Leading Hong Kong restaurants offer tempting feasts for the holiday season, catering to every taste

The weather outside may (or may not) be frightful, but inside the food’s delightful. You’re sure to find something that takes your festive fancy with our Christmas 2016 restaurant recommendations.

 

Armani/Aqua

Armani/Aqua claim its chefs have perfected the “Art of Christmas,” with a set menu served from December 24 to 26. This five-course dinner starts with its signature sushi and sashimi platter, then proceeds through a cauliflower panna cotta with Taraba king crab, handmade lobster ravioli, and grilled beef tenderloin or steamed cod fillet, finishing with a dessert of white chocolate mousse with almond brittle, raspberry and mulled wine ice cream. The set costs HK$888 per person; wine pairings an additional HK$488.

For reservations call 3583 2828.

Aqua

TST’s Aqua, meanwhile, has a Yuletide feast in store for Christmas Eve. This one-off dinner on December 24 begins with an assortment of sashimi, moving on to porcini ravioli, to mains of either turkey with chestnut and truffle gravy, or Japanese sea bass and scallops, sea urchin and salmon roe. Finish off with Aqua’s Italian chocolate mousse. HK$1,498 per person for five courses; an additional HK$398 per person for wine pairings.

For reservations call 3427 2288.

Belon

Black Sheep group’s “neo-Parisian bistro” is inviting diners to spend their Christmas Eve feasting on its classic holiday roast (HK788 per person). The evening will boast everything from French oysters to fois gras.

For reservations call 2152 2872.

Blue Butcher & Meat Specialist

Guests at Blue Butcher & Meat Specialist can order a whole or half Hunter Valley free-range turkey, as featured at other Maximal Concepts restaurants, served with mashed potatoes, home-made pork stuffing, chorizo Brussels sprouts, gravy and cranberry sauce. Dessert is sweet potato pie with cinnamon whipped cream. A whole turkey costs HK$1,880, while a half costs HK$980; all orders must be placed 48 hours in advance.

For reservations call 2613 9286.

The Boathouse

With its sea view and calm atmosphere, The Boathouse in Stanley is offering Christmas Eve and Christmas Day specials such as roast turkey, and slow braised beef short rib. For dessert, it is offering treats such as Christmas pudding and chestnut mousse mille-feuille with brandy custard.

For reservations call 2813 4467.

Bostonian Seafood and Grill

The Langham’s Bostonian Seafood and Grill has a range of semi-buffet Christmas menus by executive chef Pedro Samper, available for brunch and dinner on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. These include a pistachio crusted rack of lamb, and slow-cooked lobster with butter poached scallops. Dessert choices range from a chestnut log with blackcurrant, chocolate earth and meringue, to a Chocolate Symphony (HK$788 for brunch; HK$1,088 for dinner).

For reservations call 2132 7898.

Cafe Deco

The Hong Kong institution, now in TST, has a four-course Christmas Eve dinner menu with some familiar favourites (starting at HK$788 per person). First course choices include Scottish smoked salmon or foie gras terrine; the soup is sweet basil, almond and butternut squash, and mains range from roast turkey to lobster thermidor. For dessert, there’s the Yule log.

For reservations call 2849 5111.

Café on M

The lavish Christmas buffet at the InterContinental Grand Stanford’s Café on M boasts a Seafood on Ice section (Boston lobsters, Alaskan snow crab legs, smoked salmon and more), a sashimi and sushi station (from yellowtail and uni to fois gras and eel), roast suckling pig and prime rib of beef, roast Norfolk turkey and Australian lamb cutlets. Sweets include a festive chocolate fountain.

For reservations call 2731 2860.

Café on the 1st

The Café on the first floor of The Excelsior is offering a Christmas lunch buffet, afternoon tea buffet, afternoon tea set, and a seafood dinner buffet on December 24 and 25 at a range of prices. Word has it that Santa Claus could be making an appearance at the seafood buffet to hand out gifts to children.

For reservations call 2837 6781.

Fauchon

Overseen by chef Sai Hsu, Fauchon is celebrating Christmas with a three-course festive menu on December 24 and 25. Dishes include salmon mille-feuille, cream of lentil soup with poached egg and Bayonne ham, duck a l’orange, and bouillabaisse (HK$238 per person).

For reservations call 2731 2860.

Fish & Meat

The festive menu at Fish & Meat is available from now until December 30. Executive chef Russell Doctrove has been preparing his own Hunter Valley free-range turkey roulade. This is served with creamed sprouts and chestnuts, salted maple roasted parsnips and spiced braised red cabbage. Complete the experience with the pear and dried cherry crumble pie, along with mascarpone ice cream. The festive menu costs HK$980, and must be ordered at least 48 hours in advance.

For reservations call 2565 6788.

The French Window

Christmas is a good time to make the most of this Gallic eatery’s IFC location, affording a great view of the harbour.Its semi-buffet brunch encompasses the signature seafood platter (starting at
HK$598 per person), while the five-course Christmas Dinner set menu has everything from oysters, lobster bisque and mullet, to turkey, steak Rossini and Yule log (HK$680 per person; HK$830 per person with wine pairings).

For reservations call 2393 3812.

Fujiyama Mama

Epicurean’s newly opened restaurant at The Peak Tower offers a set menu with a selection of modern Japanese cuisine this festive season. The six-course Happy Holiday set includes foie gras chawamushi with ginger sauce, slow-cooked wagyu sirloin with wasabi mushroom sauce or an abalone and seafood hotpot for mains and yuzu cheese cake for dessert (HK$388 per person). Enjoy dining with stunning views this festive season.

