If you're looking for decadence in an afternoon tea set, here is one that tastes and looks like real gem. Between April 21 and 29, Palm Court at The Langham in Tsim Sha Tsui will welcome pastry guest chef Cherish Finden from London, who has partnered up with jeweller Stephen Webster to create the limited edition Stephen Webster Bijoux Tea. Inspired by the jeweller's latest collection "Murder She Wrote", the luxurious afternoon tea set will feature fashionable cakes and gem-like pastries such as:
- Guinness macaron with blackcurrant jelly - red peppercorn and dark chocolate shortbread - roasted green pistachio Chantilly with meringue sponge
The afternoon tea set is priced at HK$318 per person.
Top Deck atop of the Jumbo floating restaurant in Aberdeen is now serving set lunches from Tuesday to Friday. The alfresco restaurant is the perfect place for a casual mid-week gathering or business lunch. Diners can begin the meal with starters such as crispy soft shell crab with hot and sour dipping sauce; and air-dried beef with asparagus and shaved parmesan cheese. For main course, there is sirloin steak with horseradish better and fries; or pan-fried barramundi with Thai sauce and rice. Those with a sweet tooth will enjoy the choices of dessert including coconut semi-freddo with pineapple confit or sticky banana pudding with caramel sauce. The set lunch is available between 12noon and 2:30pm and is priced at HK$160 for two courses and HK$188 for three courses.
A new Japanese afternoon tea buffet with cooked-to-order tempura and other enticing Japanese foods is now on offer at the Lobby Lounge of Hotel Nikko in Tsim Sha Tsui East. Stealing the show are its cooked-to-order prawn tempura and freshly grilled delicacies including ox tongue, chicken kidney and pork chuck. Also available at the buffet counter are many authentic Japanese dishes including:
- grilled mackerel fillet - chilled bean curd and snow crabmeat - roasted salmon head with black pepper
The tea buffet also serves a wide selection of desserts for those with a sweet tooth. Highlights include chocolate glutinous rice roll with banana purée filling and caramelised pear with milk chocolate mousse. The tea buffet is priced at HK$208 per adult and HK$168 per child, and is now available from 3pm to 5pm on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.
Grissini in Wan Chai is introducing a new tasting menu with some unassumingly fresh flavours from Tuscany this April. Chef Andrea Fraire has brought with him from Italy some local Tuscan produces and uses simple preparations to highlight their natural flavours. The tasting menu by the Italian restaurant at Grand Hyatt sees many brilliant Tuscan dishes including:
- Livornese-style fish soup (HK$240) - stuffed calamari with spinach and Tuscan sausage with black truffle creamed potatoes (HK$420) - tomatoes and bread salad in Tuscan style with roasted octopus (HK$260) - carnaroli risotto with duck, fava beans and Tuscan pecorino cheese (HK$280)
Tuscany is home to many fine wineries and Grand Hyatt's sommelier Christophe Orlarei has selected an extensive wine by the glass, such as the Cum Laude, Banfi 2008, to pair with Tuscan dishes. The three-course set menu is priced at HK$780 per person, while the five-course menu is at HK1,180 per person, both are available from now until the end of April.
To showcase the culinary achievements of its executive chef Ko Chi-man, Regal Palace in Causeway Bay is offering a special award-winning menu from now until the end of the month. The special tasting menu features dishes by chef Ko that have won him the Hong Kong Tourism Board's Best of the Best Culinary Award, which include:
- braised fish soup with egg white and carrot - smoked crispy chicken with Chinese tea leaves - deep-fried prawns with salty egg yolk and sautéed fresh milk - braised whole abalone with Chinese mushroom
The tasting menu is available at HK$2,188 for six guests and HK$4,288 for 12.
As cherry blossom season sweeps across Japan as well as restaurants in Hong Kong, Japanese restaurant Sagano at Hotel Nikko in Tsim Sha Tsui East has jumped in and is presenting a selection of sakura specialities made with fresh sakura and sakura leaves. Starting from HK$180, diners can enjoy many Japanese a la carte dishes such as:
A sakura set lunch menu is also available at HK$240 per person on weekdays; it includes sashimi and sushi starter, a choice of main course and sakura ice cream to finish.
The sakura set lunch menu and a la carte dishes are available from now until Apr 30.
Having a late night meal is decadent, but not uncommon in Hong Kong. What is more unusual, though, is having a late-night snack of black truffles. The Window Café at The Kowloon in Tsim Sha Tsui is offering a truffle seduction promotion from 10:00pm to midnight, every day until the end of April, to showcase the "black diamond of gastronomy" from the Perigord region of France. Highlights from the buffet table include:
- tortilla wraps with truffle and Kurobuta pork - lobster and seafood pizza with truffle and potato au gratin - crayfish with truffle and sweet corn cake
Even desserts use this popular ingredient, with a truffle bread pudding and truffle chocolate cake. The supper buffet is priced at HK$218 per person.
Italian restaurant Harlan's at The One in Tsim Sha Tsui has recently introduced a semi-buffet lunch set, which starts off with an appetiser buffet that includes organic salad, foie gras terrine and parma ham from the buffet table. For the main course, diners can choose from light or vegetarian delicacies, authentic Italian pizzas or heartier grilled or roasted meat dishes. The lunch set is priced from HK$168 to HK$278 depending on the main course. Guests can also add HK$30 for a dessert. The semi-buffet lunch is available from Monday to Saturday. It barely needs another sweetener, but Harlan's is also throwing in a buy-three-get-one-free offer from Monday to Thursday until the end of April to really get your attention. So gather your friends and colleagues to enjoy this excellent lunch deal.
Spring is here and we can't wait to refresh our palate with some light and healthy delicacies. Dong Lai Shun at The Royal Garden in Tsim Sha Tsui is presenting a new selection of spring dishes that uses seasonal vegetables from eastern China, such as bamboo shoots, string beans and yams to create special delicacies such as:
- broad beans with scallions - fried string beans with crispy eel - fried honey peas with lily bulbs
The spring dishes are priced from HK$98 to HK$380 and are available during both lunch and dinner.
Okinawa is one of the few areas in Japan where cherry blossoms truly shine in the city. Inspired by the green mountains in Okinawa covered by a lovely pink coat of sakura, Okinawa restaurant Naha in Tai Koo has prepared gourmet sakura dishes to celebrate the season. The chefs at Naha has designed five dishes using edible sakura and the creations include:
- steamed horsehead fish with sakura leaf (HK$180) - deep-fried scallop with sakura (HK$98) - sakura crème brûlée (HK$58)
