1908BC
Hong Kong's first 'British Chinese' restaurant has opened at The Pemberton, Sheung Wan.
Hong Kong’s first ‘British Chinese’ restaurant has landed in Sheung Wan, courtesy of British-born Hong Konger, Suzanna Ho.
Ho grew up in a Hong Kong family who settled in England’s southwest and opened a succession of takeaways and Chinese restaurants.
Last year, Ho brought her mother back to Hong Kong to resettle after retirement and realised there was a gap in the market for the unique cuisine that is ‘British Chinese’.
1908BC celebrates dishes commonly found in British Chinese restaurants and takeaways, which tend to be a mix of ingredients derived from the different waves of migrants. Many are seldom seen on menus in Hong Kong. The name 1908BC was the year the first Chinese restaurant was opened in Britain, in London’s Piccadilly, and BC simply stands for ‘British Chinese’.
Popular items at 1908BC include the infamous chips and curry sauce, a dish beloved of takeaway diners the length of the British Isles. Ho’s ‘Chip Shop Curry’ is a blend of British, Chinese and Indian flavours and served over crispy, golden chips. Fried chicken balls, crispy aromatic shredded duck, chicken chow mein and roasted beef short ribs are also sure to draw a nostalgic crowd.
1908BC showcases elevated ingredients including juicy prawns flown in from the Maldives and Seychelles and secret sauce recipes straight from her mother’s kitchen.
Diners can enjoy 20% off lunch sets until August 31.
1908BC, 5th Floor, The Pemberton, 22-26 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.
Ministry of Mussels
Fun times at Ministry of Mussels.
Causing something of a storm on level five of Lan Kwai Fong’s California Tower is the Ministry of Mussels. The family-friendly diner-style space boasts a heap of tasty, easy-eat dishes and an upbeat atmosphere. And meals can be rounded off with a game of 'beer pong' on the restaurant’s two electronic tables (a fun game tossing ping pong balls into cups).
Ministry of Mussels is the latest launch by dining group newcomer Infinity Entertainment Group, which also has a champagne lounge, nightclub and Japanese restaurant under its belt.
No fewer than 11 screens beam major sporting events into the dining area (the Olympics were in full flow during our visit) and there’s also a semi-covered balcony for al fresco drinks.
Ministry of Mussels' executive chef Dee Kwok has moved to the restaurant following 18 years with rival Hong Kong hospitality group, Castelo Concepts.
The menu bursts with American bistro classics - think chicken wings, ribs and salads - seafood dishes and an ‘Around The World Mussels’ menu. There’s also a mains and pasta menu, with plenty of steak and burger options and a sharing seafood platter laden with Boston lobster, oysters, mussels, tiger prawns, clams, crab and scallops.
Ministry of Mussels, 3rd Floor, California Tower, Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong.
Iberico Ham Cellar Signature Tasting Experience
Chef Heloise Fischbach cooking up a seven-course feast with the PNH team.
If you’re seeking a different dining experience, Hong Kong’s Iberico ham and Spanish delicacy retailer Pata Negra House (PNH) Group has launched Asia’s first Iberico ham tasting experience.
The event has been created to offer guests an in-depth understanding of Spanish food culture and an appreciation of Iberico ham.
The experience begins in the Tasting Room where guests are guided through a tasting of 14 varieties of tapas, including Spanish cheeses, cold cuts and seafood.
This is followed by an exploration of the Iberico Ham Cellar, a temperature and humidity-controlled space containing some of Spain’s most prized Iberico hams. There’s an introduction to the art of ham classification and guests are invited to try and even to carve each ham.
Guests are then invited to take a seat in the open-plan Iberico Bar area and enjoy a seven-course Iberico pairing tapas menu devised by chef Heloise Fischbach of two-Michelin starred restaurant Ecriture.
There is then the opportunity to buy delicacies at the in-house shop. Pata Negra House Group offers rare Spanish and French produce, including caviar, smoked fish, truffles, foie gras, a wide range of Mediterranean tapas and graded cuts of Iberico ham.
PNH Group has been importing Spanish and European delicacies into Hong Kong delicacies for 15 years. However, a desire to connect with their customer base led PNH to develop this experience.
“We wanted to present a uniquely interactive offering where guests can learn about and taste some of the most remarkable and rare vintage hams from Spain right here in Hong Kong,” said Mathieu Djedid, managing director of PNH Group.
