For some, the warmer weather creates cravings of salads and fruits, as the impending bikini season makes itself felt. For us however, there is nothing that says summer to us like a big succulent steak. H One seems to agree with us as from now until May 30, the Italian restaurant in IFC is serving a charcoal grill menu with never-frozen meats from US, Australia and Japan with hearty cuts such as porterhouse, wagyu bone-in rib and chateaubriand. Other items on the menu include whole Boston lobster, milk-fed veal chops and Black Angus pork chop.
Even more enticing, from now until May 16, guests ordering a steak of 12 ounces and above will also receive a complimentary appetiser buffet of salad, cheese and Parma ham.
Pretty much all the French restaurants in Hong Kong will be offering a fancy Le French May menu this month and for a more casual option, there is Café de Paris on Elgin Street. The four-course menu, priced at HK$480, includes:
- a crab and scallop tian with baby spinach, picked lemon and avocado cream
- seared foie gras with shallot marmalade and madeira glazed apple
- duck confit with Lyonnaise potatoes or seared black cod with saffron rice
- chocolate profiteroles with candied orange chocolate glaze and vanilla ice cream
If your mum is one of those who love all-you-can-eat buffets (and let's face it, what Chinese woman doesn't?), then she'll love Yamm's Mother's Day buffet at The Mira Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. Available on both Saturday and Sunday of Mother's Day weekend, the dinner buffet is especially good value as every mother will be served a minced chicken soup with bird's nest. Other items on the buffet include:
- live lobster
- Iberico bellota ham
- roasted Kurobuta pork
- lamb shank in red wine sauce
The dinner buffet is priced at HK$688 per adult and HK$388 per child.
Good authentic Middle-Eastern cuisine in Hong Kong is not the easiest to find, which is why we're keen to try out guest chef Ayman Yatim's dishes at The Lounge at JW Marriott this month.
In town from May 10 to May 27, the guest chef from Dubai will be adding Lebanese dishes to the lunch and dinner buffet, such as:
- harira soup with tomato, lentil and chickpeas
- siyyadiyeh – a spiced fish served with rice, onion, sumac and tahini
- mohalabieh – a milk pudding flavoured with rose water
The lunch buffet is served on weekdays from 12noon to 2.30pm while the dinner buffet is served on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 8pm to 11pm.
Australian oysters are at the peak of their growing season right now and Ambrosia at iSquare in Tsim Sha Tsui is launching a special promotion to showcase the seasonal gems. Starting on May 24, the oyster bar and grill restaurant will invite Brendan Guidera, owner of the award-winning oyster farm Pristine in South Australia to kick off a delectable oyster tasting. Guidera will bring along his expertise in oyster growing and his award-winning oysters: Coffin Bay, Franklin Harbour and Angasi to Ambrosia. He will be present until May 26 as a guest speaker and introduce the oyster growing process to diners.
The magnificent Australian oysters will be presented at a five-course wine pairing dinner, which features fresh-shucked oysters as well as other imported ingredients from Australia. The tasting dinner is priced at HK$880 per guest or HK$680 without wine pairing, and is available until the end of June.
If you're still trying to decide where to take your mum on Mother's Day and she is the type of lady who enjoys more formal dining experiences, then Hugo's at the Hyatt Regency in Tsim Sha Tsui is an excellent choice. On May 13, the European restaurant will be serving a four-course set menu priced at HK$788. The meal includes a complimentary glass of champagne as well as the following dishes:
- a choice of cold appetisers and seafood, as well as hot hors d'oeuvres
- a choice of main course including: surf and turf; Welsh lamb cutlet; baked Tasmanian salmon; honey-glazed confit pork belly; roast Atlantic seabass; signature roast Australian Black Angus rib
- a choice of chocolate soufflé; bombe Alaska; or mixed seasonal berries with vanilla ice cream
While Zuma is famous for its Sunday brunch, its sister restaurant Roka in Admiralty also serves a Sunday brunch that is worth a look in. The new "premium brunch" priced at HK$598, begins with free-flow Mumm's champagne or a green tea and pear champagne Bellini. This is followed by a selection of premium meats and seafood such as:
- Roka's signature black cod with gingered saikyo miso
- Hokkaido scallop skewers
- lamb cutlets with hot pepper spices
- king crab claw tempura
If you're only after food, then the brunch is priced at HK$298 and includes appetisers such as fresh maki sushi, sashimi, steamed clams and a signature mushroom rice hot pot.
Roka's Sunday brunch is served from 11.30am to 3pm.
As we step into spring, all thoughts of heavy and hearty dishes fly out the window. To get us into our best beach bodies, lighter fare is in order. Which is why we're looking forward to trying Kyoto Joe's new spring dishes. The Japanese restaurant in Lan Kwai Fong's new spring menu includes dishes such as:
- hot and sour tempura prawn salad
- salmon tartar on seaweed crackers
- tofu in seaweed batter with mizuna salad, citrus puree and lime juice
If you're one of those people that believe eating earlier in the evening rather than later is better for your health, then make sure to pop into Harlan's at The One this month. The Italian restaurant is offering an early bird menu served from 5.30pm Sundays to Thursdays, with last orders at 7.30pm. The set three-course menu is priced at HK$580 and includes:
- clam chowder or six fresh US oysters
- a main course of US prime rib-eye; USDA dry-aged sirloin; Black Angus pork chop; double lamb chops; Boston lobster; or black cod filet
For those that are unaware, white asparagus season in Germany starts at the end of April and runs until June 26. During Spargelsaison, the entire country goes crazy steaming, boiling and eating the "edible ivory". If you're not in Germany this spring, then you can partake in the festivities by going too Gold in LKF Tower, which will be serving white asparagus in dishes such as:
- slow-poached white asparagus with scampi, sea urchin and cauliflower foam
- pecorino-crusted white asparagus with Iberico ham, black figs and truffle egg dressing
- white asparagus risotto, crispy melting egg, fava beans and parmesan
The white asparagus served at Gold is specifically chosen from a small farm from Provence by chef Goldstein himself.
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