Starbucks’s Reserve Coffee Experience Bar at its new flagship store in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Source:
https://scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/article/2153566/where-eat-hong-kong-8-chill-places-savour-summer Leisure
Where to eat in Hong Kong: 8 ‘chill’ places to savour summer delights this July
City welcomes openings at Starbucks, Glasshouse and BEDU, seafood treats at ÉPURE and Felix, and chef collaborations at WHISK, VEA and La Paloma
Rack of lamb with garlic labneh and za'atar oil is one of the dishes that will be served at the soon-to-open restaurant BEDU, in Central, Hong Kong,
We’re escaping the summer heat by heading indoors and indulging in a feast.
It’s the best way to avoid having suffering heatstroke – honestly!
New opening: Starbucks flagship store
Starbucks has stepped up its game with its 5,500 square-foot flagship store in the heart of Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay.
Located in the new Lee Garden Three, the store introduced Starbucks’ first Teavana Bar and Mixology Bar to the city, alongside its regular coffees and food options.
The Teavana Bar includes 15 new menu items – five of which are exclusive to Hong Kong.
Over at the Mixology Bar, alcohol-infused coffee cocktails are set to make a splash.
Look out for the Espresso Martini (espresso and vodka) and Sparkling Kenya IPA (IPA beer infused with Starbucks’ own Kenya cold brew coffee).
The flagship store also houses a Reserve Coffee Experience Bar, offering interesting brews made with Starbucks Reserve blends. Examples include the Cold Brew Malt (cold brew coffee with vanilla ice cream and malt powder) and House Affogato (espresso shots over ice cream with Demerara syrup and cinnamon).
Opened: June 22
Address: Shop 101-110, 1/F, Lee Garden Three, Causeway Bay
New opening: Glasshouse
Gaia Group has expanded its network of restaurants with its latest restaurant, Glasshouse, which opened on July 1.
The group already has a string of restaurants, including Isola Bar & Grill, Va Bene, Glasshouse at IFC Mall, Gaia Ristorante and Townhouse.
Glasshouse offers a mix of Asian and Western flavours with dishes ranging from noodles to salads. Highlights include stir-fried rice noodles with beef and foie gras, Singapore noodles with Serrano ham and red lobster, and Chiu Chow waffle – a dessert dish paired with sesame, peanuts and sugar.
Opened: July 1
Address: Shop 101A, Cityplaza, Quarry Bay
New opening: BEDU
A new Bedouin-inspired restaurant and bar is set to open its doors in Central, later this month.
Inspired by the intense flavours of nomadic Middle Eastern cuisine, BEDU aims to please even the most picky Bedouin, a nomadic group known for its presence in North Africa and the Middle East.
BEDU’s menu follows the travels of Bedouin tribes, and will place an emphasis on dishes meant to be shared.
Not-to-be missed dishes include sweet spiced tuna with honey harissa and preserved lime salad, rack of lamb with garlic labneh and za’atar oil, and charred broccoli with crispy kale.
For dessert, try the dark chocolate and cranberry clafoutis with spiced yogurt.
BEDU is the latest restaurant from the Meraki Hospitality Group, which also boasts Uma Nota, a Brazilian Japanese restaurant in the heart of SoHo.
Opens: last week of July
Address: 40 Gough Street, Central
Blue Lobster at ÉPURE
Blue lobster from Brittany takes a starring role at ÉPURE this summer.
A four-course dinner, designed by executive chef Nicolas Boutin, will showcase the crustacean cooked in a variety of ways to accentuate its flavour.
Dinner starts with blue lobster with avocado, haricot and black truffle, before moving on to blue lobster paired with pickled mushroom and paloise sauce.
The main dish, blue lobster tail with Cévennes onion, black truffle and tarragon, promises to be a high point in the dinner.
The meals ends with maize with buckwheat, Valrhona dulcey chocolate cream and lemon paste.
Dates: July 3 – August 31
Price: HK$1,688 (US$215) per person, additional HK$620 per person for wine pairing
VEA x Le Moût
Vicky Cheng of VEA, in Central, is teaming up with Lanshu Chen of Le Moût, in Taichung, Taiwan, for a four-hands collaboration this month featuring crowd-favourite signature dishes.
The eight-course dinner pop-up will be held in two cities: two nights in Hong Kong, followed by a one-night affair in Taiwan.
Chen, who heads up Le Moût, was named Asia’s best female chef by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2014.
Her forte lies in marrying French haute cuisine with her Taiwanese roots, much as how Cheng is known for his approach to fusing French cuisine with Chinese elements.
Another reason this four-hands collaboration should be on your menu? Le Moût is closing in December – and this collaboration will be Chen’s last for the year.
Dates: July 9-10 in Hong Kong; July 20 in Taichung, Taiwan
Price: HK$2,480 per person
Address: 29-30/F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central
David Tamburini is guest chef at WHISK
WHISK, in Tsim Sha Tsui, welcomes Tuscany-born David Tamburini for the next instalment of its Guest Chef series.
The one Michelin-star chef is based at the La Scala, the Italian restaurant housed inside The Sukothai Bangkok.
His three-night pop-up in mid-July will feature six courses for dinner, each showcasing his personal summer favourites.
Expect fresh, light dishes that take their cues from classical Italian cuisine.
Highlights will include Pomodoro E Mozzarella, made with two types of ripe Sicilian tomatoes, and classic beef tartare made with Fassone beef from Piemonte and coated with marinated egg yolk and
Parmigiano.
Dates: July 12-14
Price: HK$890, additional HK$380 for wine pairing
Address: WHISK, 5/F, The Mira Hong Kong, Mira Place, 118-130 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Chef vs Pan brunch featuring Nate Green at La Paloma
The Chef vs Pan brunch series returns for one day only – on July 14.
Nate Green from Rhoda joins Jose Cotes at La Paloma, in Sai Ying Pun, to create two Rhoda-inspired dishes for the brunching crowd to enjoy.
The first is the La Paloma suckling pig featuring a Rhoda twist, and the second dish is a paella made with La Paloma’s famous 40-inch (101-centimetre) paella pan.
Other menus on the brunch menu include a range of tapas, such as Spanish cold cuts with tomato bread, tuna tartare with avocado and ponzu dressing, and clams with chorizo. Crispy churros help end the experience on a sweet note.
Date: July 14 only
Price: HK$328 per person
Address: 1/F, SoHo 189, 189 Queen’s Road West, Sai Ying Pun
Ocean-to-table seafood menu at Felix
Nothing is as quite sinful as indulging in jet-set fresh seafood during the lazy summer months.
Felix is showcasing a five-course ocean-to-table seafood menu until the end of July, which promises to deliver fresh flavours finished off in a modern European style that will please the most demanding epicureans.
Highlights of the menu include Obsiblue prawn ceviche with avocado and tomato salsa, and pan-seared cod with coco beans and chorizo ragout.
Diners can choose either the steamed Dover sole with zucchini and white wine cream or slow-cooked pork belly with a trio of baby carrots and white balsamic jus for their mains.
Finish off the meal with exotic fruit minestrone with blood orange sorbet for dessert.
Dates: June 29 – July 31
Price: HK$1,228 per person
Address: 28/F, The Peninsula, Tsim Sha Tsui