Causeway Bay Restaurants Open Up for Cool-Weather Indulgences

Fall for Italian
It’s nearing holiday season (we’ve already spotted the first tinsel in stores!) and that means it’s time to make the rounds of your favorite SAR restos to see what they’re dreaming up for fall/winter. One of the city’s best kid-friendly spots, Jamie’s Italian (2/F, Soundwill Plaza II, 1 Tang Lung St., Causeway Bay, 3958-2222) has just debuted several new dishes that sound like ideal winter warmers for getting into the holiday spirit—or you know, just stuffing your face full of the good stuff. Get a load of their chargrilled pork chop complete with crispy pork crackling, or savor slow-cooked duck leg served with a bright orange and pomegranate salad. A classic margherita with creamy bocconcini is a welcome addition to the pizza menu, while new desserts, including an orange blossom cake and raspberry pavlova, will fill up your day’s sugar quota. 

Smells like Bacon
Loosen up that belt buckle: The new offering from celebrated British chef Tom Aikens opens next month, and it’s sounding like the perfect place to engage in our favorite pastime—pigging out. A shrine to all things pork, The Fat Pig (Shop 1105, 11/F Food Forum, Times Square, 1 Matheson St., Causeway Bay) marks the second collaboration between Tom Aikens and Press Room Group and will showcase chef Aikens’s nose-to-tail philosophy with both Western- and Asian-inspired dishes. With locally sourced pork from Wah Kee Farm in the New Territories and a menu designed for sharing, dinner at The Fat Pig sounds like the perfect place to pack on the winter pounds with friends in the happy embrace of a pork-centric feast.

Bring on the Udon
The humble udon is elevated to new heights at Shiki-Zen (29/F, Midtown Plaza II, 1-29 Tang Lung St., Causeway Bay, 2970-3218), an upscale Japanese restaurant in the former Sushi To space (rest assured, the kitchen is still helmed by seasoned executive chef Norihisa Maeda). The udon here is thick and chewy, handmade using imported Japanese flour and natural sea salt with the help of a special udon machine, which churns out the fresh noodles all day for both hot and cold preparations. Choose from sanuki udon, a variety from the southerly Shikoku region, or the thinner Kyoto-style udon, in a broth that’s been simmered for 24 hours. Toppings range from wagyu beef to sea eel tempura—we’re partial to the snow crab meat, delicate and fragrant in a light egg soup.