Melissa F

No 9 SBI Canteen aka Softbank (軟庫飯堂) is one of the most sought-after Chinese private kitchens in Hong Kong! Owned by prominent businessman Lawrence Yu, the restaurant is run by Chef Tak Chow who was the apprentice of the last household chef for Qing dynasty official Gong Taai Si (江太史) - renowned as a food lover and for his influence in the development of Cantonese cuisine as we know it today. It is nearly impossible to book unless you know someone who is connected. A fantastic meal with delicate flavors, highlights included the pan-fried bird’s nest, crystal prawn, stir-fried pig’s stomach tip, stewed duck soup with chenpi, and eight treasure duck.

Our menu:

海膽戈渣
琵琶燕窩盞
玻璃大蝦球
七彩炒肚尖
陳皮燉鴨湯
清蒸海老鼠斑
百寶炆大鴨
雲腿四寶蔬
沙嗲牛肉炒腸粉
蓮子蛋白杏仁茶
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No 9 SBI Canteen 軟庫飯堂
Central, Hong Kong
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Our meal at @eatanicgarden then continued with delightful creations such as the samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) presented as a roulade, Hanwoo beef with layers of abalone, yuchae flowers with cold noodles, desserts made with strawberry and mugwort, and finally the petit fours presented in a gorgeous mother of pearl jewelry box.

The second half of our menu:

Samgyetang

Taro

Yuchae

Strawberry

Mugwort

Mother of Pearl Box
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1*, Eatanic Garden
Seoul, Korea
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True to its name, @eatanicgarden is a beautiful restaurant resembling an urban garden located on the 36th floor of @josunpalace. With a choice of table and counter seats, we sat in the couple’s sofa booth with panoramic views of the city. In the place of a menu, we were given illustrated cards written by the staff with the arrival of each dish - related to their childhood memories of the ingredient. Helmed by Chef @jw.sson, the innovative Korean dishes here were some of the most aesthetically pleasing I’ve seen in recent times.

The first part of our menu:

Bamboo Shoots

Jujeonburi

Fatsia Shoots

Soy Bean

Spring Greens

To be continued…
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1*, Eatanic Garden
Seoul, Korea
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Pretty disappointing meal at @gebangsikdang.official

The restaurant was bright and clean while the sides (banchan) were quite modern, but their ganjang gejang (soy sauce marinated raw crab) didn’t quite have enough flavors - like it wasn’t marinated for long enough. Also didn’t get what the spicy version was supposed to be as it was just covered with gochujang - it was like eating the paste straight up.
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Gebang Sikdang
Seoul, Korea
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There’s a new restaurant in @islandshangrila and it’s a beautiful one by the hotel’s pool with inspirations from the natural surroundings of HK. The restaurant @mingpavilion.shangrila pays homage to the rich heritage of Hokkien cuisine and the evolution of it across Asia. Signature dishes include the Xiamen-style “popiah” (潤餅), Fujian-style Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, steamed mud crab with glutinous rice, and wok-fried Singapore noodles. Complimenting the food is a wide selection of artisanal Chinese tea curated by a Tea Mixologist!

Our menu:

STARTERS

閩南五香卷
Deep-fried Five-spice Pork Roll

廈門風味潤餅
Xiamen-Style “Popiah”

香酥脆蝦棗
Deep-fried Hand Chopped Prawn Roll

SOUP

鷄湯汆海蚌
Blanched Jumbo Surf Clams in Chicken Soup

FROM THE SEA

飄香紅鱘蟹糯米飯
Steamed Mud Crab with Glutinous Rice

香脆紧菜海蠣煎
Fried Oyster Pancake with Seaweed & Baby Leek

MINNAN SINGAPOREAN

廈門薑母鴨
Xiamen Ginger Duck

蒜蓉精選時蔬
Seasonal Greens with Garlic

RICE & NOODLES

新加坡炆海鮮福建麵
Wok-Fried Singapore Noodles with Seafood

DESSERT

花生湯配油炸鬼，手工黑麻糍
Traditional Peanut Sweet Soup with Homemade Black Sesame Mochi

金瓜手工芋泥
“Orh Nee” Sweet Taro Paste with Japanese Pumpkin
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Ming Pavilion 茗悅
Admiralty, Hong Kong
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When I asked around for recommendations for Seoul, one of the names that kept popping up was @onjium_restaurant. Part restaurant, part research institute, Onjium strives to preserve the authentic taste and heritage of traditional Korean cuisine through researching centuries-old recipe book. The restaurant is helmed by two chefs - researcher @sung252825 and chef @joeunhee.food who is trained in Korean royal court cuisine. From the concept, I thought that the restaurant would look very traditional but in fact, the space was actually quite modern with an open kitchen and views of the Gyeongbokgung Palace. The food was very refined and elegant - we had a wonderful time learning about the past and present of Korean cuisine, experiencing flavors and dishes not typically found in other Korean restaurants.

