Featuring: Roganic, Mr Brown, Nhau…
NO sooner than Brit chef Simon Rogan opened his much anticipated Aulis restaurant, he followed up with Roganic, next door. While Aulis has that experimental, wacky tasting menu vibe to it – and only seats 12 guests – Roganic prides itself on ingredients sourced from local farms, which is quite something in urban Hong Kong. With fellow British chef Oli Marlow overseeing the kitchen, the menu is a fun combination of deeply British offerings – salad with truffle and Westcombe cheese, for example – and nice nods to Hong Kong-inspired dishes such as sea urchin custard topped with fresh uni and fritter of confit chicken and squid ink crumbs. Choose between the 10-course Roganic Long Taster menu ($HK980, $A180) or the eight-course Short Taster menu ($HK680, $A125), both with optional wine pairings, while a three-course set lunch menu is also available for $HK280 ($A50). Diners with a sweet tooth (and high tolerance for sugar) can also opt for the dessert tasting menu ($HK480, $A90) where an array of elaborate creations will arrive such as yellow beetroot sorbet and the unmissable stout, molasses and burnt milk dessert. Roganic, UG/F 08, Sino Plaza, 255 Gloucester Rd, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong; phone +852 2817 8383.
Anyone with a penchant for hummus and harissa (which is to say most Hong Kong people) must have beaten a path to Middle Eastern eatery Francis sometime in the last year and now the team have done it again with Mr Brown, located just round the corner.
Head chef Israeli Asher Goldstein again doesn’t disappoint, with a mouthwatering barbecue-driven menu with all dishes complemented with an exciting array of dips and sides. There’s also a few surprises, too, such as unexpected raw delights of hamachi, leek ash and grilled avocado, but unapologetic meat eaters will certainly get their fix with chargrilled chicken and lamb, and carb lovers will tuck into the homemade bread served warm with fresh butter. Mr Brown, G/F, 9 Ship St, Wan Chai, Hong Kong; phone +852 3101 1081.
After a brief hiatus, chef Que Vinh Dang is back on the scene with a new Vietnamese fusion joint, Nhau. More casual than high end, Que’s food is essentially sharing-style snacks meant to be consumed with plentiful booze. Think quirky dishes such as banh mi rice tacos to fried chicken with homemade sriracha or beef tartare with crispy tendon. For dessert, don’t miss the Southeast Asian-style sundae, with DIY ingredients from sticky honeycomb to pandan ice cream. Situated in still-very-cool Sheung Wan, Nhau brings a slice of much-needed funky Vietnam to Hong Kong. Nhau, 12 Circular Pathway, Central, Hong Kong; phone +852 3612 4568.