Hong Kong favourite Andō delivers with new menu - review

The flair's still there as new dishes are unveiled at this Argentinian and Japanese-influenced dining spot, discovers Gayatri Bhaumik

Andō review - the Spanish lamb with garbanzo purée is a hit

Since opening in 2020, Andō has consistently delighted guests with its chic, intimate dining room, curated wine menu and genre-defying fine dining menus by chef and founder, Augustin Balbi. So much so that the restaurant has garnered numerous accolades over the years, including a Michelin star and a spot on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list. 

But everyone knows the key to longevity is constant reinvention, just look at all the different eras Taylor Swift has gone through in her nearly 20-year career. And so it is that Andō has unveiled its own new era, one that honours its five-year history but with a forward-thinking evolution.

Stepping into the restaurant, it feels reassuringly familiar but with variations. Same, same, but different. The centrepiece sculpture and pillar are still there, alongside the moody, shiny black walls that line the dining room. But the walls now sport new artwork. The table configuration has changed and there is new napery and eye-catching tableware.

When it comes to the food, Balbi has completely overhauled Andō’s tasting menu. Developed from scratch, the new dishes stay true to Balbi’s original concept, inspired by his work around the world and unbound by geography or genre. But they are completely new and exciting with their creativity, flavours, and textures. 

Kicking things off is a trio of amuse-bouches that are a taster of the intricate, well-presented dishes to come. My favourite is the tart of asparagus, piparras, and salchichon.

The meal itself is a succession of highly inventive dishes that draw on super-fresh produce, Balbi’s Argentinian roots and his time in Japan. The carabinero laced with a pickled mustard leaf sauce and herb panna cotta and topped with Oscietra caviar is light yet packed with rich ocean flavours; the Suzuki fish paired with Sorrell cava sauce, razor clams, and a shallots seaweed pancake is delicate with just the right amount of bite. Meanwhile, the Spanish lamb, served with a garbanzo purée and white heritage (and a chimichurri sauce, naturally), is perfectly balanced and just hearty enough. 

Hong Kong’s gourmands are hard-pressed to find meloso rice, the creamy Spanish dish reminiscent of an Italian risotto, in the city, but they’ll be spoiled with Andō’s decadent version, which comes with Japanese rock lobster in a smoked paprika and seafood stock rice that is at once decadent and comforting.

After all that, dessert needs to be refreshing and light and Andō certainly delivers in a dish of white peach sorbet, verbena foam and rice flour tuile. Replete, I start preparing to leave, but am told the petits fours are about to arrive.

To match Andō’s new menu, Michelin-awarded sommelier Carlito Chiu has revamped the restaurant’s wine programme to offer well-thought-out, curated pairings that perfectly complement the food. I start with a 1992 Peter Laure Reisling Sekt “Reserve” that offers an intriguing depth and minerality, before moving on to a 2022 Cellier Saint Benoit, Arbois Pupillin ‘Chambines’, that showcases the seafood’s flavours, and a 2009 Talley-Rincon Pinot Noir that’s lovely, though personally, a touch too delicate for the Spanish Lamb (I usually prefer a full-bodied red full of tannins for meat).

In its latest guise, Andō is a solid evolution from the original concept. In every aspect, from the interiors to the exquisite menu and carefully chosen wines, it’s designed to intrigue and satisfy – and it certainly delivers on that.

Andō, 1F, Somptueux Central, 52 Wellington St, Central, Hong Kong; +852 9161 8697.