Happy new year and welcome to Localiiz 3.0!
As we enter a new season here in Hong Kong, we renew our efforts and go on the hunt for the latest and greatest to grace our dining scene. It’s been a little quiet, but check out some of the most exciting new restaurants and menus to be found in Hong Kong this March to make this spring an especially delicious one. After all, one can only bear so much takeout and microwaved meals.
The Spanish culinary team behind Pica Pica has unveiled a second tapas concept, now open on Hollywood Road. Specialising in premium cuts of beef from the Galician Hills of Northern Spain, Rubia pays homage to the lively and jovial atmosphere of Mediterranean taverns, with hearty dishes to boot.
The focus here is on their signature 250-gram Rubia Gallega Boneless Rib-eye ($480) and 250-gram Rubia Gallega Tenderloin ($480), both must-tries for meat lovers who prioritise balanced flavours. Diners who like a bit of breakfast with all of their meals will love the Huevos Rotos ($95), a dish of broken eggs mixed with chorizo and morcilla. And because dessert plays a huge part in of our version of the food pyramid, there’s no skipping the Warm Cheesecake with Whiskey Ice Cream ($70), an utter indulgence.
Pop in for a drink or two during happy hour for a two-for-one deal—Rubia has a thoughtfully curated selection of Spanish reds and whites—and nibble off of the bar menu to get an introductory taste to the full menu. The Patatas Fritas ($47), Padrón Peppers ($75), and flavourful Cured White Anchovies on Potato Chips ($67) come highly recommended and are the perfect size for sharing.
Rubia, UG/F & 1/F, C Wisdom Centre, 35–37 Hollywood Road, Central | (+852) 2889 1199
After almost 10 years on the Hong Kong dining scene sweeping up recognition after recognition, long-time yakitori favourite Yardbird finally extends its hours to include the hungry lunch crowd. Open from 12 pm to 2 pm from Monday through Friday, the limited menu starts diners off on four options: Ramen ($108), Schnitzel ($128), Mushroom Rice ($128), and a Daily Special ($98). Each set comes with sides of chicken soup, pickles, and salad. As per usual Yardbird rules, reservations are not accepted and all items are limited, so it’s first-come, first-served.
Yardbird, 154–158 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan | (+852)
How many discerning diners can say that they have feasted on champions before? Now’s your chance. From now until 11 March, modern Japanese restaurant FUMI is presenting a six-course Miyazaki beef menu ($880 per person), a high-quality wagyu farmed from black cattle and three-time winner of the National Wagyu Competition in Japan, also known as the “Wagyu Olympics.”
Among its award-winning qualities are its perfect fat-to-lean ratio and alluring aroma. Head chef Sun will prepare the Miyazaki wagyu in six different cooking methods, featuring dishes such as Teppanyaki Miyazaki Beef Rib-eye, a hearty Miyazaki Beef in Sukiyaki Style, and Miyazaki Beef with Onion Salad, to showcase the cattle’s rich taste and versatility.
FUMI, 6/F, California Tower, 30–36 D’Aguilar Street, Central | (+852) 2328 3302
When meat-heavy Mexican cuisine can make a change to plant-based, so can you. Agave is launching a handful of new vegetarian-friendly dishes featuring Impossible meat, available at all of their restaurant locations. Crowd favourites Nachos Gringos ($266) and Nachos Machos ($266) are in for a green makeover, heaving with all the standard fixings of cheese, jalapeños, sour cream, fresh Serrano peppers, guacamole, beans, and Impossible meat. Sceptics, trust us—it’s almost impossible to tell the difference.
In addition, head chef Luis Porras combines fresh Mexican produce with the unique meat alternative to create an Impossible Meat Chilli ($148), combining six traditional spices for a unique blend of flavours, and revamps the beloved Agave ‘Quesadilla’ ($148), grilled with homemade flour tortillas and cheese, and served with sides of sour cream, guacamole, and salsa. We’ve also been told that Chef Luis is working on a series of lunch wraps featuring the visionary product, and we can’t wait to try!
If you’ve ever nibbled on a Salt & Camembert Cookie from Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory and found its rich sweetness to die for, then you might find it hard to resist this: Hotel ICON is collaborating with the legendary Japanese brand to create an afternoon tea ($328 per person, $598 for two people) themed around Hokkaido milk and cream flavours!
