Tag: food

Megabites Food News – 15 May, 2017

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Sainsburys-Launch-in-Hong-Kong-Repulse-Bay-12-May-2017/i-w7gDqc7

Sainsbury’s in Hong Kong

A third British supermarket chain has launched it’s eponymous product ranges locally as Sainsbury’s make it’s first international foray. Waitrose has been available in Great Food Hall/Park n Shop for a couple of years and Tesco‘s own brand products have been available in Vango and Vanguard stores over six months.

Over 200 products from four different Sainsbury’s ranges – ‘by Sainsbury’s’, ‘SO Organic’, ‘Taste the Difference’ and it’s ‘freefrom’ wheat, gluten, milk, egg, nut – will be available primarily at Market Place by Jasons but also in some Wellcome and ThreeSixty stores. If the products prove popular expect the choice of items available to increase.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Cinco-de-Mayo-Basilico-5-May-2017/i-2ZWsZgV

Basilico $68 Set Lunch

Weekday Set Lunch prices have climbed and climbed in recent years and what used to be a value proposition of a reasonable tasting two course meal and non-alcoholic drink is now more often an expensive and not so generous portion with drink and service charge extra.

There are still some good set lunch offers to be found and the recently renovated kitchen at Basilico (9/F, 28 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay) is offering a two course lunch and drink for $68. The 7 main course options include wild mushroom risotto, stuffed pork loin, pizza and are accompanied with a soup or salad. For $108 the mains include black truffle linguini carbonara, New Zealand rib-eye steak and seafood linguini. A soft drink, tea or coffee is included with both and there’s no service charge.

Riesling Weeks Hong Kong

The fifth Riesling Weeks in Hong Kong, a month-long celebration of German wine led by its most famous grape Riesling, will take place in June. Over 100 outlets will participate this year. Riesling Weeks will start with a tasting event at the Oasis Room, Renaissance Harbour View Hotel Hong Kong on the 2 June hosted by German Wine Princess 2016 Christina Schneider. According to the press release there will be over 100 German wines to taste. Tickets are $250 (wine only) and $450 (German food and wine).

Restaurant & Bar Hong Kong: 5-7 September, 2017

This year’s Restaurant and Bar Hong Kong will take place from the 5-7 September, 2017 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The hospitality trade show will feature over 300 companies showcasing a wide range of products including food and beverages, tableware, catering equipment, furniture, IT systems, seminars and chef masterclasses. The 2nd RBHK Spirit Awards will take place during the show.

Gourmet Asia 2018

A new high end food exhibition, from the organisers of Hofex, Gourmet Asia will make it’s debut from the 9-11 May, 2018 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Over 400 B2B companies are expected to attend.

Lan Kwai Fong Street Food Festival 2017

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/LKF-Spicy-Street-Food-Tasting-Bungalow-24-April-2017/n-qpqjgx/i-VctBsBw

Spicy delights at this year’s LKF Street Food Festival with over 60 booths offering a wide range of spicy food and drinks.

Lan Kwai Fong Street Food Festival 2017 – Spice Market
Date: 29-30 April, 2017
Venue: Lan Kwai Fong
Tickets: Free
More info:
29 April – 1pm – 12am
30 April – 1pm – 10pm

New Zealand Consulate Rugby Sevens Reception 2017

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/New-Zealand-Rugby-Reception-5-April-2017/i-sHG7fdd

The New Zealand Consulate hosted it’s annual Rugby Sevens Reception to promote and raise awareness of all things Kiwi, including meats, cheese, wines, juices, superb scenery, wonderful hospitality and of course talented sportswomen and sportsmen.
Click on any photo for the full gallery.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/New-Zealand-Rugby-Reception-5-April-2017/i-K5BJnLR

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/New-Zealand-Rugby-Reception-5-April-2017/i-rMxQpbj

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/New-Zealand-Rugby-Reception-5-April-2017/i-9kwRXnb

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/New-Zealand-Rugby-Reception-5-April-2017/i-wvw68B6

