34 DEPARTURES TRAVEL
34 DEPARTURES TRAVEL HOT TABLES The generous urban panorama from Felix, at The Peninsula BETWEEN THE DISMAL political situation and the pandemic, the last four years haven’t been easy for Hong Kong, but with the last of the Covid restrictions and the mask mandate finally dropped in March, the city is now vying to regain its crown as one of the most popular travel destinations on the planet. There are myriad reasons why Hong Kong reigned as the world’s most-visited city for eight years in a row (from 2010 to 2018), from that spectacular s-shaped harbour, the past-meets-future architecture and glitzy shopping malls to the gritty street markets, ancient temples, noisy festivals, laid-back beaches and invigorating hiking trails. But if there’s one thing Hong Kong really excels at, it’s food and drink. During the pandemic, one of the few pleasures that Hongkongers could enjoy was being able to dine out. And while a number of businesses sadly fell by the wayside, exciting new places to eat continued to blossom, ensuring the city’s fabled food scene stayed as vibrant as ever. Arguably Hong Kong’s most dynamic restaurant group, Black Sheep Restaurants, pushed ahead mid-pandemic, opening Crown Super Deluxe (crownsuperdeluxe.com), a groovy purple and gold teppan-yaki joint on Wyndham Street, and the ruby-hued Grand Majestic Sichuan ( grandmajesticsichuan.com), a few blocks away in Alexander House, as well as relocating and revamping neo-Parisian eatery Belon (earning a Michelin star along the way; belonsoho.com) and bringing in a new female chef, ArChan Chan to head up Ho Lee Fook (if you’re in town on the first Sunday of the month, don’t miss the Good Fortune Club dim sum brunch. It’s ridiculously fun; holeefook.com.hk). Now, the group has unveiled The Magistracy (themagistracyhongkong. Slow-roasted prime rib – a signature dish at The Magistracy com) inside the Tai Kwun arts and heritage hub in Central. Housed in one of Hong Kong’s oldest law courts, dating back to 1914, the building’s stately interiors – all soaring asymmetric ceilings, dark polished-wood panelling, voussoirs and curvaceous keystones – are mirrored in the haute British cuisine, which includes Kristal caviar served in silver baskets and prime-rib roasts carved tableside by servers in white gloves. Later, guests can slope off to the leafy Botanical Garden bar for G&Ts spiked with kaffir lime and orange peel. FROM TOP: © PENINSULA, © THE MAGISTRACY
FROM TOP: © ARTIFACT, GRAHAM UDEN Hong Kong’s love of all things Japanese continues unabated with the openings of Artifact and Haku Behind 69, 69 on Jervois’ intimate speakeasy; top right: Hokkaido scallop at Artifact The Magistracy isn’t the only new restaurant revisiting Hong Kong’s colonial era. There’s also 69 on Jervois (69onjervois.com), a more casual prospect serving haggis in whisky sauce, Welsh rarebit and Eton mess. “Behind 69” is the name of Jervois’ intimate bar tucked out back. Elsewhere, Hong Kong’s love of all things Japanese continues unabated with the openings of Artifact ( artifactbar.com) and Haku (hakuhk. com). At the former, you’ll find a sexy little 14-seater omakase and speakeasy hidden in the basement of Jardine House in Central. Here, the emphasis is on caviar, with the black pearls decorating every dish, from the bread basket to the dainty carabineros prawns with fruit to the robust Polmard beef. At Haku, located a stroll away on the fourth-floor rooftop garden of the IFC Mall, there’s an open kitchen serving innovative kappo cuisine (a seasonal multicourse menu decided by the chef) that comes with a sensational side order of Victoria Harbour views. On Ship Street in Wan Chai, the Latin American contingent has been busy opening Rosita (rosita.hk). Meaning “little flower” in Spanish, a tribute to the bauhinia bloom that adorns the Hong Kong flag, the restaurant is the love child of two of Hong Kong’s most celebrated chefs: Argentinian Agustin Ferrando Balbi of one-Michelinstar Andō and Venezuelan Ricardo Chaneton of one-Michelin-star Mono. The six-course tasting menus fuse Latin American flavours with precise French and Japanese cooking techniques to joyous effect – don’t miss the three “yellow” chicken empanadas or the Kurobuta pork with criolla sauce. Hong Kong’s hotels have been busy updating their dining experiences, too. Aiming to add to the seven Michelin stars it already has, the Four Seasons has introduced Noi (restaurantnoi.hk), a low-lit contemporary Italian restaurant helmed by multiaward-winning chef Paulo Airaudo. On the other side of the harbour, the newly opened Regent Hong Kong (formerly the InterContinental Hong Kong) has a weeks-long waitlist for The Steak House (regenthotels.com), where hunks of USDA Super Prime ribeye, Black Angus flank steaks and Mayura 35 DEPARTURES