For reservations call 2870 0800

Gaddi’s

The Peninsula’s haute French offering under chef Xavier Boyer will throw a lavish Christmas Eve Gala Dinner on December 24, with six courses at HK$3,288 per person. Gentlemen are required to wear a dark suit for this one. The more casual, four-course Christmas Day Set Lunch cost HK$1,288 per person, and a five-course Christmas Day Set Dinner is also available at HK$1,888.

For reservations call 2696 6763.

Gaucho

From December 1, the Anglo-Argentinian steak house has mixed up a range of special seasonal cocktails, including the Mince Pie Manhattan, the Gingerbread Sour and the Pomegranate Fizz. Gaucho’s Christmas Signature Menu (HK$688 per person) comprises signature empanadas and chorizo sausage, and mains like Bife de Ancho (rib-eye served with chimichurri), half salt baked corn-fed chicken, and oven-roasted salmon.

For reservations call 2386 8090.

Gradini

The Pottinger’s fine Italian eatery is putting on a festive five-course meal for Christmas Eve. It begins with Hokkaido scallops with black caviar, salmon roe and olive oil caviar, moving onto slow-baked Tasmanian lamb loin with a fois gras, truffle and mushroom stuffing, and ending with roasted chestnut mousse on Amedei chocolate truffles (HK$1,088 per person).

For reservations call 2308 3088.

Hutong

Northern Chinese cuisine master Hutong has an eight-course Winter Solstice Menu from December 6-30. Merrymakers can begin with a cup of Chinese winter plum wine, prior to an appetiser of black truffle seared scallop, slow cooked squid with mustard seeds, and turkey in Sichuan chilli sauce. Mains include fennel seed crab claw, cod fillet with black garlic, braised wagyu beef cheek in wine and Sichuan pepper, and shredded abalone in a hot and sour winter soup (HK$1,088 per person).

For reservations call 3428 8342.

Limewood

Repulse Bay’s Limewood has a festive menu with a Southeast Asian, Caribbean and Hawaiian twist, including Hunter Valley free-range charcoal-roasted turkey with pineapple sausage stuffing. Limewood’s pastry team have also come up with an exclusive peanut butter cake with marshmallow and toffee sauce. Turkeys must be ordered 48 hours in advance, and are priced at HK$880.

For reservations call 2866 8668.

The Manor

The Manor at The St. Regis Macao offers a lavish festive lunch buffet which includes freshly shucked oysters, poached king crabs and prawns to start; Boston lobster with beetroot, kohlrabi and laksa sauce and Wagyu skirt with sishito peppers, chanterelle mushrooms for mains and an assortment of Christmas desserts. (428 patacas per adult, 214 patacas per child). The Festive Family Dinner features a sumptuous seafood platter, Australian Angus beef tongue with Sicilian red prawns, seared foie gras escalope and roast beef Wellington. (528 patacas per adult, 264 patacas per child) Both from December 23 to 26.

For reservations call +853 8113 2777

Mott 32

The Central-based farm-to-table Chinese restaurant is offering roast seasonal free range turkey cooked in three ways: BBQ roast turkey with pancakes and three homemade sauces; “Turkey and Five Shade Salad”; and minced turkey with water chestnut, mushroom and bamboo (HK$1,880 per person).

For reservations call 2885 8688.

Nobu

Nobu Matsuhisa is acclaimed for his innovative dishes that fuse traditional Japanese cuisine with Peruvian ingredients. On Christmas Eve, its eight-course Festive Omakase Dinner costs HK$1,588 per person, while on Christmas Day diners have the option of a five-course omakase lunch (HK$648 per person; HK$848 with free-flowing Champagne), or an eight-course omakase dinner (HK$1,588 per person).

For reservations call 2313 2323.

Palm Court

For Christmas, The Langham’s Palm Court lounge is introducing the Nutcracker Afternoon Tea. The Nutcracker is played by the mille-feuille, made from puff pastry, raspberry mousse and jam; the heroine Clara is a praline cream choux with pink icing. A supporting cast of dishes include the Christmas Tree, with swirls of vanilla mousse and chestnut cream.

For reservations call 2132 7898.

Sevva

The lavish Christmas Eve set dinner begins with a choice of Sevva’s house favourite appetisers, and for the main course diners can choose from Kurobuta pork fillet, a demitasse of Vichyssoise with truffle shavings, slow-roasted wagyu prime rib, or wok-fried leopard grouper and Hokkaido king scallops. This is topped off by a rum and fig Christmas pudding in a French crêpe with crème Anglaise (HK$2,380 per person, not including service charge).

For reservations call 2537 1388.

Watermark

Located at Central’s Star Ferry, the Watermark has a five-course Christmas Eve dinner (HK$798 per person) a four-course Christmas Day dinner (HK$498 per person), and a vegetarian menu (HK$498 on both days). Dishes range from pan-seared barramundi to beef tenderloin with duck fois gras, to roasted beet and goat cheese tart.
For reservations call 2167 7251.

Yamm

This gastronomic haven at The Mira is laying on Christmas brunches and dinner buffets. These feature roast turkey, tronchetto di porchetta and beef Wellington. Seafood choices include oysters and Boston lobsters, abalone, and a sushi and sashimi counter. Christmas Eve brunch starts at HK$548; dinner buffet from HK$1,088. Christmas Day brunch starts at HK$608; dinner buffet from HK$938.

For reservations call 2315 5885.