Our menu:

BANGPUNG JUK
Bangpung Porridge

TANGPYEONGCHAE
Mung Bean Jelly Salad

DAEHAP-JEON
Steamed Clam Pancake

KIMCHI PA SANJEOK
Skewered Beef & Korean Vegetables

BOMNAMUL BIBIMBAP
Spring Vegetable Bibimbap

CHEONHYEHYANG
Sorbet
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1*, Onjium
Seoul, Korea
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Trying the new 6 course lunch menu at @mosuhongkong - a great deal at HK$1180 pp with an optional 3 glasses wine pairing at HK$680. Highlights included the refreshing perilla salad with abalone, the Korean-style “chawanmushi” pine nut custard, the cast iron pot rice with Hanwoo beef, and the velvety dashima (seaweed) cheesecake!

Our menu:

Small bites

🍷 Louis Roederer ‘Collection 244’

Perilla salad

Pine nut custard

🍷 Valle Reale, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo ‘Popoli’ 2018

Mackerel & Naeng-yi

Cast iron pot rice

🍷 Chateau d’Armailhac 2018

Small sweets
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Mosu
Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
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When @gucciosteria chefs from Seoul x Florence x Tokyo came together in Seoul! Gucci Osteria is a series of contemporary Italian restaurants by @massimobottura in world cities - each with its own varied identities while sharing the same culinary philosophy. The collaboration menu gave us a taste what each chef’s cuisine can be - creative, complex, playful. Now that I’ve been to the Tokyo and Seoul branches, I look forward to visiting the one in Florence next time!

The Signature Gucci Osteria Experience:

Panzerotto (Seoul)

Colazione Italiana (Florence)

Seppia e Piselli (Tokyo)

Gambero Rosso, Raspberry, Preserved Yuza (Seoul)

Abalone, Mussels, Oysters (Tokyo)

Pasta, Bean Miso, Honey, Franciacorta (Tokyo)

Polenta Crisp, Seasonal Vegetables, Caviar (Florence)

Jeju Black Pork Sirloin, Chamnamul, Garlic Scape (Seoul)

Banana Split (Florence)

Hallabong Aperol Spritz Jelly (Seoul)

Vin Santo Madeleine & Pralines (Florence)

Torna in Italia con me (Tokyo)
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Gucci Osteria Seoul x Florence x Tokyo
Seoul, Korea
#supermelSeoul Less

Back in HK in time to catch @rchaneton’s latest Unplugged series at @monorestaurant last week - this time with Asia’s Best Female Chef @chef.pam of @restaurant.potong in Bangkok! The exciting collaboration featured dishes that celebrated each chef’s cultural heritage, combining Chef Ricardo’s Venezuelan-Italian roots and Chef Pam’s progressive Thai-Chinese cuisine. There were many great dishes but my absolute favorite was the amazing pigeon with a caramelized skin!

Our menu:

Black Chicken Tart & Herbal Consommé
Cilantro / Honey / Chinese Herbs

Buri Ceviche
Anchan Leche de Tigre / Green Papaya

POTONG’S Pad Thai
Carabinero / Tofu / Pickled Radish

MONO-made Sourdough
Lemongrass / Eva Aguilera Arbequina Olive Oil

Scottish Scallop
Galangal Curry / Grasshoppers

Yin Yang Noodle
Morel Mushroom / Pork

Binchotan Grilled Turbot
Thai Basil Tortilla / Green Mango Xnipec

Plounéour-Menez Pigeon
Five-spice Rub / Tamarind Glazed Cucumber

Miyazaki Mango
Rice Chicha / Thai Chilli Tuile

Tangerine & Chocolate Bon Bon

Cantaloupe Pate de Fruit & White Chocolate
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Mono x Potong
Central, Hong Kong
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To celebrate Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, the 50 Best Signature Sessions featured the region’s hottest culinary talent in a series of exclusive collaborations - one of which was the 8 hands between @soigneseoul x @wingrestaurant_hk x @ledubkk x @kwonsooksoo! The event took place in the swanky new location of Soigne with a bright and spacious kitchen. The meal started with a single dish from each chef - each with its distinctive style of flavor - followed by collaborative dishes between 2 chefs before culminating in the main Hanwoo Beef dish which featured everyone. It was a delightful medley of Korean, Thai, and Chinese flavors - thank you chefs for the fantastic experience!

The menu:

Gamtae
@kwonsooksoo

Crab
@ledubkk

Herbs “Bibim”
@soigneseoul

Golden Crystal Egg
@wingrestaurant_hk

Acorn Jelly & Bitter Melon
@ledubkk @soigneseoul

Yukhoe & Moo
@wingrestaurant_hk @kwonsooksoo

Eel & Curry
@ledubkk @kwonsooksoo

Abalone & Barley
@wingrestaurant_hk @soigneseoul

Hanwoo Beef
@ledubkk @soigneseoul @wingrestaurant_hk @kwonsooksoo

Soybean & Camembert
@soigneseoul

Petit Four
@soigneseoul
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Soigne x Wing x Le Du x Kwonsooksoo
Seoul, Korea
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