Eat & Drink Hong Kong: The latest events and happenings right now

The modern cross-cultural food market, which showcases Korean, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Singaporean cuisine, is offering a new party set featuring a variety of Asian dishes made for six ($888) or ten people ($1,488) that is available for pick up (Mon to Sun 12-6.30pm) or delivery ($100 to Hong Kong island only). Perfect for private parties with friends or family at home, the set includes items such as Vietnamese spring rolls, Korean fried chicken, nasi lemak, shredded chicken salad, Hokkien mee, coffee creme caramel and much more. If that's not enough, you can also choose additional items for an additional fee including half a Sichuan spicy chicken ($168) or six shrimp paste chicken wings ($98) among other items. To order or see the full menu, check out their website.

If you’re going to treat yourself to an indulgent afternoon tea anyway, then it might as well be from one of Hong Kong’s most luxurious hotels. Mandarin Oriental’s new afternoon tea takeaway ($898 for a set made for two people) brings the hotel’s five-star high tea experience to your home for pick up or delivery. The impressive four-tier box is filled with treats such as the signature 1963 Mandarin cheesecake, matcha éclair, and Portuguese egg tart, as well as savoury bites of smoked salmon and roast beef sandwiches, and classic and raisins scones with their famed rose petal jam and Devon clotted cream, and more. The menu will change from time to time to offer a little something different each time and is available to order from their online shop here.

Shake Shack’s newest limited edition menu is based on the combination of smoky and tangy Mexican-inspired chipotle ShackSauce, sharp cheddar cheese, and smooth chipotle cheddar cheese sauce. Available at all six outlets across Hong Kong, the chipotle cheddar menu offers a chipotle cheddar burger ($62) with Angus beef and melted cheddar cheese; chipotle cheddar chick’n ($60) with crispy chicken; and chipotle cheddar dog ($46) ­made with beef. Complete the meal with the crinkle-cut fries ($40) for a truly satisfying chipotle cheddar experience. For those that don’t want to wait, you can order online at order.shakeshack.com.hk before you get there.

Created by a Hong Kong nutritionist and hiking enthusiast, Nomsoftheday is a new series of activated nuts made for healthier snacking. But what exactly are activated nuts? Whatever you do, don’t look down! Well, it’s where raw nuts are soaked to stimulate the early germination and sprouting process, followed by a gentle dehydration process. Doing this makes the nuts easier to digest and makes the most out of all its nutrients. Nomsoftheday nuts come in three flavours so far, including maple glazed rosemary pecans ($78), garlic-lime almonds ($72), and our absolute favourite: spicy Sichuan cashews ($72). They’re also all-natural, refined sugar-free, grain-free, dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan friendly, so they’re perfect for almost all of us, the ones that can eat nuts anyway. You can purchase them online here.

MO Bar at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental is getting arty for the month of May with their Art Aperitivo including cocktails, champagne and bites to enjoy every day from 3pm. The Art Aperitivo set is presented on a paint palette and features savoury bites for sharing such as fried chicken, charcuterie, mini burgers and more and can be paired with a bottle of R&L Legras ‘Brut’ Champagne ($999) or four art-inspired cocktails ($712) including drinks like The Kiss, The Purple Collin, and more.

To celebrate its eighth year since its creation by chef Dominique Ansel, the hybrid croissant-doughnut pastry returns to Hong Kong for a limited time only from May 12 to 30 in the form of a chrysanthemum and blood peach cronut. Exclusive to Hong Kong, the sweet and golden crispy cronut is filled with a floral chrysanthemum honey ganache and juicy blood peach jam, a flavour never to repeat anywhere else. So make sure you get your hands on them soon and remember that they’re best enjoyed immediately.

Injecting a little Thai flavour to afternoon tea, Lady Nara is offering a new set with sweets and savouries in true picnic style. The table will be lined with a red checkers cloth while a rattan basket holds all your afternoon tea goodies. Highlights include a homemade pandan scone, deep-fried sticky rice with sliced mango, Thai-style coconut cake, salted egg yolk crispy chicken, spicy crab meat and cucumber salad, and much more. The afternoon tea is available daily from 3pm to 5.30pm ($398 for two) and also comes with a pack of Lady Nara postcards that they’ll send for you to any local address, as if you’re really enjoying tea in Thailand.

The Fine Wine Experience has recently opened up a series of experiential events and masterclasses created for wine lovers at its K11 Musea location. The events will take place every Thursday (except public holidays) between 5pm to 8pm and will give enthusiasts the chance to taste and explore wines from all around the world. More specifically, on May 29, The Fine Wine Experience is hosting a Saturday session to cover the topic of understanding the highest classification of a vineyard: Grand Cru. To reserve a spot, call 2803 0820 or use the K11 HK mobile app.

