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Brivo (G/F Shop E, 36B Staunton Street, Central, 2899 2244) is the latest addition to Soho’s range of restaurants. The menu is largely influenced by French and Italian cuisine, with a wide selection of pastas and pizzas and we tried the gnocchi di pomodore basilica ($98), a dish that many fail to get right by making the potato dumplings too stodgy, but these were a light delight with a fresh and zingy tomato and basil sauce. The forest mushroom risotto ($98) was very tasty and the appetizer of bite-sized pieces of breaded and deep-fried Camembert ($79) were perfectly complemented by a homemade cranberry sauce. We finished things off with a melt-in-the-mouth chocolate fondant ($45). Brivo also do a three course set lunch on Monday to Friday, 11.30am-3pm for $78, where your choice of dishes includes steak, salmon, pizza and risotto, and brunch at the weekends.

New York Fries (Shop 2602, Level 2, Gateway, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, 3106 4686), the famous Canadian chain, has finally opened its first shop in Asia – and lucky us, it happens to be in Hong Kong. Finally we get to sample their signature fries, all fresh-cut, cooked to order and with no preservatives. The Poutine (small $30/regular $37) is a favourite in Canada and comes doused with gravy and cheese curd shipped in from Quebec – we can confirm that these are deliciously addictive! The Works ($30/$37) includes fries, cheese sauce, chili, sour cream,real bacon bits and green onions whilst if you want it just Classic, cups of fries come in four sizes (small $19, regular $26, large $29, jumbo $33) and can be enjoyed with some of New York Fries’ free condiments – white vinegar, malt vinegar and their own special blends of Californian barbecue or Cajun spices.

BLT Steak (Shop G62, G/F, Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2730 3508) has also opened its first Asian branch and, once again, HK is the lucky location. The restaurant, created by celebrated French chef Laurent Tourondel, has enjoyed great success in America with its unique fusion of hearty American steakhouse fare cooked with haute French cuisine finesse. Every meal comes with complementary popovers – BLT Steak’s equivalent of bread at the start of your meal, but made from batter, warm gruyere cheese and with salted butter (Brits may understand a comparison to a lighter Yorkshire pud) – and a cute little recipe card telling you how to make them at home. The menu includes rack of lamb ($425), acacia honey-marinated Alaskan black cod ($298) and the best prime steaks from America and Australia with herb butter. We tried a piece of American USDA filet (8oz $318/12oz $480) with a stack of freshly cooked onion rings on the side ($78). We also sampled a peanut butter chocolate parfait ($82) – a decadently delicious dessert served with banana ice cream to add a pleasant twist to the rich, dark chocolate. BLT Steak’s scenic surroundings overlooking the harbour are a perfect backdrop to this quality dining experience.

We winged our way over to Nuke ’Em Wings (G/F, Tak Woo House, 17-19 D’Aguilar Street, Central, 2523 5505) to try their much-vaunted spicy buffalo chicken wings that are coated in a secret sauce, concocted from a range of the hottest peppers known to man. They come in six levels of heat – mild, medium, medium hot, extreme, you must be mental and nuke ‘em (eat at your own risk!) – we tried the mild and found that already hot enough! The wings come in buckets of five, 10, 15, 20 or 40 ($25/$50/$75/$100/$200), making them perfect for sharing after a night out, while the shop’s location in the heart of Lan Kwai Fong means you may well be too “merry” to notice quite how spicy they are until it’s too late!

Conveniently next door The Big Dog (G/F, Tak Woo House, 17-19 D’Aguilar Street, Central, 2523 6281) serves hot dogs the all-American way with grilled beef frankfurters in a lightly-toasted bun, piled high with your choice of condiments (ketchup, American mustard and relish) and toppings (sauerkraut and red onions), at $15 each. They also serves a very tasty Sausage Hero hot dog ($48), made with a herbed pork sausage, peppers and onions (plus sauces and condiments of your choice) in a crispy toasted bun. They will be hosting eating contests every Friday and Saturday night, destined to bring out the competitive glutton in all of us.

Bringing another taste of New York to Hong Kong, Duke’s Deli (135 Des Voeux Road, Central, 2544 7587) offers a unique eating experience. Chef and New Yorker Que Vinh Dang missed the food of his hometown so much that he recreated the deli lunch experience here, complete with a 24-hour bakery churning out fresh bread, cakes and pastries at all hours. Sandwiches are made to order (around $45-64), containing whatever you want (from pastrami to smoked duck or chorizo) in bagels, heroes (long buns) or Kaiser rolls (round buns) while 20-inch pizzas can be bought by the slice or whole – ovens and equipment had to be shipped in especially as nothing in HK was big enough! We tried a hot Philly Cheese Steak sandwich ($68), which the press release described as ‘sandwich heaven in a bun’ – and it was right! There is also a variety of baked pasta, snacks galore, fresh soup and a ‘salad bar’ filled with an ever-changing range of hot dishes (like lamb rogan josh). The selection of cakes is vast and, given the number of native Americans enjoying the food on our visit, Duke’s really does offer an authentic bite of the Big Apple.