Available from now until 31 March, the brand-new menu features a spread of sought-after desserts and snacks like Hokkaido Cheese Soft Serve Ice Cream, a limited-edition Tiramisu Cake, Milk Cheesecake, and the Cow Cow Puff, a puff pastry shell made of a golden-baked camembert cheese cookie dough and filled with a distinctive cream cheese blend of Hokkaido mascarpone, camembert, and premium fresh cream. There’s also a Hong Kong-exclusive Yuen Yeung Soft Serve Ice Cream and savouries to balance out the sweetness.
GREEN, Hotel ICON, Lobby Floor, Hotel, 17 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui | (+852) 3400 1300
Sleepy nook Tai Hang has recently welcomed comforting Mediterranean flavours into its midst in the form of Ask for Alonzo, the restaurant’s second location in the city. Paying homage to Italian family recipes and generations’ worth of culinary experience, the neighbourhood trattoria gathers together a focused menu centred on elevated home-cooking, premium pasta, and classic Italian starters. Tai Hang’s signatures are the Deluxe Spaghetti Carbonara ($188) and Deluxe Rigatoni Amatriciana ($188), both featuring homemade sauces, shavings of Roman guanciale pork, and vibrant flavours.
Pair your smooth Deluxe Negroni ($98) and hand-picked Italian wines with mains like Roasted Italian Suckling Pig ($168) and Baked Mushroom and Cheese Fondue Rigatoni ($148), a New York-style, skillet-baked pasta topped with Taleggio, Gorgonzola, Parmesan and Emmental.
The mysterious man behind the name, Alonzo, also keeps a ‘specials bible’ close to his heart, chock-full of original recipes like the TLC Panini ($128), filled with Bolognese ragout, melted mozzarella, red cheddar, and served with Parmesan fries. Each week, he pulls a dish out of the bible, meaning you’ll have to check back often to try and get a taste of family-favourite TLC Linguine ($148), cooked in a creamy tomato sauce with organic apple-smoked bacon.
Ask for Alonzo, 11 Lin Fa Kung Street West, Tai Hang | (+852) 3101 8045
For Tate Dining Room’s first-ever Saturday lunch menu ($780), chef-patron Vicky Lau is presenting a six-course menu focused on the humble egg. A limited-time menu that is available on every first and last Saturday of each month, the Michelin-starred restaurant will highlight a single ingredient, guided by the seasonality and availability of ingredients.
This March, four different types of eggs will form the basis of the menu, featuring dishes like Century Egg and Tofu, Smoked Egg Espuma with Caviar, Cuttlefish Noodle with Warm Egg Yolk, Fried Egg with Black Bean Hollandaise, Steamed Egg with Lobster and Salty Egg Yolk, and Jasmine Tea Egg Custard Tart. Additionally, diners can opt for sommelier-led wine pairings ($480 for three glasses, $780 for six glasses) to complete the experience.
Tate Dining Room, 210 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan | (+852) 2555 2172
This Wan Chai trattoria, open since late last year, focuses on soulful Tuscan cuisine, hearty pasta, and an expansive collection of wines, with simple, quality ingredients taking centre stage. After bringing a taste of Bistecca alla Fiorentina ($1,198) and the culture of cucina povera to our shores, it also only makes sense to complete the experience with the tradition of a local butcher, a regular fixture of Italian communities in quaint towns. Cue: the opening of Associazione Chanti’s macelleria, a one-stop-shop for the finest selection of grass-fed, grain-finished USDA Super Prime cuts from lush pastures in Idaho, hand-picked by the restaurant’s butcher. Thick-cut with deep marbling, the meats undergo an in-house dry-ageing process of about two weeks. Available for takeaway, all purchases come with a gratis house dry rub that enhances its natural aromas and makes at-home preparation a cinch.
Associazione Chianti, Shop 2, 15 Ship Street, Wan Chai | (+852) 3619 3360
Born in Hong Kong, raised in Germany, and educated in the U.S., Jen is an award-winning creative with a background in illustration, communication design, art direction, and content creation. When she’s not getting lost in a good book, you’ll find her doing crosswords, eating dim sum, covering both sides of a Disney duet, and taking naps.
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