From a proper British pub in Soho to new dim sum in Causeway Bay and a rather theatrical Thursday night in Central, October brings plenty of new reasons to eat and drink your way around Hong Kong.
Maggie Choo’s launches a new cabaret
Thursday nights are getting a little more theatrical at Maggie Choo’s. The Central cocktail bar has launched the fifth season of its weekly cabaret, Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps, a suitably extravagant production inspired by the excess of French Baroque. Twelve numbers unfold across three acts, mixing live vocals, burlesque, dance and audience participation, with a new wardrobe of elaborate hand-stitched costumes created for the show. The cabaret runs every Thursday from 9.30pm until midnight, while live bands and DJs keep things going on other nights of the week.
Maggie Choo’s, 1–13 Hollywood Road, Central | Thursdays, 9.30pm–midnight | HK$200, including one drink
All is not quite as it seems at The Magic Table
Do you believe in magic? You might after dinner at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, where your table has a few tricks up its sleeve. We joined the preview of The Magic Table – Las Vegas Edition, the latest creation from magician duo The Clairvoyants, making its world debut in Hong Kong. The pair guide proceedings virtually, with 3D projections and interactive illusions inviting diners to try their own hand at a little magic. There’s plenty to catch your eye, though the four-course dinner deserves your attention too: hamachi tartare, Australian wagyu with black truffle mash and a dessert named Dreaming in Las Vegas. Take someone who likes a surprise.
Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, Wan Chai | From 16 October, Wednesday–Friday | Sittings: 6–8pm and 8.15–10.30pm | HK$1,388 per person | Vegetarian and children’s menus available | Bookings and details
Six years of French bistro favourites at Bouillon
Six years on, husband-and-wife-run Bouillon Bistro Parisien remains one of our favourite little French restaurants in Sheung Wan. To celebrate its anniversary, the charming neighbourhood bistro is serving a special four-course menu from 25 October for HK$498, including a glass of wine. Expect French classics including oeufs mayonnaise (some of the best we’ve had in Hong Kong), foie gras terrine and pâté en croûte, followed by a wonderfully indulgent beef tenderloin Rossini. And just when you think you couldn’t possibly manage another mouthful, along comes the signature passionfruit crème brûlée. One of the things we love most about Bouillon is the attention paid to ingredients. The menu tells you where everything comes from, whether it’s Spanish beef, French foie gras or locally sourced vegetables (because why fly vegetables halfway around the world?). There’s also an excellent, surprisingly affordable wine list, made up entirely of French wines, with a focus on smaller, family-owned and sustainable producers. Proper French cooking, generous portions and none of the fuss.
6 Pound Lane, Sheung Wan | From 25 October, dinner bookings 6–8pm | HK$498 per person including wine Book here
A taste of the Italian Alps at TABIÀ
Bringing a little Alpine charm to Mid-Levels, family-run Italian restaurant TABIÀ has introduced a new four-course dinner tasting menu inspired by the Dolomite mountains. Created by brothers Roberto and Riccardo Trento, who oversee the kitchen and front-of-house respectively, the HK$498 menu combines family recipes with seasonal dishes, including roasted butternut squash gnocchi, slow-braised duck ragù and seared snapper with creamed spinach. Restaurant favourites such as beef-filled agnolotti and classic tiramisu also make an appearance. With just 20 seats and a cosy, rustic interior reminiscent of an Alpine farmhouse, it’s an inviting spot for a leisurely dinner.
55 Caine Road, Mid-Levels | Tuesday–Sunday | HK$498 per person | tabiahk.com
Settle in for a three-martini lunch at Jean-Pierre
Long lunches are back on the menu at Jean-Pierre, as the Parisian-inspired bistro in Sheung Wan introduces its first-ever lunch service. Available every Thursday and Friday from 15 October, the new Trois Martini Lunch is designed for leisurely afternoons over good food and even better conversation. Priced from HK$588 per person, the menu features French bistro favourites including steak tartar, such as steak tartare, boeuf bourguignon, steak au poivre, and Mousse au Chocolat or Profiteroles. Clear your afternoon diary – for an additional HK$288, diners can enjoy three martinis alongside their meal.
9 Bridges Street, Sheung Wan | Thursdays and Fridays, 15 October–26 December | From HK$588 per person | jean-pierre.com.hk
Bar Leone’s founders are opening a new bar at Rosewood Hong Kong
One of Hong Kong’s most closely watched bar openings is coming to Rosewood Hong Kong this November. The as-yet-unnamed concept is the work of Bar Leone founders Lorenzo Antinori and Justin Shun Wah, who are creating an entirely new bar for the hotel. Details remain deliberately scarce for now , including the name and what exactly we can expect from the drinks, with the full reveal promised for late October. Given the team behind it, though, this is one opening worth keeping an eye on.
Rosewood Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui | Opening November
THE CHATER opens at LANDMARK with menus by Mandarin Oriental
THE CHATER has opened on the second floor of LANDMARK CHATER, serving all-day menus created in collaboration with Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong. Part of the Destination CENTRAL initiative, highlights include the hotel’s signature Hainanese Chicken Rice, Miso Cod and Charcoal Duck, alongside weekday set lunches from $328. There’s also Pierre Hermé macarons, Mont Blanc and Hong Kong milk tea ice cream, as well as cocktails and creative tea-based drinks. Inspired by the grand railway lounges of a bygone era, the interiors extend to Platform 1889, a railway carriage-inspired terrace on the third floor, opening on 23 October. Named after the year Hongkong Land was founded, the terrace overlooks Central and Louis Vuitton’s monumental art installation. Bookmark this one for after-work cocktails in the heart of the city.
