Foodies feast to your heart’s content at the CCB (Asia) Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival
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Recharge with a caffeine rush
Festival goers in need of a caffeine rush are in for a treat at the new Coffee Fiesta zone which gathers Hong Kong’s best baristas from the hottest cafés to serve up the perfect cup of specialty coffee that could be appreciated like a fine wine.
Head to Knockbox Café, a pioneer in third wave coffee in Hong Kong founded by eye specialist and a judge for the 2013 Cup of Excellence international coffee-making competition Patrick Tam. On his coffee-sourcing trips abroad, the founder of Vision for Coffee, a charitable foundation, also finds time to perform vision screening for those in need.
Try their artisanal, single origin, direct trade and freshly roasted coffee that’s been the talk of the town. Laughing Wong, partner of Knockbox Café and current Hong Kong Barista Champion, enthuses about their offerings. “For every cup of direct trade coffee a client drinks, they can taste the story behind it. We have exclusive beans sourced directly from Yemen which is not easy as the country is still at war. Fortunately, we are very friendly with a producer there, so that’s how we managed to get our supply. We are the only café in Hong Kong serving Yemen coffee. We also have beans from Ethiopia which is getting easier to source now as direct trade is allowed, El Salvador and Honduras. Honduran coffee beans are trending due to their much-improved quality over the past two years. At the café, we feature over 20 single origin varietals that represent the pinnacle of quality and character. Our direct trade coffee is easy on the palate, perfectly balanced between sweetness and sourness and infused with a fragrant aroma. At Coffee Fiesta, you can try a variety of our specialty coffee made from beans processed in various methods from farms in these countries, plus Kenya, Columbia and Panama.”
For those looking for an alcoholic kick with their java, Wong recommends their signature KB Tonic with Gin. “We use a balanced combination of Ethiopian and Brazilian coffee and add a good measure of dry gin. It creates a complex taste that is flavourful, floral and fruity.”
A celebrity sighting could be in the offing at Blooms Roastery & Craft Tea. Helmed by veteran actor and coffee aficionado Moses Chan who have dedicated many hours to mastering the art of coffee making and roasting, the specialty café offers the highest quality teas and coffees from the farthest reaches of the world.
With coffee and sweets going hand-in-hand, pair your java with a choice of artisanal pastries from the award-winning Say Hey Bakery, celebrity dessert shop Alice Wild Luscious or Homie Cookies, to name a few.
Street food rules the world
Some of the best food in the world can be found on the roadside or open-air markets. You can feast to your heart’s content at the new Tap & Go International Street Eats zone that offers local favourites from ten restaurants showcasing diverse cuisines from seven regions in the world.
If you are a fan of Korean food, make a beeline for Kelly’s Cape Bop, a Michelin- starred street food eatery famed for their tasty kimbap, yummy tteokbokki and irresistible fried chicken bites.
Hankering for Taiwanese? Fill up with a comforting bowl of noodles soup from Jiu-Wu Beef Noodles. Opened by foodie, singer and actress Laurinda Ho, the restaurant has garnered a large following in the city for its quality and meticulous preparation. You might even see Laurinda at their booth.
You can also take your taste buds on a journey to Europe at Bayern Gourmet and far-flung Latin America with Picada, the world-famous street vendor from Peru.
Get fed and chill
The best chill-out location at the Festival is the fan-favourite FeedMe Lane making a welcome return after last year’s debut. Take a break and rest those weary feet on bean bags and benches on the lawn near the Admiralty entrance. Fortify yourself with the most scrumptious food and drinks from 18 of Hong Kong’s trendiest mid to high-end restaurants.
Kelvin Lam, co-founder of FeedMe Guru who is presenting the culinary attraction, explains that most of the offerings are a combination of East meets West, traditional meets modern and will tantalise all the senses. “We look for restaurants who can make something above and beyond what they usually serve at their restaurants, with most of their dishes created especially for the Festival. They are all making the extra effort to create new and innovative dishes to surprise visitors. Three of the restaurants who have participated last year are returning. Bib N Hops, joined by sister one-Michelin-starred restaurant Qi – House of Sichuan, will present a selection of Tuna, Chicken Kebab and Impossible Nori Tacos in an innovative twist that combines Asian and Mexican cuisines into one crunchy culinary coupling bursting with umami.
“For those keen on pungent flavours, the Stinky Tofu and Spicy Duck Maroon Jelly Burger from The Drunken Pot, a modern take on the Chinese hot pot, is certainly worth trying. Other Asian highlights include a signature Grilled Eel Rice Bowl done in Kyoto style where the egg is really fluffy and a Foie Gras Roti with a Southeast Asian flavour from Mean Noodles who are famous for their laksa.
“Bread and Beast, famed for merging Hong Kong and Western elements in their cuisine, will present Shelter Crab Cheesy Cheung Fun. Shelter Crab is a uniquely Hong Kong dish, and by mixing it with cheesy cheung fun, it becomes an East meets West pasta.
“French eatery La Mer Restaurant & Lounge will offer a delicious Salted Egg Duck Tart that merges popular local ingredient salted egg with western cooking methods. The tart is very crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
“In another twist, Supergiant Tapas & Cocktail Bar’s Crispy Pork Bao with 14-hour slow cooked Dutch pork belly is an excellent filler perfect for soaking up alcohol.
“For desserts, one of the core highlights is Jouer’s Coconut Mousse Mochi “Molten Custard Bun” that is a take on the classic dim sum. An airy salted coconut mousse with a gooey custard centre encapsulated with a thin Mochi wrapping; it is another innovative taste bud tantaliser.
“Oddies Foodies, famous for their egg waffles, will be making a decadent Hong Kong style deep fried molten chocolate French toast topped with salted peanut butter gelato, peanut brittle and drizzled with dulce de leche specifically for the Festival that looks really amazing.
“Another decadent choice is the giant Cookie-in-Cookie from Taiwan’s Cookie Department. Super crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, it’s a brownie filled double chocolate cookie.
“Drinks run the gamut from craft beers and Instagrammable cocktails with a twist to interesting ice teas to coffees.
“If you are looking for something different, want to be in the know of what’s happening in the food scene, you should come and check out all these different options. Come and enjoy a quintessentially Hong Kong experience under the sky.”
Ten out of ten festivities
The celebration of a decade of culinary excellence continues with a timely Halloween Afternoon Tea presented by Mandarin Oriental on October 28.
A “Perfect 10 Passport”, which includes both food and wine tokens, enables visitors to enjoy a seamless experience of the diverse offerings at International Street Eats, Coffee Fiesta, Grand Wine Pavilion and FeedMe Lane zones. With the passport in hand, you can enjoy a complimentary drink in the Grand Lounge as well as unlimited access to the Grand Wine Pavilion within the same day. As a memento, you can also take home a 10th edition limited-issue wine glass from the award-winning Lucaris Desire Collection specially produced for the Festival.
For an Instagrammable souvenir, go to the “Check-in Point” where a giant seven-metre-high cake serves as a centrepiece decoration for your best selfies.
If that’s not enough, you also stand a chance to win gifts valued at over HK$1,700,000 by taking part in the “Super Time Offers” which will begin when the giant cake rotates and the music starts. Simply take part in an online AR game held every hour throughout the event by scanning a QR code at the venue.
