Centurion United Kingdom Autumn 2014

BLACKBOOK IN THE KNOW G

BLACKBOOK IN THE KNOW G L O B A L GOURMAND On our culinary radar this quarter: the latest restaurant news from an increasingly adventurous Asian hot spot and a trio of epicurean tomes HONG KONG EATS Secrets behind the dishes revealed by the duo who helm one of San Francisco’s most eclectic eateries. chroniclebooks.com Mama San’s Will Meyrick; below left: kurobuta pork, crab and caviar dumpling at Mott 32; right: modern Cantonese fare from Ho Lee Fook With a raft of openings by A-list chefs from around the globe, the city confirms its status as a cosmopolitan foodie destination A battle between some of the world’s best chefs is underway in Hong Kong, as the city welcomes new dining concepts from a host of cosmopolitan culinary masters. Gordon Ramsay’s London eatery Bread Street Kitchen (diningconcepts. com) has opened its doors in Lan Kwai Fong, serving casual dishes until the wee hours, while another British TV chef, Jamie Oliver, has also opened his first Hong Kong outpost, Jamie’s Italian (jamieoliver.com), which is a casual, communalstyle eatery specialising in honest and unpretentious Italian favourites made from ethically sourced ingredients. Modern British fare is on the menu at fellow Londoner Jason Atherton’s Aberdeen Street Social (aberdeenstreetsocial.hk), located at new creative hub PMQ. Upstairs houses a more formal dining room, while bar bites and cocktails are on the menu downstairs along with homemade pastries from the restaurant’s dessert boutique, Sweet Social. Also located in the same complex are two new Spanish eateries celebrating Basque cuisine, the casual Isono and finedining restaurant Vasco (isono-vasco.com.hk), both Husk’s head honcho reflects on his background and delves deep to reinterpret some of the American South’s culinary favourites. workman.com/artisan led by Spanish chef Paolo Casagrande from the two- Michelin-starred Restaurant Lasarte in Barcelona. Eastern flavours are the focus at Mama San (diningconcepts. com), where Aussie chef Will Meyrick reinvents classic Balinese favourites such as babi guling (suckling pig). Also innovating traditional Asian cuisine is Noriyuki Sugie whose Tabibito (tabibito.com. hk) specialises in creative Japanese side dishes, served tapas style. For a true taste of Hong Kong, modern Chinese canteen Ho Lee Fook ( holeefook.com.hk) serves up homestyle favourites such as prawn lo mein or the more daring Yunnan-style steak tartare. Cantonese flavours are also the focus at Mott 32 (mott32.com), where classic char siu is made from succulent Iberico pork. The food is 100% Asian, but the dark, sleek industrial interiors are straight out of New York’s East Village. The decor at French restaurant Bibo (bibo. hk) is a lesson in modern art. Diners are surrounded by an ever-changing collection of works by contemporary artists such as Basquiat, Kusama, Hirst and Banksy as they indulge in a classic steak and old-school cocktails. DIVIA HARILELA The tale of Massimo Bottura and his hugely successful Osteria Francescana, complete with 48 of his recipes. phaidon.com PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: DAVID BURDEN, © HO LEE FOOK, © MOTT 32; BOOK COVERS: COURTESY OF THE PUBLISHERS 52 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM CONTACT CENTURION SERVICE FOR BOOKINGS

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