bc magazine

Megabites: Howard’s Gourmet, Bistro D’indochine

Howard's Gourmet Dining Room

Howard’s Gourmet opens in Central
Founded by Mr. Howard Cai, who started ‘Howard’s Gourmet Workshop’ in Guangzhou in 2005, Howard’s Gourmet looks to offer simple and distinctive Chinese cuisine in an elegant environment. The restaurant’s design includes white wooden paneled walls, French windows and crystal chandeliers. Howard’s Gourmet offers tasting menus, with a mix of ‘classic’, ‘seasonal’ and ‘creative’ dishes, comprising of 6-8 courses for lunch at HK$800 up and 10-12 courses for dinner at HK$1,680 up respectively. Signature dishes include: Crispy Sea Cucumber, Golden Bite, Pan-fried Fish Fillet with Herbs, Hot & Sour Noodles, Braised Fish Fillet in Tomato Sauce, Braised Blue Mussels, Avocado with Stewed Bird’s Nest.
Howard’s Gourmet: 5th Floor, CCB Tower, 3 Connaught Road Central, Central. Tel: 2115 3388 www.howardsgourmet.com

Bistro D'indochine

Bistro D’indochine, Macau
Stephen Anderson’s new wine bar Bistro D’indochine opened in Macau just before Christmas. The wine bar has a large outdoor area and features an asian fusion style menu with lots of noodles. The house speciality noodles offer a choice of egg or rice noodle and flavours include Vietnamese beef noodles, tom yum soup noodle and laksa noodles – all MOP$62. There’s also a daily lunch offering.
Bistro D’indochine: The Garden, Patio Da Lenha downtown Macau www.facebook.com/pages/Bistro-D-indochine

Megabites: Kashiwaya, AnOther Place by David Myers, Le Canelé d’Or, Anchor’s Seafood & Beer House

Kashiwaya
It’s Osaka counterpart is known for high quality kaiseki, Kashiwaya the newest Japanese restaurant to open in Central is looking to create an “only-in-Japan” dining experience. The cypress wood interior of the 30 seat restaurant is a mix of Japanese high culture and tradition with sliding doors, shoji paper screens and a Japanese style waiting room.

Owner and head chef Hideaki Matsuo menu uses seasonal ingredients for freshness and to create the perfect balance between taste and presentation, through the sophisticated culinary art of kaiseki, that will please your eyes and palate. One of the special dishes unique to Hong Kong is Ise ebi, a Japanese spiny lobster.

“My philosophy is to provide the best quality of food and service to my customers as if it is a once in a lifetime chance for me to serve them.” said Matsuo.
Kashiwaya : 8/F, 18 On Lan Street, Central Tel: 2520 5218 [email protected]

AnOther Place by David Myers
Located in Tin Hau, AnOther Place by David Myers is latest in the string of openings where a Chef’s name is attached to an outlet he won’t be in the kitchen of, to inflate the prices and give diners a name to when to ‘impress’ friends with. Overlooking Victoria Harbour AnOther Place is designed to evoke the romance of a 1920s speakeasy, quite what the ‘romance’ of prohibition was why when it serves French Asian fusion cuisine are two questions you can ask yourself in Tin Hau. Menus start with a 4-course menu at HK$680, a 6-course menu is HK$880, and a gourmand-friendly 8-course menu costs HK$1,280. One of the house specialities is Peppered Kagoshima wagyu strip loin, parsnip and shiso salad, jus corse which is beautifully displayed but portion sized for a size 0 model. Currently AnOther Place doesn’t have a liquor licence so it’s BYOB with no corkage. Oh and it’s only open in the evening.
AnOther Place by David Myers: 5/F, Block C, Sea View Estate, 2 – 8 Watson Road, Tin Hau. Tel: 2979 0064 www.anotherplace.com.hk

Le Canelé d’Or
Looking for something other than macaroons to give as gifts this Christmas and New Year or just looking a sweet little thing to nibble on. How about some hand made canalés? Canalés are small French pastries with a dark thick caramelized crust that hides a soft custardy interior and are absolutely delicious. Locally they’re made fresh daily by Le Canelé d’Or and delivered direct to you. Made from egg, sugar, milk and flour and traditionally flavored with rum and vanilla, the custard batter is baked baked in small individual copper molds – canalés are best eaten fresh.
www.lecaneledor.com.hk

