Festive Foodies
The holiday season has already fallen upon us, (Christmas lights in TST East anyone?) and with that, new restaurants are springing up all over the place. They are setting themselves up for the New Year by starting up in what is arguably the best month of the year. Not only do we get nice long vacations and presents, we’ve got parties and food galore. See what’s cooking for the first half of the festive season.

Fresh Starts
Recently opened is The Press Room (108 Hollywood Road, Central, 2525 3444) apparently named after the SCMP’s pressroom, which previously stood on the site many years ago. With its clean, crisp interiors, massive high ceilings and a American-style brassiere menu, it’s the perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine, and the Fruits de Mer platter (grand $340, deluxe $580), literally fruits of the sea with oysters, mussels, crabs and more.

Classified (108 Hollywood Road, Central, 2525 3444) a trendy new deli shop and café has a wide range of cheeses in their special temperature and humidity, controlled cheese room, the first in Asia. Indulge in the dairy delights, or wander through their selection of gourmet jams, honey and chocolate. When you’re done stocking up for the larders at home, dine in on their cheese platters: 'quart' small cheese platter ($120) or the 'full monty' large cheese platter ($350). For a bit of flavour, try the mixed cheese and Joselito ham platter ($280). Joselito ham, from the Pata Negra pig (black foot), develops its sweet taste due to a drying period of two years.

Check out the plush red interior at Qing (3 Mee Lun Street, Noho, 2815 6739) the new Vietnamese bar and restaurant in Noho. Expect a mix of fusion cooking techniques with the traditional herbs and spices, which are flown in every week from Vietnam. Their lunch set menu is $78 for a starter, main course and coffee or tea plus ten percent. If you’re still hungry, and need to have a sugar kick, homemade desserts are available ($10-$20).

Also new is Chilli & Lemon (1/F 8-12 Wo On Lane, LKF 2234 9918) a Thai restaurant that offers both traditional and fusion cuisine in Lan Kwai Fong - set to open in the early part of December we’ll have more details next issue.

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon (4/F The Landmark, Central, 2166 9000) is the brainchild of Joël Robuchon, named “Chef of the Century” by the Gault-Millau Guide. A Michelin 3 star chef, he has brought over his concept of fine dining with mise en scène: an open kitchen where the guests can be seated, allowing diners and chef to interact over their love of fine foods. Should you just wish to enjoy the company of your fellow diners, you can be seated at your own table, or hire out one of the two private rooms, overlooking the rooftop garden, which can seat up to eight. Robuchon will feature his signature dishes on the menu, so expect only the freshest ingredients. Lunch will run from 12nn to 2:30pm and dinner from 6:30pm to 10:30pm. Reservations cannot be made for seating at the open kitchen, unless you take the first booking slot (opening time).

Food with a conscience is important in our consumerist city, which is why Gingko House (G/F 44 Gough Street, Central, 2545 1200) is a great way to eat well. Serving Italian and French cuisine the staff employed at Gingko House are all senior citizens, who have taken to working again after retirement to give them a renewed sense of purpose.

Three Sixty (3/F The Landmark, Central, 2111 4480) is capitalizing on those new buzz words fresh and organic. The retail food store has occupied a 23,000 sq. ft. space at the Landmark and stocks things of all natural persuasion. Shop for organic groceries, and if you feel peckish drop by the food hall for some healthy and fresh meals available all day. Living by their motto “change the world – one bite at a time,” means you’ll find all manner of natural, healthy and environmentally friendly products in store. Go green, now.

Christmas Feasts
With only 3 weeks left to Christmas, it’s best to squeeze in as much of the good food as possible before the New Year comes and you’ve got to go on one of those ‘healthy resolution’ diets. Take your family and friends out to lunch, or if you’re super nice your colleagues and employees.

Post 97 (9 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, 2186 1817) is offering a 3-course set lunch and dinner menu from December 11-25. Lunch ($160) includes baked goat’s cheese and sage tart and Parma ham and prune salad. Mains include roast turkey roll with chestnut stuffing and wild mushroom and spinach risotto. Dessert is a bitter chocolate cake or traditional Christmas pudding. Dinner ($280) includes honey glazed duck breast salad and smoked salmon in dill crepe. For mains the turkey roll, baked fillet of turbot and potato gnocchi are your options. Top it all off with panna cotta or the Christmas pudding.

Devil’s Advocate (48-50 Lockhart Road, Wanchai, 2865 7271) are taking bookings for parties throughout December, and from December 7 will offer a 4-course ‘Festive Feast’ ($198) including main course options like roast turkey with all the trimmings, mustard crusted salmon fillet, beef wellington or a wild mushroom tartlett. Desserts include the traditional Christmas pudding or banoffee pie all accompanied with a glass of house wine or mulled wine. The Boxing Day Brunch ($328) starts at 9am with the first ball of the Ashes Test and runs through till 2pm featuring a breakfast buffet, cold cuts, unlimited bubbly, bloody mary and soft drinks.

