Temperatures are forecasted to be extra chilly this week, but there’s no hesitation in warming up bellies with some delicious new menus and new eats. Blanket fort and portable space heater in close proximity, of course.
Now that we’re all working from home, don’t let Monday nights be just another weeknight in. It’s time to break up WFH routines with something different. Something other than the work-sleep-repeat schedule you’ve got down in your teeny-tiny apartment (read: three-seater sofa). Slip out for lunch with a friend at the Rafa-returned La Rambla 2.0; or order in a round of takeout from a restaurant you miss — Man Wah’s sticky cha siu? An edomae-style omakase? — and make these gloomy (literally!) days a little bit better.
Chef Rafa Gil is back at La Rambla!
No, it’s true! It’s not just your imagination: chef Rafa Gil, semi-finalist of Netflix’s The Final Table, is now stationed at ifc’s Catalan-staple, La Rambla. Or, more accurately, returned to. Chef Rafa was previously the head chef of Catalunya, the predecessor of La Rambla (you might remember the original name “La Rambla by Catalunya”) , where he assisted with both the Hong Kong and Singapore openings in 2012. His return to La Rambla will mean a dedication to the reinvention of traditional Basque and Catalan culinary codes, brought to reality though chef Rafa’s penchant for bold, rich flavours and ingredient-first cooking.
Taking over from current executive chef Ferran Tadeo who’s been holding down the fort for the last five years, chef Rafa will introduce a brand new tapas selection — Seafood Trikini, a layered sandwich of Japanese king crab, tuna and caviar creme fraiche, and Uni Ensalidialla, Japanese uni-topped potato salad served in an uni shell — among familiar old favourites, including chef Rafa’s signature Bomba De La Barceloneta, breaded and fried mashed potato balls, octopus pulpo gallego, endless pans of fragrant paella and Suquet de Peix, Catalan fish stew prepared with blue lobster. The menu will be accompanied by a newly introduced cocktail program, designed by The Diplomat’s John Nugent.
La Rambla, Shop 3071-73 Level 3, ifc mall, Central, Hong Kong, +825 2661 1161
Shake Shack’s new Peking Chicken burger
So you’re familiar with the Peking Duck, but Peking Chicken? Probably not so much. Shake Shack coaxes a new-founded relationship with the latter with their introduction of a new crispy chicken burger slathered in the signature sweet-sticky Hoisin sauce. Accompaniments are the usual suspects — cucumber slices; neatly julienned leeks — and all you’re missing is the traditional pancake wrap. But the grab-and-go will do you one better with their toasted potato bun instead. Don’t sleep on the Peking Chicken though, it’ll only be available till the end of February.
Shake Shack, various locations including Shop 4018, Podium Level 4, ifc mall, Central, Hong Kong, +825 2522 5611
This week at home:
- While you can’t be headed out to The Aubrey for an evening nightcap with friends, you can, fortunately, bring The Aubrey into your living room with the help of the lively izakaya’s takeaway menu. Apart from Japanese-inspired fare, including crowd-favourites like charcoal chicken karaage, A4 Kagoshima wagyu sando, bone marrow fried rice with wagyu oxtail and sakiyo miso sablefish, the restaurant is adding a selection of its signature cocktails also available for delivery. The Aubrey, 25/F, Mandarin Oriental, 5 Connaught Road Central, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2825 4003
- Executive Chinese chef Wing-Keung Wong’s exquisite Cantonese dishes at the Mandarin Oriental’s Man Wah is now extending to the comforts of your own home. The Michelin-starred establishment introduces a takeaway menu to include longstanding favourites, including = barbecue Iberian pork loin glazed in longan honey; hot and sour soup with fish maw, crab meat and superior seafood; and crab meat and egg fried rice vermicelli. Orders are available daily from 12 to 6pm. Man Wah, 25/F, Mandarin Oriental, 5 Connaught Road Central, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2825 4003
- You might be staying in this week, but there’s still the opportunity of an authentic omakase experience at home — this is Hong Kong! From reputed sushi master, Iwa Hisayoshi, previously of Tokyo’s Ginza Iwa, is Sushi Hisayoshi’s latest takeaway set made with a careful selection of jet-fresh ingredients to replicates a true edomae-style omakase. Go for either the 12-piece nigiri box, a mixed chirashi don or the futomaki roll — set to satisfy any cravings. Only 10 sets are available daily and orders must be placed one day in advance. Sushi Hisayoshi, G111, G/F, Gateway Arcade, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, +825 2383 3366
- If you’ve been out of the loop, Cobo House is currently in its eighth chapter of its changing Knife and Spoon Series. Ocean Duet, as you can likely expect, is a menu spotlighting fresh produce from the sea, and includes a partnership with Chong Kio Farmacia Chinesa for their premium dried seafood along with the likes of cuttlefish, caviar, lobster and oysters. With current restrictions in mind, Cobo House reinterprets the multi-course dinner experience with a six- or eight-course takeaway box filled with the same serves within. Cobo House, 602, 6F, K11 MUSEA, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, +825 2656 3088
Hero image courtesy of La Rambla
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