Italian Cheese & Beer by The Italian Club @ Nom – 30 March, 2017

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Italian-Cheese-Beer-by-The-Italian-Club-Nom-30-March-2017/i-TbVRR8J

The Italian Club hosted a night of Italian cheese and beer at the now closed Nom, which has been bought and will reopen in April as an Italian pub serving among other things craft beers and cheese…
Click on any photo for the full gallery of images.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Italian-Cheese-Beer-by-The-Italian-Club-Nom-30-March-2017/i-8q6sxJB

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Italian-Cheese-Beer-by-The-Italian-Club-Nom-30-March-2017/i-RFNpCKs

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Italian-Cheese-Beer-by-The-Italian-Club-Nom-30-March-2017/i-gRMtmg2

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Italian-Cheese-Beer-by-The-Italian-Club-Nom-30-March-2017/i-z2c4BGR

Cook Off @ Miramar Pizza Express – 23 March, 2017

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Pizza-Express-Cook-Off-23-March-2017/i-BcSqvB3

Pizza Express staged the first of it’s Cook Off Challenges at it’s Mirimar branch on the 23 March when Sushi Kuu‘s Mukogawa Satoru took on PE’s Dan Segall. The resulting pizza’s Yamaimo & Chicken’ and ‘Yuzukosho and Clam’ respectively were sampled and voted on by an appreciative audience and will be available for a limited time.
Click on any photo for the full gallery.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Pizza-Express-Cook-Off-23-March-2017/i-ZS6WkB5

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Pizza-Express-Cook-Off-23-March-2017/i-8kgZ2QH

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Pizza-Express-Cook-Off-23-March-2017/i-fdDhqrS

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Pizza-Express-Cook-Off-23-March-2017/i-5t6HcJg

Frites Tasty Lunchtime Salad Buffet

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Frites-Buffet-Lunch-Causeway-Bay-24-March-2017/i-QvJ3hdn

There’s a massive range of lunch options in Causeway Bay, new to that choice this month is Frites all you can eat salad buffet for $98. There’s a choice of 15 different salads, with a little something for everyone’s taste from the traditional coleslaw, Caesar and Greek salads right the way through to a modern Super Protein Salad. There’s beetroot, chick peas and pumpkin, tuna quinoise, grilled sweetcorn and for those who need a bit of starch with their salad there’s roasted potato wedges.

For those looking for something a bit more substantial than just salads there’s a choice of the main dish add-ons: Sole Meuniere with brown butter caper sauce and steamed vegetables (add $58), Chicken Piccata with butter, olive oil, lemon, wine and capers served with steam vegetables (add $78) and a USDA 1855 8oz Steak and Frites (add $98).

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Frites-Buffet-Lunch-Causeway-Bay-24-March-2017/i-23mQtJ5

The portion sizes for the main supplements are full meals in themselves and the salads were fresh, tasty and regularly refilled to ensure nothing ran out. A sticky date pudding dessert and coffee or tea are an additional $20 each.

Frites healthy and varied salad buffet is only available in the Causeway Bay outlet, Monday to Friday 12-3pm and if you finish before 12:45pm you qualify for the 20% early bird lunch discount. What’s also nice is that for those who need to know the salad buffet menu lists the allergies and intolerances for each salad.

Frites Causeway Bay: Shop 1, G/F, Park Haven, 38 Haven Street, Causeway Bay. Tel: 2142 5233 www.frites.hk

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Frites-Buffet-Lunch-Causeway-Bay-24-March-2017/i-KjjGLhK

Taste of Hong Kong @ Central Harbourfront – 16 March, 2017

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Taste-of-Hong-Kong-Central-Harbourfront-16-March-2017/i-pGjGw69

Four days of delicious food on the Central Harbourfront, Taste 2017 is a vast improvement on 2016. The restaurants are more prepared, have a better understanding of the event, have prepped more portions (3-500 portions per regular dish/session seemed the average) so it’s unlikely they’ll run out… Purchasing food is quicker and easier. There’s more seating – if a lack of bins.

