian chef Corey Riches has honed his culinary skills at Middle Eastern restaurants, and in BEDU, he puts his own twist of the classic flavours from that part of the world.

We start with beetroot and mint labneh (HK$55) served with freshly baked flat bread, and home-made crunchy sour pickles (HK$35) with a Sifi Way (HK$55) mocktail of apricot puree, fresh grapes and basil, which was not too sweet. All dishes are for sharing, and we devour the first offerings.

We then go for another signature cocktail, the BEDU Sour (HK$95) made with beetroot and lemon juice, fresh apple, Verjus, apple spirit and egg white. We are told that the signature cocktails here use natural flavours that you find in food, which help them to balance well with the dishes.

The BEDU Sour goes well with the fragrant cured salmon with walnut tarator and tahini yogurt (HK$120). Chef Corey explains, “We cure the salmon for two days with fennel lime and sumac, and serve with tahini yogurt and a side of salad of roasted walnuts, chilli, parsley and red onion.”