Mott 32
Photo Courtesy of Joyce Wang
There’s never a shortage of new restaurants to try in Hong Kong. The past few months have brought a fresh crop of addresses where the design is at least as important as the food. On your next Hong Kong adventure, be sure to try these three eateries that are the talk of the town.
Bibo, Photo Courtesy of Bibo
This restaurant — or is it a gallery? —has made waves as much for its modern French cooking as the astounding collection of contemporary art that fills the dining room. Dining here means you’ll be surrounded by works by Banksy, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Takashi Murakami and many others. The feeling is that of an underground art club — one with impeccable taste in modern furniture. Menu highlights include pan-seared foie gras with grenadine-poached rhubarb; hamachi carpaccio; scallops with pistou and corn; and la pomme, a delicate napoleon of calvados compote and salted caramel with Granny Smith apple sorbet. The kitchen is run by Mutaro Balde, who has worked under Alain Ducasse and Joël Robuchon, and the drinks program is led by mixologist Alexandre Chatté. By the way, there’s no sign; look for the door marked “Compagnie Générale Française de Tramways.”
Named for the street in New York’s Chinatown, this stylish newcomer by Maximal Concepts serves Cantonese fare in digs by designer-of-the-moment Joyce Wang. (She did the fab renovation of Los Angeles’ storied Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel a few years back.) For Mott 32, Wang combined industrial elements and burnished metals with traditional Chinese furnishings for chic, opulent results. The menu is composed of Cantonese classics made with high-end ingredients (kurobuta and Iberian pork, Kobe beef, live seafood). Drinkers can explore a deep wine list or consider creative cocktails such as the Hong Kong iced tea, made of Corralejo Tequila Reposado, Lillet Blanc and black currant and jasmine teas.
Aberdeen Street Social, Photo Courtesy of Aberdeen Street Social
Located in PMQ, the newly refurbished and repurposed Police Married Quarters building, this eatery once again brings together chef Jason Atherton and restaurateur Yenn Wong of 22 Ships fame. The airy, two-story venue features terraces and garden views on both levels. Wood, glass and metal elements create a feeling that’s modern but far from cold. Upstairs is a full-service dining room, while downstairs is an open-all-day cocktail bar, café and takeout counter selling housemade pastries and ice cream. The fare is modern British, so expect dishes such as Suffolk pork ravioli with peppered hearts and kidneys; roasted sea bass with cauliflower couscous and sea vegetables; or braised ox cheek with roasted marrow and horseradish mash.
