June brings another month of good eating as our homegrown restaurants and chefs search near and far to bring us some of the biggest names in the food world from Asia and abroad. Short of booking a flight to Tokyo, Singapore, or even farther afield to London and Spain, June’s pop-up dinners are the best chance you’ll have of getting a taste of some of the most celebrated restaurants in the region. Whether you’re after a fine dining degustation or tasty tapas — these are the pop-up dinners you shouldn’t miss this month.
Den and Odette at Ritz-Carlton
When: 7–9 June
Price: HK$3,888 per person for 10-course degustation
The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong continues its streak of bringing in some of the region’s most preeminent chefs this month with its latest pop-up, featuring Den and Odette (#2 and #5 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018, respectively). In collaboration with Caviar House & Prunier, the hotel welcomes chef Zaiyu Hasegawa from Den and chef Julien Royer from Odette — two culinary wizards who are set to present a 3-day guest chef degustation from 7–9 June. Savour the exquisite dishes in a 10-course degustation, which kicks off with a luxurious spoonful of Prunier caviar and a glass of Dom Pérignon champagne. With Hasegawa and Royer alternating courses, diners will enjoy the best of Japan and Singapore as they soak in the culinary wizardry of two chefs currently at the top of their game — all paired with a selection of handpicked wines and sake.
Tosca, 102/F, The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, +852 2263 2270
Chef Rafael Peña at Four Seasons
When: 6–9 June
Price: HK$1,450 per person for 8-course menu, wines from HK$140 per glass; all prices subject to 10% service charge
If you’re salivating for Spanish cuisine this month, make your way to The Lounge at Four Seasons for an exclusive taste of “bistronomia” from the celebrated Catalonian chef Rafael Peña. Popular in Spain and around the world, Peña has been at the forefront of pushing this fast-casual style of dining as the next evolution of modern Spanish cuisine: a hybrid notion based on simple dishes elevated with flashes of haute cuisine.
Experience “bistronomia” in a spectacular 8-course tasting menu from 6–9 June, with highlight dishes including foie gras with marinated vegetables “escabeche-style” and roasted squab with ginger. A veteran of such venerable establishments such as el Bulli and Martin Berasategui, Peña’s exceptional technique and mastery of native ingredients are sure to make for a memorable meal, washed down with wines from the young winemaker Dominik A. Huber of boutique winery Terroir al Límit.
The Lounge, Four Seasons Hong Kong, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong, +852 3196 8888
Natsuko Shoji at à nu retrouvez-vous
When: 5–6 June, 6:30–11pm
Price: HK$1,880 for 8-course Executive Chef’s menu, plus HK$780 for 6-glass wine pairing; Call +852 2770 6222 or click here to book
Since debuting its elaborate French-Japanese tasting menu earlier this year, à nu retrouvez-vous in Harbour City has captivated fine dining gourmands: a Tokyo import founded by chef-owner Shohei Shimono. Coming to town this 5–6 June is a Four Hands dinner not to be missed: Shimono himself will be here collaborating on an 8-course Executive Chef’s menu with his close friend and fellow Japanese culinary superstar, Natsuko Shoji, an alumni of Florilege and founder of one of Tokyo’s hottest restaurants, été.
The seasonal 8-course menu showcases the immense range and technique of both chefs, as they handle a stunning assortment of premium ingredients from Japan with a focus on fresh seafood. Priced at HK$1,880, guests can savour some of the exclusive dishes that have resulted in both restaurants being some of the hardest tables to come by in Tokyo (été is, in fact, by-invitation-only), all capped off by desserts from Shoji’s famous pâtisserie, Fleurs d’été.
à nu retrouvez-vous, Shop OTE 402, 4/F, Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, 3-27 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, +852 2770 6222
Chef Adam Simmonds at Gough’s on Gough
When: 21–22 June
Price: HK$1,488 per guest for 8-course “Discovery Menu”, HK$1,988 with wine and cocktail pairing; prices subject to 10% surcharge; Call +852 2473 9066 or email hello@goughsongough.com to book in advance
Head chef Arron Rhodes of modern British diner Gough’s on Gough reunites with his mentor, chef Adam Simmonds (one of Good Food Guide’s ‘Chefs to Watch,’) this month in a special Four Hands dinner deemed “Discovery Menu”. Featuring modern takes on classic British dishes, the menu is marked by an influence of various cuisines and innovative cooking techniques, with dishes fusing classic British staples and innovative interpretations — think chicken skin with caviar and cod roe, Scottish smoked salmon pancake, foie gras with smoked eel and Granny smith apple, and Cornish blue lobster with mango curry. The chefs previously worked alongside each other at Danesfield House in Marlow.
Gough’s on Gough, 15 Gough Street, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2473 9066
Kei Kojima at Rech by Alain Ducasse
When: 5–7 June
Price: HK$1,688 plus 10% service charge per person
Landing in Hong Kong from 6–9 June, Chef de Cuisine Kei Kojima from the two-Michelin-star Beige Alain Ducasse Tokyo will be injecting a dose of fresh Japanese flavours into the menu at French fine diner, Rech by Alain Ducasse at the InterContinental Hong Kong. Known for his refined French cuisine mixed with Japanese influences, Kojima will present a specially curated 5-course Gala Seafood Menu featuring premium Japanese and French produce, from grilled Japanese aoriika with shaved black truffle to pan-seared red mullet and poached French blue lobster with quick-sautéed cabbage. The bridging of both cuisines culminates in a sensational dessert of matcha tea tartlet with cocoa nib crisp, paired with fine chocolates from the Alain Ducasse factory in Paris.
Rech by Alain Ducasse, G/F, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, +852 2313 2323
Jérôme Quilbeuf and Miquel Antoja at Rustico
When: 11–14 June; select dishes and desserts available à la carte from 15–25 June
Price: HK$980 per person for 7-course tasting menu
Head up to north Kowloon for Spanish delights served in a homey, fuss-free environment at Rustico, which welcomes the young chefs and social media stars, Jérôme Quilbeuf and Miquel Antoja from Nonna Maria and 130 Restaurant in Barcelona. Both trained under the legendary Michelin-starred Catalan chef Carme Ruscalleda, Quilbeuf and Antoja will be presenting a one-off degustation themed ‘Menú From Barcelona’, which progresses over seven courses of rustic Spanish creations. Working side-by-side in the kitchen, the Four Hands dinner starts with tasty tapas such as Iberian ham croquettes and sea bream ceviche, followed by duck consommé with foie gras, braised beef cheek with Pedro Ximenez sauce, and juicy red prawn rice flavoured with fragrant saffron and chervil. If you can’t make it for the chef’s showcase, a selection of dishes and desserts will also be available on the à la carte menu from 15–25 June.
Rustico, G01, D2 Place One, 9 Cheung Yee Street, Lai Chi Kok, Hong Kong, +852 2743 4511
Leslie Yeh
Editor in Chief
Having worked as a lifestyle editor for almost 10 years, Leslie is thrilled to be writing about the topic she loves most: wining and dining. When she's not out pounding the pavement for the latest new restaurant opening or tracking food trends, Leslie can be found at home whipping up a plate of rigatoni vodka and binge-watching Netflix with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc in hand.
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