The Iberico Ham Cellar Signature Experience is open for group or individual bookings at the group’s headquarters in San Po Kong, reservations should be made online.
Oolaa TKO
Oolaa Group has opened a dining space in the New Territories' town of Tseung Kwan O.
One of Hong Kong’s longest-running dining groups, Oolaa, has now made the leap out to the up-and-coming New Territories town of Tseung Kwan O.
The new venue promises to continue the group’s reputation as a reliable dining favourite, serving laid-back Aussie-style breakfasts, set lunches and easy-going dinners with plenty of cocktails and happy hour action.
Oolaa TKO is a light, bright and welcoming street-level space opposite the French International School on Tong Yin Street in the Capri Residential District.
Tseung Kwan O has become something of a New Territories hot spot following massive residential, office and retail development over the last few years.
Oolaa TKO is super family-friendly, with plenty of high chairs as well as a kids’ menu. It’s also a short walk to the waterfront for a post-prandial stroll and for pint-sized diners to burn off all that energy.
The breakfast and brunch menu features a wide selection of dishes combining classic egg, bacon and avocado combos with wraps and bagels and healthy options, including vegetarian tofu scramble and a Warm Green Brunch with spinach, almonds, halloumi and egg. There’s also a DIY section with Eggs Any Which Way and Build Your Own Benedict options.
A la carte options run from salads, pizzas and curries to steaks, burgers and pasta and risotto dishes.
This is the fourth Oolaa restaurant to open in Hong Kong and follows the successful launches of Oolaa Petite in Wan Chai, Oolaa Tung Chung and the original Oolaa Soho on Bridges Street, which opened its doors back in 2009.
Oolaa, Shop G16, G/F, Capri Place, 33 Tong Yin Street, Tseung Kwan O.
RadicalChic
Harbour views at RadicalChic in West Kowloon.
Italian fine dining specialist RadicalChic has opened this month, located sky-high on the 101st Floor of West Kowloon’s International Commerce Centre (ICC).
With sweeping city and harbour views, the RadicalChic space has been designed to give the illusion of dining in an art gallery, with artwork adorning the pristine white walls of the main dining space.
RadicalChic's executive chef Andrea Tarini has helmed Michelin-starred restaurants in Italy, Dubai and Singapore. In Hong Kong, he hopes to share his take on the art of cooking innovative Italian cuisine. Here, he’ll be using the finest of his homeland’s meats, seafood and seasonal produce for an upscale dining experience.
Along with a signature a la carte menu, lunch service at RadicalChic includes a four- or five-course lunch set every Tuesday to Saturday and there's a six- or eight-course degustation menu in the evening.
Highlights of the degustation menu include Sicilia Caponata with Mazera del Vallo prawns; raw Fassona beef from the Piedmont; a 'frogs legs' course with meat topped with fresh garden herbs and green tomato jam; a pasta course of cappello del prete alla carbonara ('priest hat' pasta stuffed with pecorino romano, parmigiano, guanciale, black pepper and egg yolk); and a beef course featuring Japanese A5 OMI wagyu (one of the oldest and most coveted brands of beef in Japan). A red cherry sorbet is served as a plate cleanser and finally a dessert of deconstructed mascarpone cheese tiramisu.
RadicalChic, Shop B1, Level 101, ICC, 1 Austin Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.
Boy n Burger
Keeping it casual at Boy n Burger.
‘Fast-casual’ burger experience Boy n Burger is all set to open in Wan Chai later this month.
The restaurant’s concept is to serve ‘better burgers for everyone’ and the burger menu features grass and grain-fed antibiotic-free beef, and vegetables sourced from local Hong Kong farms. Meat, seafood and dairy items are all traceable.
British grass-fed burgers are priced from HK$25 and chicken, fish and vegetarian options will also be available.
Boy n Burger's signature Bobby Burger features two hand-crafted beef patties and house sauce, served with pickles and Hong Kong-grown onion, tomato and lettuce. Sides include Skinny Fries, Green Apple Slaw or Tater Tots. Unlimited self-service soft drinks will also be available for dine-in customers.
For family or party catering, Boy n Burger offers slider boxes containing six or 12 mini burgers.
All menu items at Boy n Burger are available for dine-in, takeaway or delivery.
Boy n Burger opens its doors on August 23...
Boy n Burger, G/F, Shop 3, 208 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.
For more dining ideas in Hong Kong, check out our recommendations for July here. Or subscribe to the Asia Family Traveller Newsletter of follow the Asia Family Traveller Facebook Page.