Long Tasting Menu

Weekend lunch service at Roganic seems to be as bustling as ever with every table occupied, not deterred by the general slowdown in business elsewhere with the virus outbreak and all. It’s been a while since I was last here, so happy to be back to check out a few new dishes on the menu as spring season is approaching and Chef Oli Marlow, their head chef at Roganic London, was in town to bring in some new creations.

Dinner During Troubled Times

The other day a few of us dropped by at our friend A’s restaurant Nikushou for dinner and drinks. I felt like I am here more often than I remembered – a few times for a proper sit-down dinner, but more frequently I just stopped by at late night for a quick drink and snacks with our friends. And this time, it’s for a few new dishes that the restaurant is soon launching on its lunch and dinner menu, plus a few seasonal dishes.

New Year Tradition

We were at Caprice during the Chinese New Year long weekend, same as we did for the last few years as part of our new "family tradition". It’s always good for a change when we had way too many traditional Chinese dishes during the festive period at a place we would like to visit every now and then.

A Quick Return

“Come back soon to try our regular menu!” said Chef Ricardo as we parted ways after the special seafood-themed dinner at Mono the other night. So one week later, I did return to the restaurant to check out more of his cooking at his new restaurant in Central.

First Impression

We dropped by L'Enfol for a quick weekend lunch on the weekend right before the Chinese New Year in January. Chef Olivier Elzer attracted quite a following locally at his previous restaurant Seasons (and before that, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon) and needless to say, his new venture at St Regis Hong Kong was much anticipated by many.

All Snake Menu

Some friends and we met up in Shum Shui Po for the snake dinner menu at one of the specialty restaurants in the neighborhood - the same group went for another snake meal only a month ago so consider this a sequel to that. Sher Wong Yip (Snake King Yip) is one of the handful shops remained in Hong Kong fully licensed to handle and sell live snakes. During winter months I often dropped by for a comforting bowl of snake soup and sometimes a bowl of sticky rice, another of their signature dish. But this is only my first time trying the more elaborate menu with 10 different courses, most of them cooked using snakes.

Seafood at Mono

It’s not an overstatement that Mono is one of the most anticipated restaurant openings at the turn of the year. Chef Ricardo Chaneton has showed Hong Kong what he could do with his first gig in town at Petrus of Island Shangri-la for the past 4 years, and going solo at his new namesake restaurant meant he’s given even more freedom to show off his contemporary French cooking style.

Four hands and a few more wines

Last month was the first time I returned to Tosca at The Ritz Carlton Hong Kong since Chef Angelo Agliano took over at the kitchen. They have even changed the name to Tosca di Angelo for the new era. We were there on the final night of the special collaboration dinner series featuring guest chef Antonia Klugmann from Friuli–Venezia Giulia.

Star Under Shade

One can't ask for a better day to eat al fresco in Hong Kong than a sunny afternoon in January when it's cool enough that you wouldn't end up sweating all over and warm enough you wouldn't need a down jacket to brave the chilly monsoon. And we have found the best spot for it in the middle of the city at Aaharn, the Thai restaurant in Tai Kwun that has just been bestowed with its first Michelin star a month ago.

Chairman - The Encore

As soon as we walked out the door from The Chairman after a satisfying lunch a few months ago, the same group was already planning an encore and we soon fixed a date after the festive season in this new year to do that, this time on a Saturday afternoon with even more people. I once again asked DY to help work out the menu for us and we ended up with some repeats and some new dishes, plus one vegetarian menu with totally different dishes for one of our friends.

Indian at a Touristy Spot

We took a spin up to The Peak one evening recently - it's a spur of the moment thing and God knows since when was the last time we did that - and checked out a newish restaurant that serves "Anglo-Indian Cuisine" up there. Rajasthan Rifles is a sister restaurant of the lovely New Punjab Club on Wyndham under the same group and the supervision of the same chef - so that gave us some assurance of its quality despite its peculiar location of being in a touristy spot and the somewhat cliche setting of an "Anglo-Indian Mess Hall" with wait-staff dressing like Indian military officers in the colonial days.