Posted on Sun, 23 Oct 2011

Happy Eats In Hong Kong

So how was the typhoon in Hong Kong? Is the island heading into blustery weather these days? It sure is in Singapore…sans typhoon though. But as the foodie in me always says, “When things are down, have a good meal.” So when the weather is wet but you can still potter out, here are some great value meals to be had in Hong Kong – and it doesn’t come in a paper box with golden arches!

Laid back La Marmite, a modern Parisian bistro in SoHo, recently rolled out some new comfort dishes which are a little different from the usual suspects we find in French restaurants around town. Executive Chef Philippe Orrico is serving up smoked eel which is served with herring roe and a ‘Mimosa’ cauliflower salad (HK$98) with edible summer flowers, pan-fried mushrooms with Bayonne ham, and an egg that has been steamed at the precise temperature of 63 degrees, and a main course such as almond-crusted sea bass, bulgur paella with piquillo, baby squid and chorizo ($198). The sea bass is topped with crushed almonds, breadcrumbs and paprika, baked in the oven and then laid on a bed of of bulgur. Blending bistrot and gastronomy, the French concept of ‘bistronomy’ blends traditional dishes with sophisticated twists created by top chefs for the casual everyday meal. This idea originated in the 90s when a handful of famous young chefs decided to apply their culinary skills in a casual atmosphere of a bistrot rather than challenge each other for a Michelin Star. I like that kinda honest cooking! And how about Chef Orrico? He worked under celebrated chef Pierre Gagnaire, and mentored at his restaurants in Paris, London and Pierre, at the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong.

44-46 Staunton Street, Soho
Tel: 2803-7808

Head over to Teppanyaki Kaiko for its amazing new menu. On the grill are Australian M5 wagyu sirloin steak, juicy US prime beef tenderloin, Iberian pork Shoulder and French Foie Gras. Seafood is luscious and light – king crab leg with wakame, cucumber gelee and sake clams cappuccino and miso black cod with aubergine and the unusual twist of bonito sorbet! For dinner every day, there’s a range of oysters to start you off – from Gillardeau, Black Pearl and the legendary Belon ‘ooo’ to Eld Inlet, Cherry Stone and Kumamoto. The highlight though must be the Giant Boston Lobster-6-Way menu which makes use of the different parts of this oversized prawn. Starts off with Lobster Meat, Scrambled Italian egg and Black Truffle using the claw meat. Meat from the main body is used for the two main courses – the upper body is baked with sea salt and paired with caviar and champagne foam, and the lower part is seared on the teppan with French foie gras. Both come sizzlingly good! The lobster head is made into Lobster Bisque with Bean Curd , Scallions and Nori, and lastly, the rich lobster paste is simmered with lobster stock for hand-made tagliolini!

P502, World Trade Centre,
280 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, HK
Tel: 2895 0885

Unpretentious, chic and contemporary, DOZO! is churning out a cool weather menu of innovative teppanyaki dishes. Feast on Wasabi Apple Jumbo Scallops – Canadian king scallops with grated apple, wasabi and sweet soy, Char-grilled king prawn with yuzu pepper, Grilled Rack of Lamb marinated in white miso, and Char-grilled Tenderloin – 8oz of spicy beef tenderloin with sesame, red chili and sweet soy! Too much cholesterol and not enough Omega-3s? No fear – there’s grilled miso cod marinated in white miso, buttery, rich with a mahogany glaze. If you don’t know this place, good to note that its speciality is seafood. Lots of nice food here – with its sushi, sashimi and sake bar, conveyor-belt sushi, noodle and rice. Good for a quick bite and with the kids.

44 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central
Tel: 2581 1338

Come Saturday, bling out at Harlan Goldstein’s glittering Lan Kwai Fong restaurant Gold by Harlan Goldstein (top). This fashionable eaterie has just introduced a new 4-course set lunch HK$298. Start with light nibbles from the antipasti buffet including parma ham, briny seafood and salads, then on to heavier stuff like signature pastas from the menu – porcini tortellini in wild mushroom & truffle sauce, linguine with Manila clams & white wine, or parpardelle with Italian wild boar ragout and Pecorino cheese. Hungry like a bear? Main course options are prime rib-eye, mustard-crusted salmon with creamy spinach, the signature HG burger – with Gouda, smoked bacon and truffle mayo – or a new dish, slow-cooked organic egg with Porcini and 5J Ham on black truffle cream sauce. Complete the feast with dessert of the day and coffee or tea. If you’re celebrating the weekend, top of with HK$168 for free-flowing rivers of bubbly!

Level 2 LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong.
Tel: (852) 2869 9986.

Lotus, the mod Thai restaurant on Staunton Street, Soho, has just rolled out weekday three-course lunch deals from a quickie HK$68 to a more long drawn out HK$148 (all including a drink), depending on how simple or swanky you want to go. You’ll be getting modern interpretations of Thai signatures in its new Autumn menu, using ingredients flown in daily from Bangkok! Starters include an assorted platter of vegetarian spring rolls and chicken skewers or hot and sour vegetarian tom yum soup, followed by Pho Noodle Soup (from the HK$68 menu), Pineapple Fried Rice with crispy Thai pork from the $98 menu, to Massaman beef curry in the $128 menu. Dessert is Coconut sago with caramel together with Thai iced tea with lemon or milk. For an additional $28, you can upgrade to a glass of white wine, Singha beer or a regular coffee.