Anchor’s Seafood & Beer House
The Anchor’s Seafood & Beer House opens today on the Tsuen Wan waterfront. The 116-seat eatery features an indoor restaurant and bar area, as well as outdoor seating on a terrace overlooking the South China Sea. Located in the Bay Bridge Hotel the restaurant offers daily buffet breakfast & dinner and a semi-buffet lunch, in addition to an extensive a la carte menu. There’s also a brunch buffet menu ($398) available on weekends.
Anchor’s Seafood & Beer House: 123 Castle Peak Road, Yau Kom Tau, Tsuen Wan. Tel: 2945 1138 www.baybridgehongkong.com

Megabites: 24 November – Beefbar, Osteria Felice, California Tower

Osteria Felice
The latest restaurant to open in the space in Hutchison House that housed the Bull and Bear for so many years is Osteria Felice the new outlet from the Epicurean Group. Literally translated it means ‘happy tavern’ and that’s what the Italian themed outlet is looking to provide. There’s a small bar offering innovative cocktails and a create your own martini menu and a large raised dining area. The menu created by executive chef Brian Moore features a wide range of dishes from anti-pasti to pizza, pastas to gourmet slow cooked delights. Food that can be enjoyed at lunch, a relaxed casual dinner or ‘proper’ meal out.
Osteria Felice: G/F., Hutchison House, 10 Harcourt Road, Central Tel: 2516 6166 www.osteriafelice.com

Beefbar
Originating in Monte Carlo a decade ago, Beefbar opened on Ice House Street this month – the latest outlet from the Lai Sun Group. The opulent interior of marble and brass is surprisingly relaxed, service is attentive but unobtrusive. An A3 style menu features premium quality Australian, American and Japanese beef front and centre but also offers a lot more than just beef. There’s a broad range of seafood and meat tartare, fish, veal and chicken. As well as the Ala Carte menu there’s a range of city themed two or three course set lunches.
Beefbar: 2/F, Club Lusitano, 16 Ice House St, Central.Tel: 2110 8853, www.beefbar.hk

California Tower
California Tower in Lan Kwai Fong officially opens on the 30 November, with 8 restaurants and bars. As part of their opening celebrations some of the outlets are hosting a series of workshops and tastings.

Townhouse
Make Your Own ‘California Tower’ Cocktail workshop, where participants will be taught how to produce a ‘California Tower’ drink – created specially to mark the Grand Opening. There will be a minimum of 10 people per workshop and bookings must be made at least a week in advance.
Date: November 2015 to January 2016
Venue: 23/F, California Tower
Cost: HK$180 per person, including the ‘California Tower’ cocktail created by participant and a snack
Language: English
Booking: +852 2344 2366; [email protected]

Zentral
Nightclub Zentral is putting on a Mixology Cocktail Class, where bartenders will teach drinkers the craft of creating a cocktail.
Date: 27th November, 4th & 11th December 2015
Venue: 4-5/F, California Tower
Cost: HK$110 per person
Language: English
Booking: RSVP with [email protected] or walk-in

Fovea
Fovea is hosting two workshops to showcase both its Chinese culinary and cocktail-making credentials. At the restaurant side, the Recognising New Age Chinese Style Cuisine class will see Fovea’s executive chef introduce creative cooking methods used to prepare special Chinese-style snacks. On the club floor, the Fovea Special Cocktails class is conducted by Fovea’s resident bartender. Participants will learn an easy way to make cocktails.
Date: 28th November 2015.
Recognising New Age Chinese Style Cuisine: 2-3pm
Fovea Special Cocktails: 5-6pm
Address: 1-2/F, California Tower
Language: Cantonese and English
Booking: Ms Vanessa Tam, +852 2549 9166; Ms Isabel Chau, +852 9105 8172

Megabites: The Fat Pig, Beefbar, A Slice of London

The Fat Pig
Gotta love the name, The Fat Pig by Tom Aikens (Shop 1105, 11/F Times Square, Causeway Bay. Tel: 2577 3444) opens on the 13 November. Using only local hormone free purebred free-range British Bath pigs from Wah Kee Farm in the New Territories. The menu will feature a pork-athoria of ‘ethically’ sourced dishes featuring you guessed it pigs. We’re looking forward to see what Tom does with bacon – although quality bacon served straight up will be fine. www.thefatpig.hk