Valentine’s Kisses
Crystal Café (2/F Fung Woo Centre, 279 Des Voeux Road, Central, 2815 5533) offer a Valentine’s menu with dishes like lobster bouillabaisse, French pear soup with tartar salmon and a ‘sweet duet’ of double cheesecake and Belgian chocolate coffee cake for $988 per couple from February 13-15. You’ll also receive a free rose, a glass of wine and a pair of crystal glasses (whilst stocks last). Go on Valentine’s Day itself to enjoy your meal to a backdrop of live music. Crystal Café is the only one of our Valentine’s bites to not have an additional 10% service charge.

Harlan’s (Shop 2705, Podium Level 2, ifc mall, 8 Finance Street, Central, 2805 0566) will be serving a decadent six-course menu on February 14, featuring dishes like slow-cooked wild salmon trout with caviar and scampi, wood-stone roasted French quail stuffed with foie gras, chorizo carpaccio and Savoy cabbage and a raspberry mousse cake with mixed berries compote. It costs $980 per person and ladies will also receive a flower – awww…

The Valentine’s dinner at Habitu Ristorante The Pier (G63-63A, Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, 3101 0901) costs $1,088 per couple. Interesting and unusual dishes on offer include a seafood platter of swordfish tartare with avocado, raspberry oyster with champagne ice and king prawns with pineapple and anchovy sauce, a sorbet of blood orange and mirto, a red turnip risotto with gorgonzola ice-cream, cocoa tagliatelle with wild duck ragout and bitter chocolate and a spicy chocolate mousse.

H One (Shop 4008, Podium Level 4, ifc mall, 8 Finance Street, Central, 2805 0638) have created a Valentine’s five-course menu costing $1,960 per couple from which you can enjoy charcoal-grilled half Maine lobster in sea urchin sauce, a Valentine’s chocolate tower and home-made fettuccine with Italian duck ragout, duck gizzard confit and fava beans. For $2,700 per couple, you will also receive a jewellery special from Chinese brand Just Gold’s ChocoLOVE 24K Gold collection. Made from a cat’s-eye gem and 24-carat gold, the piece is fashioned to look like a chocolate. Go between February 9 and 13 to enjoy the set dinner at 20% off, with two complimentary glasses of champagne (but no jewellery, I’m afraid!).

For a luxurious Valentine’s dinner followed by some hardcore partying in LKF afterwards, Lux (UG/F, California Tower, 30-32 D’Aguilar Street, Central, 2868 9538) is the perfect choice. The Deux Menu costs $668 per head and starts with an asparagus veloute followed by starters and mains of your choice before ending with ‘Hot Love’ (it’s a duo heart-shaped berry mousse – before you get any wrong ideas!).

Enjoy a Valentine’s evening under the stars (let’s hope it’s not too nippy) at The Spices (109 Repulse Bay Road, Repulse Bay, 2292 2821) in the form of an Asian barbecue buffet dinner. The range of tempting appetizers, sashimi, sushi, tandoori, curries and desserts features Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Indian flavours – plus all the perennial barbie favourites like steak, chops and satays. It costs $458 per person (with a ‘surprise’ for the ladies); children are also welcome at $229 per head.

The extravagant menu at D.Diamond Restaurant & Bar (Shop R001, Roof Floor, Elements Shopping Mall, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, 2196 8126) at $1,800 per pair includes two glasses of Moët & Chandon Rose. The menu contains both dishes for him (like oysters and caviar, braised foie gras with Iberico pork belly and cranberry relish), for her (Parma ham and king prawns on a bed of saffron cauliflower risotto, marinated hamachi tartar) and for both (roasted lobster, a trio of dark, milk and white chocolate).

The Yuu (4/F, Prosperous Centre, 1 Knutsford Terrace, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2366 2999) bring you Japanese dining in style with their Valentine’s Day dinner set, costing $780 per couple. Dishes are a sweet shrimp salad, sashimi platter, roasted chicken, deluxe Wagyu and pan-fried vegetable rice with salmon. If ‘yuu’ aren’t fit to burst by that point, the meal is rounded off with a Yuu signature Valentine’s dessert.