#legendeats: 9 F&B offerings for April

From the unveiling of the city’s most thrilling hospitality destination to exclusive collaborative dinners and Easter specials, April is anything but a slow month for the dining scene

Forty-Five

Forty-Five, jointly created by Leading Nations (the group behind Elephant Grounds, Wagyumafia, The Diplomat and more) and Hongkong Land, is set to inject innovative hospitality into Hong Kong’s vibrant arts and culinary scene.

Located in Landmark’s Gloucester Tower, the new hospitality destination – which is set to fully open in summer – where art meets gastronomy is home to five different concepts: The Merchants, which offers a taste of traditional Shanghai flavours with a touch of modernity in a space that pays homage to belle époque Shanghai designed by Sean Dix and Victoria Tang-Owen; Cardinal Point, a rooftop venue complete with a restaurant, lounge and sky terrace with sweeping views of the city’s skyline and harbour; Kaen Teppanyaki, a Japanese steakhouse helmed by chef Yoshiyuki Sato featuring both teppan and binchotan cooking; The Cristal Room by Anne Sophie Pic, a 40-seater French fine-dining restaurant that marks an one-of-a-kind encounter between the most decorated female chef in the world and renowned French manufacturer of fine crystal, Baccarat; and lastly, Gloucester Arts Club, a private, members-only social club where creatives and entrepreneurs can come together.

Where: 45/F Gloucester Tower, LANDMARK, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central

Belon

Chef Matthew Kirkley of “neo-Parisian” Belon and chef Jongwon Son of Seoul’s one-Michelin L’Amant Secret and Eatanic Garden will be reuniting in the kitchen six years after COI on April 4 and 5 for a night of culinary merriment. Capped at HK$2,288 per guest, plus an additional wine pairing for HK$1,788, the masterfully crafted eight-course menu pays homage to their shared time at the now-closed minimalist foodie mecca – where Son expanded his culinary knowledge under the wings of his mentor, Kirkley – with dishes that bring together the past and present.

Where: 1st Floor, 1-5 Elgin Street, Central

Rosewood Hong Kong

A new season calls for a switch-up. So, Rosewood Hong Kong is launching a series of new offerings at its award-winning restaurants and bars.

At The Dining Room (formerly The Dining Room by BluHouse), continues to unleash his creativity upon sustainably sourced ingredients while maintaining a balance between tradition and innovation. New dishes include poached organic eggs with potato foam, Castelluccio lentil and Perigord black truffle; artisanal linguine “pastificio gentile” with sea urchin, Alaskan king crab, saffron and tarragon; Atlantic seabass with polenta crust, braised celeriac, celery cress and confit lemon; and braised Australian beef oyster blade served with colourful accompaniments of beetroot, Swiss chard, and Perigord black truffle.

Asaya Kitchen has also unveiled new à la carte dishes of Mediterranean flavours that highlight seasonal ingredients sourced locally. Celeriac “carpaccio” with truffle and walnuts; porcini beloute with lapsang poached egg and celtuce; Greenland halibut with apricot and pumpkin purée served with crispy rainbow chard; Brittany pink trout with Jerusalem artichoke purée and black garlic pil pil, and Piedmont hazelnut chantilly with apricot gel and diced persimmons are just some of the many new plates that guests can indulge in.

Rosewood Hong Kong’s “cha chaan teng” Holt’s Café will be introducing a brand-new Sunday seafood and oyster brunch from 5 May. Get together with friends and family over sharing-style seafood platters, which include Boston lobsters, oysters, abalone, king prawns and lemon mignonette, followed by small plates like scallop ceviche, deep-fried salt and pepper squid tentacles and jumbo lump prawn cake.

While the travel industry is finding its footing again, flight prices are still soaring. So, instead, head over to BluHouse Food Hall, which comprises of a casual eatery and a selection of dynamic food counters for an authentic taste of Italy. At the delicatessen counter, new menu additions include the pressed Italian pork head cold cut with pickled onion and argula, kale salad with goat cheese and finished with a honey dressing, and insalata di reinforzo with cauliflowers, anchovies, pickled veggies and Taggiasca olives. For those looking for some more substantial grub, there’s also the roman-style slices at the pizza counter – new offerings include the quattro formaggi with buffalo mozzarella, gorgonzola, provolone, Parmesan cheese and spinach; and patate e salsiccia with pork sausage, Yukon Gold potatoes, buffalo mozzarella and fresh rosemary – as well as plates at the rotisserie counter like polenta e funghi with mixed mushrooms and black truffle, traditional Neapolitan ragu and braised cod fish with white onion and black olives.