We may not have white Christmases, but at least we can pretend at The Backyard (Level L, Langham Place Hotel, Mongkok, 3552 3200) who has decked themselves out in a winter wonderland. Starting from December 1 until 31 they have a special White Christmas dinner menu ($348 Adult, $218 Child) from 6:30pm until 10pm featuring a festive barbecue, alpine chocolate fondue, eggnog and gluhwein (German-style mulled wine).

Delaney’s (G-1/F, One Capital Place, Wanchai, 2804 2880) is offering a Christmas set lunch and dinner, starting this month and lasting through until December 28. Lunch runs from 12 noon – 3pm and dinner from 6pm – 11pm. Starters and soups are daily specials and main courses are from a choice of three: traditional roast stuffed turkey and honey glazed limerick ham ($128), roast rib of US beef with Yorkshire pudding ($98) or the chef’s special ($88) which can also be the vegetarian option. Dessert is Christmas pudding with brandy custard. Prices are for only two courses, if you’d like all three, it’s an extra $25. If you’d like you roast turkey or ham made for home, they charge $110/kg, minimum 4 kgs for turkey and $100/kg, minimum 8kgs for the ham.

For a change, skip the traditional Christmas menu all together and try out the Chinese-style Christmas set dinner menu at Yat Tung Heen (Eaton Hotel, 380 Nathan Road, Yaumatei, 2782 1818) Available from December 1 until 31 from 6pm until 11pm it includes king prawns with a fresh fruit salad, braised shark’s fin soup and, just in case you miss it, roasted turkey. Soft drinks and local beers are unlimited during the dinner. You’ll have to book a table ($3988/12 people), but who’s going to have Christmas dinner on their own anyway?
Speaking of alternatives, why not try a Vietnamese style Christmas at Song (75A Hollywood Road, Central, 2559 0997)? They have a Christmas dinner set menu from Decmber 11-25 featuring 8 different dishes including starters and dessert ($300). Dishes include seared tuna & cucumber wrapped in rice paper with wasabi mayo, char grilled beef salad, braised lamb shank with mint, lemongrass and cabbage and stir fried vegetarian glass noodles.

La Fourchette Bistro (LG/F Pacific Place, Admiralty, 2522 8830) is offering a special ‘Christmas Frog Menu’ from 11am to 3pm every Sunday of December until the 24th. To start is a plate of hors d’oeuvres, which includes homemade pate, smoked salmon, seared peppered tuna and sautéed frog legs in garlic and herb butter. Main courses include roast turkey with trimmings with chestnut and mushroom sauce ($198), roasted strip loin of beef with red wine sauce ($218) and pan roasted black cod fillet on green pea mousseline and mustard seed sauce ($188). Finish it off with some cakes and pastries from their traditional Christmas dessert buffet with coffee or tea. Want another reason to celebrate? The Moët & Chandon is on offer with the menu ($100/glass).

Soup Coup
You know home-made soups are good for you as they are usually MSG-free and the home cook tends to search out the best ingredients, but at the same time home-made is time consuming – the longer a soup is boiled, the better it usually is. Who can a busy body turn to? Try soup delivery. Okay, so maybe their soups are not quite as head-spinningly delicious as mum’s best mulligatawny but you might be pleasantly surprised by a pork shank with fish maw or beef shin with carrot delivered steaming to your doorstep!
Delicious Soup (www.delicioussoup.com, 2897 6880) offers four savoury soups to choose from every day. And don’t forget to try the daily sweet soup – the papaya, snow fungus and almond soup after a heavy lunch is light, thin and refreshing. A 550ml bottle of soup costs $20-$40, orders must be made the day before if you want it by lunchtime. Smart Soup (www.smartsoup.com, 2191 3133) provides two daily choices: you can either order a soup on its own for $35, or match it with one of the four main course choices for $45. The san pan fish with watercress and carrots is our favourite, with its milky texture and sweet taste. Orders needed to be made before 10:30am for same-day delivery.
Hong Kong Soups (www.hksoups.com, 2549 8868) will deliver in the evening as well as at lunchtime for those who work late. Same-day delivery must be made by phone. The pork shank with fish maw, lycium barbarum and lingzhi is a bit thicker than Smart Soup’s fish offering, but it keeps you warm during
the winter and is good for the skin.

Other choices include Chinese Soup (www.chinesesoup.com, 2818 3770) and Suet Soup (www.suetsoup.com, 9754 3083). Check each for its individual delivery times and service area. Sadly all these websites are in Chinese except that of Chinese Soup, so you may have to treat your Cantonese-speaking colleagues to a bowl of broth in exchange for a bit of translation if you don’t understand the lingo.