BaseHall dining space opens in Hong Kong

Honbo cheeseburger set and iced tea at BaseHall.

It was an emotional farewell but longterm Italian restaurant, Grappa’s Cellar, has now been consigned to history and the space reopened as BaseHall, a multi-concept food hall.

Asia Family Traveller popped along to Jardine House for the soft opening last week and enjoyed an eclectic and delicious lunchtime feast. 

BaseHall takes its cue from the food hall concept already popular in cities such as London and Sydney, but this is no soulless space with patrons hunched over a Big Mac. The sophisticated hall is generously-sized and boasts ten homegrown dining outlets, serving dishes from around the world, from Japanese-inspired rotisserie chicken (Roti Tori by Yardbird), to Vietnamese banh mi (Co Thanh), and British meat pies (Young Master Ales). 

Standouts for us were the fish tacos (Westside Taqueria by 11 Westside), the seafood laksa (Return of Lemak) and the veggie wraps (Treehouse). And we couldn’t leave without a sweet treat from Cookie DPT.

It’s an easy stop for the lunch crowd. Jardine House is located close to many of the city’s office blocks and there’s even a handy app for ordering in advance. If you’re eating in, communal tables fill the space and there’s also a BaseHall Bar for evening meet-ups over a cocktail (or even a sneaky lunchtime pint from craft beer specialists Pub 1842). 

In the evenings the music will be pumped up, with live DJs making an occasional appearance. 

Eco solutions have played a key role in the development of BaseHall. Outlets use sustainable food packaging and cutlery and there are plenty of water fountains and waste composting bins. As part of its commitment to minimise food waste, BaseHall is partnering with food assistance programme St James’ Settlement to distribute leftover food to various charitable organisations across the city.

The hall was bustling during our visit and even more when we returned after its official opening to the public this week.

Pop in for lunch and head back in the evening for cocktails. We give BaseHall ten-out-of-ten for taking the entirely practical food court concept and injecting it with a generous dose of panache.

11am to late, Monday to Saturday, LG9, Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place, Central. 

Asia Family Traveller was a guest of BaseHall.

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