Beefbar
Originating in Monaco in 2005, the last decade has seen the Beefbar expand to Moscow, Mexico, Luxembourg and now Hong Kong. The local outlet is conveniently located on the 2/F Club Lusitano, 16 Ice House Street, Central. Tel: 2110 8853. It’s website www.beefbar.hk showcases a menu stocked with beef from Australia, the United States and Japan served and prepared in a multitude of different ways. Not sure why you’d want to eat something other than beef in a restauant called beerbar but it does serve veal, chicken for those not so into bovine delights

A Slice of London
The sight of mainland tourists mingling with sharp dressed office workers ordering fish and chips in Chater Garden in Central is quite incongruous but that’s what you’ll find this week at ‘A Slice of London’. Better known as a location for rallies and protests, Chater Garden next to the recently renovated Court of Final Appeal has been transformed into a ‘pop-up’ UK High Street (minus the bookies, charity shops and traffic wardens). Ten English brands have pop-up shops for you peruse as you enjoy some quality English fish and chips from the The Chippy and a pint of cider. There are no soft drinks or coffee onsale, so bring your own.

For those in need of a selfie, there’s part of a London bus, a red English phone box and a post box. Spend $200 in any shop, get a postcard, drop the card in the postbox for a chance to win a flight to the UK.
A Slice of London @ Chater Gardens: 9-14 November, 2015 11am-10pm.

Maya Cafe Grand Opening – 24 October, 2015

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The Grand Opening of Maya Cafe @ 173 Des Voeux Road took place on 21 October.
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Megabites: Seafood – 24 October, 2015

Seafood is hot right now with four new restaurants opening recently that offer the ocean’s not quite as plentiful as it used to be produce. The world’s seas and oceans offer a bountiful source of food, but pollution and fish harvesting have depleted fish stocks, destroyed fish breeding grounds and killed the food sources that fish need to grow and live. Sustainable fishing and fish farms are a start, but it only works if we the customer take an interest in where the fish we eat is sourced.

Organized by Hong Kong’s Ocean Recovery Alliance, November’s month-long Kin Hong “Healthy” Seafood Festival looks to raise public awareness about sustainable seafood and why we should care about what we are eating, and where it comes from. 21 restaurants are participating, but insanely for the restaurant to participate they only have to prove that one fish dish on their menu comes from sustainable sources. Positive idea, poor execution.

Noho’s Pauls Kitchen which opened in 2007 has undergone a renovation and a rebrand to emerge this month as Lobster and Mussels by Paul’s Kitchen. Looking to differentiate itself from a regular seafood restaurant the outlet sells only fresh lobster and mussels cooked and prepared in a variety of ways. Paul’s Kitchen’s signature French Baby Chicken does make the new menu for those who don’t like lobster or mussels.
Lobster and Mussels by Paul’s Kitchen: 16 Gough Street Central. Tel: 2815 8003 www.pauls-kitchen.com

New in Sai Ying Pun is Fishschool a concept and collaboration between Yenn Wong and Chef David Lai which looks to “Bring modern Hong Kong to the plate with a cuisine reflecting the local culture and resources”. Offering farmed seafood and fresh local Hong Kong fish sourced from small, family-owned fishing boats the menu features a range of dishes you might not have tasted before. Or simply pick a fish and have it baked, steamed, roasted, grilled or pan-fried… as you desire.
Fishschool: 100 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun. Tel: 2361 2966 www.fishschool.hk

The Ocean is the latest outlet to open at The Pulse in Repulse Bay. Located on the 3/F The Ocean opened on the 21 October and claims to serve “sustainably sourced seafood”. Neither the press release or website offers a menu and we’ve received no replies to our emails for more information. So all we have currently is the address, more when we’ve taken a look.
The Ocean: Shop 303-304, 3/F, The Pulse, 28 Beach Road, Repulse Bay. Tel: 2889 5939. www.theocean.hk

Seas Ahoy a family themed child friendly restaurant opened in Tsim Sha Tsui last month. The interior looks a little different with a ‘kid-literate’ menu and a ship themed play area for children to enjoy while parents dine. Sadly according the press release “Seas Ahoy’s portion is created smaller so that every plate is a new experience” – the sharing plates concept of micro-sized portions that you can ‘share’ at full meal prices was old several years ago.
Seas Ahoy: G1, Mirror Tower, 61 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: 3956 5300. www.seasahoy.com

Mr & Mrs Fox @ Quarry Bay – Opening Party, 9 October, 2015

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Mr & Mrs Fox opening party, 9 October, 2015
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Ivy Opening Party – 9 October, 2015

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Ivy celebrated it’s opening in IFC with a champagne party on 9 October, 2015.
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