It’s expensive, dining at these 16 restaurants is anyway, but the food dishes we tasted were good. The portion sizes of some dishes are a little small for the price, the paper plates environmentally friendly but not the best given the quality of the food. And there’s lots of samples from the various shops and market to try.

While all 16 featured outlets are worth taking a look at, Richard Ekkebus Culinary Director at Amber has done something more than a little special – and raised the bar for all participants for next year – he’s set up a special seated dining area and each session the producers and suppliers of the ingredients of each of his dishes are introducing and talking about what you are eating. Fascinating!
Click on any photo for the full gallery of images.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Taste-of-Hong-Kong-Central-Harbourfront-16-March-2017/i-k2xhHpZ

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Taste-of-Hong-Kong-Central-Harbourfront-16-March-2017/i-fHkdfMq

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2017/Taste-of-Hong-Kong-Central-Harbourfront-16-March-2017/i-NWwtk8M

Treating Your Tastebuds

The Taste of Hong Kong festival returns for it’s second year to the Central Harbourfront. This year there are 16 restaurants participating and all will offer four taster portion sized plates: three standard items at prices $50-$200 and one iconic dish that could cost up to $420.

Payment this year is only by credit card, if you don’t have a credit card then you can buy a prepaid ($200, $300, $800) one at the festival or from any bank. The remaining balance can used after the festival at other shops around town.

So the big question is how to enjoy and get the most from Taste and sample all the dishes you want to… There are two main approaches to Taste, the casual wander where you sample and join the queues that take your interest. But really this relaxed approach while enjoyable does not bring the best out of the festival.

To get the most from Taste, you need a little advance planning and it’s best to go with three or more friends. Firstly download and peruse the menu, chose which dishes you want to try and then ‘rank’ them in a rough order. This gives you the restaurants you want to visit, and with around 3,000 people per session, you’ll be queuing, which realistically limits one person to 4-6 restaurants.

But this is where your friends come in. Choose a meeting/eating point and then each of you joins a different restaurant queue and buys 4 (or more depending on your friends orders/preferences) of each dish. Meet-up, eat-up, enjoy and repeat… Remember to bring a tray, or something similar, with you to help you carry all the dishes!

To whet your tastebuds here’s a list of some of the dishes that are available:

Amber: Fukuoka line caught Spanish mackerel cured & torched, Miyazaki Hyuganatsu.
Arcane: Rangers Valley wagyu short rib served with green beans, confit garlic and pepper sauce.
Café Gray Deluxe: Brittany Diver scallop, XO emulsion and Amalfi lemon.
Chino: Uni/ truffle/ spicy lobster tostada.
Duddell’s: Pan fried M9 Australian wagyu wasabi soy sauce.
Kaum: Ikan Belut – Sambal Hijau, pan-fried eel fillet served with char-grilled chilli, shallots, tomatoes and coconut oil relish.
Mercato: Black truffle lobster carbonara
Okra: Sea urchin a la mode – Murasaki uni with smoked jelly and sea water.
Rhoda: slow cooked Hawke’s Bay lamb shoulder, spiced cauliflower and cumin.
Tin Lung Heen: Barbecued Iberian pork with honey.
Tosca: Prime beef in pizzaiola sauce.
Yardbird: Yuzu chilli hot wings with fermented yuzu chilli sauce.
Zuma: Grilled Hakkinton pork skewer with miso and pickled daikon.

As well as these tasty dishes there’s several food shops, importers and a market offering a wide range of products to take home and enjoy. There are also food demonstrations and talks.

A little planning will treat you and your palate to a fine, if teasing, meal.

Taste of Hong Kong
Date: 16-19 March, 2017
Venue: Central Harbourfront
Tickets: $678, $198, $168 from Ticketflap

Edited: The menu card only list 15 restaurants, there are 16 participating. We have updated the article to reflect that.