2/F, LANDMARK CHATER, 8 Connaught Road Central | Monday–Friday, 7.30am–10pm; Saturday, 11am–10pm | Reservations
Maison Libanaise is back in SoHo
After a top-to-bottom rethink, Maison Libanaise has reopened on Shelley Street with a new look, a new menu and Lebanese head chef Teya Mikhael firmly at its heart. Inspired by the grand houses of Beirut’s Achrafieh neighbourhood, the restaurant still occupies its familiar three-storey SoHo home, but each floor now has its own character: a lively Lebanese wine and mezze bar downstairs, a more intimate dining room above and, at the top, that lovely open-air rooftop terrace.
Mikhael’s menu draws on the food she grew up eating in Lebanon, with much of the action centred around the charcoal grill. Look out for Farrouj al Fahem, a whole local three-yellow chicken grilled with onion, tomato and spices; Kabse Short Rib with tahini and Lebanese pickles; and saj bread, made to order on a griddle in the dining room. There’s plenty of mezze for the table, too, from smoked labneh and falafel to kibbeh nayyeh and hummus topped with crisp baby prawns. To drink, Maison Libanaise now lays claim to Hong Kong’s largest selection of Lebanese wines, alongside arak, cocktails and fresh juices.
Maison Libanaise, 10 Shelley Street, Central. Open Tuesday–Sunday from 6pm.
The Boar brings a proper British pub experience to Soho
A little slice of London has arrived on Elgin Street. The Boar Public House, the sixth opening from Big Top Hospitality, spans two floors with two rather different propositions: downstairs, a lively British pub for pints, Scotch eggs, Welsh rarebit, fish and chips and sticky toffee pudding; upstairs, a more polished dining room with white tablecloths and a menu that includes pork cheek and lobster pie, 14-day dry-aged duck and a 600g ribeye to share.
The kitchen is led by Graham Long and Jake Bennett, whose backgrounds include L’Enclume, Roganic and a string of Michelin-starred London restaurants, with almost everything, from the bread and butter to the brown sauce and tartare sauce, made in-house. Sunday roasts join the line-up from 11 October.
The Boar, 55 Elgin Street, Soho
Emmer Pizza x Kee Wah Bakery
Lap cheong on pizza? Emmer and Kee Wah Bakery are making a convincing case for it. The two homegrown Hong Kong names have joined forces for a limited-edition pizza that puts Kee Wah’s Chinese sausage on Emmer’s 24-hour fermented ancient-grain crust, alongside mozzarella, charred baby bok choy, sweet red onion and spring onion, with a soy glaze to finish.
It’s an unlikely pairing that makes rather good sense: the rich, slightly sweet lap cheong against a light, crisp crust, with the vegetables cutting through the richness. Available from 14 October to 30 November for HK$178, it will be served across Emmer’s three Hong Kong locations in Landmark, Pacific Place and Hong Kong International Airport.
A little piece of Paris on Lyndhurst Terrace
Following its soft opening in August, French madeleine specialist MADÉ has officially opened its doors on Lyndhurst Terrace. Founded by French duo Marie and Jean-Charles, the boutique is devoted entirely to the little shell-shaped cakes, baked fresh in small batches throughout the day. MADÉ has developed its own moulds for a plumper take on the French classic, with a golden shell and soft, buttery centre, while the dough rests for 12 hours before baking. Six flavours rotate at the counter, from the classic Signature Madeleine and citrusy Zest Appeal to The Local Star, filled with egg tart-inspired custard. For Mid-Autumn, there’s also Over the Moon, made with mango, dried mango and coconut. Boxes start from HK$98 for three.
MADÉ, G/F, 54 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central
Inside Tim Ho Wan’s new dim sum innovation lab
Tim Ho Wan has opened a new restaurant at Lee Garden Two, and this one comes with the brand’s first Global Dim Sum Innovation Lab. Set behind glass so diners can see what’s happening inside, the kitchen is where its chefs will develop new dishes, fine-tune recipes and train younger members of the team, with successful creations eventually making their way to Tim Ho Wan restaurants around the world. There are already a few dishes you’ll only find in Causeway Bay, including a trio of siu mai: the original pork and shrimp, one with quail egg and XO sauce, and another inspired by Hong Kong’s typhoon shelter crab. For something sweet, there’s a new version of put chai ko, made with roasted tea and fig, plus an iced apple and lychee Lu’an tea.
Tim Ho Wan, Lee Garden Two, Lower Ground Floor, Lee Garden Two, 28 Yun Ping Road, Causeway Bay
Discover a taste of Australia at Market Place
Market Place is bringing a little of Australia’s food culture to Hong Kong this October with its Taste of Australia promotion. Running until 29 October, the event features more than 70 Australian brands and 200 new arrivals, from premium wagyu beef and Tasmanian smoked salmon to Tim Tams, artisan snacks and fresh produce. Highlights include the Hong Kong retail debut of Melbourne coffee favourite ST. ALi, alongside Rokeby protein smoothies, Bulla ice cream and a selection of Australian wines and craft beers. Look out for special offers across the range throughout the month.
Market Place stores across Hong Kong | Until 29 October | More information