DarkSide, the sophisticated sultry jazz and cocktail parlour tucked away on the ground floor of the hotel, will also be introducing a series of exclusive pop-up’s featuring guest shifts by some of the world’s most renowned bars. First on the list: the current no.15 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars, Hope & Sesame Guangzhou, whose guest shift will take place on 2 and 3 April.

Where: Rosewood Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Baker & The Bottleman

The Easter weekend is upon us, and there’s no better way to celebrate than with the perfect hot cross buns. Enter The Baker & The Bottleman, which, headed by head chef Benjamin Lee, is launching their irresistible version of the traditional Easter treat available for pre-order now (HK$350/15pc box or HK$25 per piece) – fluffy and sticky, packed with rum-soaked raisins and flavoured with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

Pre-order here

Where: Shop Nos. G14-15, G/F, F15A, 1/F, Lee Tung Avenue, 200 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai

Kiyoka

To celebrate the blossoming season of sakuras in Japan, Kyoto-born chef pâtissière Asuka Matsubara’s Japanese-French pastry shop, Kiyoka, located in Landmark has unveiled a new collection of cherry blossom-inspired pastries, including the sakura macarons, romantically coloured in a dusty pink with a filling of raspberry and chopped sakura leaves; and sakura roll cake, which is made from edible Japanese sakura powder, filled with fresh Japanese strawberries and sakura cream, and garnished with salted sakura flower.

Where: Shop 327 – 333, 3/F Landmark Atrium, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central

Gran Dabbang x New Punjab Club

Chef Mariano Ramón of Buenos Aires’s Gran Dabbang will be joining New Punjab Club’s Michelin-starred chef Palash Mitra special explorative three-day four-hands collaboration (April 1-2, lunch; April 3, dinner). At HK$1,488 or HK$2,488 (with a five-glass wine pairing) per guest, expect a soulful menu of dishes that showcase Ramón and Mitra’s shared love and dedication to India’s diverse culinary tradition, like cancha naan with fermented chillies, black beans and tomato; pan de mandioca served with corn curry, tomato chutney and shiso seeds; and tandoori batair with quail, guava, achari plums and beans.

Where: 34 Wyndham Street, Central

Amber x Ying Jee Club

East meets West at two-Michelin-starred Amber and Ying Jee Club on April 24 and May 22 (both priced at HK$2,888+10 percent per person) with two different six-course menus crafted jointly by chefs Richard Ekkebus and Siu Hin Chi. Packed with the best seasonal ingredients, the line-up showcases the two chef’s commitment to cooking up the finest and purest flavours with highlights including Ekkebus’ scampi, watermelon, fruit tomato, pink pepper corn, finger line and rose appetiser; toothfish with sugar pea, plankton, sea lettuce, wakame, hijiki, sea grapes, oyster leaf and cultured cashew butter; and Siu’s chilled white asparagus with wild abalone, sea whelk and caviar; and blue lobster with rice in broth.

Where: On April 24: Shop G05, 107-108, Nexxus Building, 41 Connaught Rd Central, Central; On May 22: 7/F, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central

Cafe Bau

“Demon chef” Alvin Leung has unveiled a new farm-to-table restaurant set in the metropolitan district of Wan Chai. Like its name, which pays homage to the Bauhinia x Blakeana flower, a hybrid flower native to Hong Kong, Cafe Bau is a hybrid concept born in Hong Kong and bred by chef Leung’s culinary influences from around the world. Guests can choose from either the three-course menu or seven-course tasting menu, both presenting a unique range of innovations crafted from the highest quality locally sourced ingredients, such as the salt roasted beetroot with pat chun vinaigrette, candied walnuts and charred corn; grilled squid with spicy shatian pomelo jam, smoked flounder barley and squid ink chips; slow-cooked ox brisket; and sugarcane juice jelly with seasonal fruits.

Where: Shop 8, Podium 1/F, J Residence, 60 Johnston Road, Wan Chai

Butter

Butter, Hong Kong’s favourite American bake shop, has now landed at The Upper House. The latest pop-up features the bakery’s full cookie line-up, such as ginger molasses, chewy oatmeal raisin, M&M and Butter’s classic. Because cookies and milk are always better together, the pop-up also includes an exclusive-to-The Upper House milk bar, whose menu includes vanilla-infused milk, chocolate oat milk and cinnamon almond milk. An Americana-inspired afternoon tea highlighting Butter cookies are also on offer at Salisterra.

Where: L6, The Upper House, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty

Also see: Asia’s Best Female Chef 2023 talks food and gender equality