Start the week right

Start the week on the right note with Magnum Monday and BBQ Tuesday at Steak Frites by The Butchers Club. Magnum Monday will take place one Monday per month, beginning on Sept. 14, when all customers dine for HKD550 and share off-menu selections of red wine poured from magnum sized bottles. From red wine to redneck, Tuesday follows with Chef Hayden Smith’s bone sucking Slow-Smoked BBQ Platter for HKD250 per person. The three meats – pulled pork, grilled back ribs and chicken wings – basted in Steak Frite’s spicy house BBQ sauce and coming with four sides –  will have you saying god bless the BBQ. Tried, tested and loved!

Steak Frites by The Butchers Club, 12pm-3pm, 6pm-11pm Monday-Sunday.
UG/F, 52-56 Staunton Street, Central (entrance on Aberdeen Street), (+852) 2858-9800.
 

East + West = Best

Can’t decide whether to eat Asian or Western? At Lan Kwai Fong’s Holy Crab until Sept. 16, you don’t have to. The “East Meets West Culinary Exchange” has seen a scrumptious pick-and-choose menu designed by celebrity Thai Chef Chalee Kader and Holy’s Crab’s own Chef Mark Kerkstra. Backed by the Hong Kong consulates of both Thailand and Canada, the scheme features a royal spread of seafood dishes from both countries, including Kao Soy Thai Noodles with Tiger prawns (HKD200) and Dungeness Crab Popover (HKD140).

Holy Crab, 3/F, Cosmos Building, 8-11 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, (+852) 2110-0100. 

Hola!

In late September we can all say (with a lisp), “bienvenidos” to new Northern Spanish bar and restaurant, The Optimist. Its asador-inspired menu brings grilled seafood, meat and traditional regional dishes from the North. Hongkongers are invited to indulge in authentic market tastes and sip on the bounty of beverages (who doesn’t like Spanish wine?) in the Barcelona chic bar or homey Spanish restaurant.

The Optimist 6:30pm-10:30pm Monday-Friday, 6:30pm-11pm Saturday (Restaurant) 11:30am-1am Monday-Thursday, 11:30am-2am Friday-Saturday (Bar), G/F – 2/F, 239 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
 

K-Love

Among the abundance of Korean food spots in Hong Kong, newbie Momojein stands out with its celebrity Korean chef Lim Hee Won and and an almost entirely Korean staff. Taking the tastes of their home country and adding a twist of Chef Lim’s innovative techniques, the menu consists of reinterpreted traditional dishes. The Beef & Poached Egg (HKD78), served in a classic stone pot, is a perfect example, consisting of a bite of slow-cooked beef with a delicately sweet white radish, soaked in running egg yolk topped with breadcrumbs, coriander and chili powder. The Whole Kalbi (layers of grilled beef on a marinated prime rib) & Coriander Salad made with “Secret Sauce” recipe for HKD340 also revolutionise the Korean food concept. Trust us!

Momojein, 12pm-3pm, 6pm-11pm Monday-Sunday, 23/F QRE Plaza 202 Queen’s Road East Wan Chai (Exit A3, Wan Chai Station), (+852) 2789-1949.
 

What a load of crepe!

 

Begin your weekend mornings at La Crêperie in Causeway Bay with their new Weekend Brunch menu. Kick your bae out of bed because the deal, brunch for two, includes a selection of one of four savoury buckwheat galettes, a sweet French signature dessert crêpe and Brittany’s crisp apple cider served hot or cold, all for just HKD288. For those too young to drink in the flavours of Brittany, the kids’ menu is priced at HKD88. They (and you) are also bound to enjoy servers dressed up as sailors and the nautical interior.

La Crêperie, 12pm-11:30pm Tuesday, Wednesday Sunday, 12pm-12am Thursday-Saturday. 8/F, The L Square, 459-461 Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay, (+852) 2898-7123.
 

Italian explosion

The Italian migrant familial roots and recipes at Posto Pubblico are bringing new New York/Jersey classics to the forefront in honour of their sixth anniversary. The massively expanded menu offers a 14-strong pasta list and a number of New York Italian sandwich options (we hear the grilled chicken, kale and fresh mozzarella “de Blasio” is the bomb). Another new must-try are the pan-fried Pizza Frittas, served in an iron skillet and coming in two breakfast options, one sweet and one savoury. This sixth year celebration is really too good to be true!

Posto Pubblico, 12pm-1am Monday-Sunday, G/F, 28 Elgin Street, SoHo, Central, (+852) 2577-7160.  
 

Nice to meat you

Mooooooving back in after a renovation, Wooloomooloo Steakhouse is wooing Tsim Sha Tsui East harbourfront with a new menu (also to be available at their Wan Chai location). The new look TST joint is bettering the popular 150-day Grain Fed Australian Black Angus Steak with 350-day Grain Fed Australian Wagyu Beef. Fresh and beefy à la carte options, Wild Mushroom Vol Au Vent and Dukkha Crusted Australian Lamb Cutlets are also to add to the juicy signatures. Further options include an Executive Set Lunch, Holiday Brunch, and a bargain Happy Hour from 3pm to 7pm daily.

Wooloomooloo Steakhouse, 11:45am till late Monday-Sunday, (Tsim Sha Tsui East) Shop G7/8, Tsim Sha Tsui Centre, 66 Mody Road, TST East, (+852) 2722-7050.
 

Fook-ing fancy shopping

 

To celebrate its 65th anniversary, award-winning kitchen Fook Lam Moon has opened a product line shop selling their exclusive tastes to the masses, including XO sauce, festive mooncakes, and specially dried products. Located next door to the Wan Chai restaurant, Fook Lam Moon Fine Foods also carries a selection of exclusively made Chinese Tea by Lock Cha Teahouse and Sensory Artisan Coffee Beans, as well as a Belgian chocolate gift box from Neuhaus Chocolatier.

Fook Lam Moon Fine Food Shop, 11am-9pm Monday-Sunday, B, 35-45 Johnston Road, Wan Chai,  (+852) 2363-8810.
 

Czech this out

 

Tired of the same beer and liqueur? Pivo Czech Bar is a unique boutique Eastern European bar/resto, bringing us a specialised selection of vodkas, Czech-inspired dishes and, of course “Pivo”, which means beer in Czech. Its emphasis on authentic Czech brews (like Pilsner Urquell HKD78 or Kozel Dark HKD80) and traditional tastes, such as Classic Bohemian Goulash Soup in Wheat Bread Roll (HKD75), provide an unusual culinary escape.

Pivot Czech Bar 11am-11pm Tuesday Sunday, 42 Forbes Street, Kennedy Town, (+852) 2453-9873.
 

Bibo brunch, baby!

If food is an art, Bibo’s “Bohème weekend brunch” (back by popular demand) is a masterpiece. On Saturday or Sunday at either 11:30am or 1:30pm, a three-course menu showcases summer-inspired starters like a Saint Jacques et L’huître, made with Hokkaido scallops, Brittany oysters and lemon granité for starters.  Wagyu Beef Burgers or Tartare will be rolled out for for mains, while a selection of fine cheeses, fruit and French crêpes await at the finale. Handcrafted cocktails, fresh juices and pastries (!!) come free-flow – and remember cakes contain no calories when they’re unlimited. Make sure you take advantage, as summer (and these three additional set menus) will be over before you know it.

Bibo, 6pm-1am Monday-Sunday, 11:30am-3:30pm and 5:30pm-1am Saturday-Sunday (Restuarant), 5pm-1am Monday-Sunday (Bar)., 163 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, (+852) 2956 3188.