From now until September 30, whisky lovers can check out the new whisky pop-up on the first floor of K11 Musea, which features Hong Kong-based spirits merchant The Whisky Library’s matryoshka doll-inspired whisky cabinet with 130 collectible whisky bottles on display. Whisky enthusiasts and curious drinkers can taste and purchase from an exclusive collection of limited-edition, small batch whiskies, rare Cognac and Armagnac vintages, and other spirits. For more information, visit thewhiskylibrary.com

After the successful run of Statement’s Spanish pop-up, this season, the Tai Kwun eatery unveils its second pop-up with sister restaurant – London’s leading Japanese restaurant – Aqua Kyoto. Taste contemporary Japanese dishes that include Aqua Kyoto’s famed sushi maki – like the salmon, beetroot, and sea buckthorn berry maki ($148 for four pieces) and salmon and smoked daikon maki ($138 for four pieces) – cured red snapper with truffle ($118 for four pieces), wagyu beef gyoza ($98 for four pieces), miso-cured sea trout ($98 for four pieces), slow-cooked pork belly with eel ($228), and for a sweet finish, a serving of Japanese street-style Taiyaki waffles ($88 for three pieces). 

On weekends, the pop-up will be serving Kanpai Brunch ($488 per person; additional $100 per person for free-flow drink) which includes yakitori skewers, tempura, Japanese sandos, among others. A Light Brunch option will be available on weekdays for only $288 per person. For more boozy pairings, an extensive selection of sake, wine, Champagne, as well as cocktails will be available during the pop-up, which you can enjoy by the verandah of The Dispensary bar situated next door. Book a seat via statement.com.hk 

Looking for great tasting, low-calorie alcoholic drinks? Hong Kong-based company Only Beverages is launching Only Vodka Soda – Hong Kong’s first zero sugar, zero carb, naturally flavoured, premium vodka-soda in a can for guilt-free sipping. Only Vodka Soda combines 5x distilled vodka – the alcohol with the lowest calories – with sparkling water and natural flavours in a ready-to-drink format that contains only 80 calories and 4.5% ABV – not bad for a hard drink. Available in two citrus flavours – tahitian lime and yuzu ginger – Only Vodka Soda is light and refreshing; almost reminiscent of flavoured seltzer water. We recommend drinking it chilled straight from the can as adding ice will dilute its flavours. The product will be rolled out online ($360/12-pack) and in select stores in the city later this month, but those interested can pre-order a pack of 12 (with a special discount) from drinkonly.co. 

Are you a fan of mala and its tingly aroma and taste? Then you might like the new beer and chips combo from local beer brewer Young Master and potato chips brand Jack ‘n Jill. Exclusively available at Circle-K Stores, the combo ($25.90) offers Young Master's unfiltered green peppercorn-flavoured lager called Ma Ma Dei ($21.90) and Jack ‘n Jill's green Sichuan peppercorn Potato Chips ($9.50). Young Master's refreshing Ma Ma Dei beer gives off that gentle numbing spice, complementing the potato chips' spicy and umami flavours.  

Little Bao has teamed up with Draft Land HK to open a food and drink pop-up at Fashion Walk called Little Draft Land. The three-month pop-up will see Hong Kong mixologist Antonio Lai alongside chef May Chow in Causeway Bay cooking and mixing up a storm. The idea is to teleport guests out of the city with dishes inspired by restaurants from around the world and will kick off with two of our favourite destinations – Seoul and Taipei. From the kitchen, Taiwanese and Korean-inspired dishes can be washed down with Korean-inspired cocktails on tap.

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart… Maybe not. But the Landmark Mandarin Oriental did give us Freshly-Baked by Richard Ekkebus during their Christmas market. Well, now it’s back by popular demand as a three-month pop up on the third floor of Landmark. This time, LMO Freshly-Baked by Richard Ekkebus 2.0, will offer even more baked treats created by Ekkebus and pastry chef Valentin Mille, such as a supersized limited-edition cookie creation ($350) and an Amalfi lemon madeleine (from $25) available at specific times. Other new baked goods include chocolate moelleux ($50), vanilla chouquette ($35), and a flan ‘Parisien’ with bourbon vanilla ($40). Drinks are also available as an iced chocoholic drink ($60) which can be spiked with bourbon or rum ($90) from 5pm onwards.

Luxury British chocolatier Charbonnel et Walker has launched a pop-up at the Garden Lounge of The Murray Hong Kong to offer an array of loose handmade chocolates to pick and mix. The chocolate truffles on display include signature Charbonnel flavours such as English afternoon tea, strawberry, whisky, and dark sea salt caramel ($150/100g) which you can enjoy in the lounge or takeaway. The Garden Lounge, decked out in floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking St John’s Cathedral, is a glamorous afternoon tea spot, adding to a rather sophisticated experience to enjoy Charbonnel et Walker chocolates. The decadent chocs can also be purchased at Charbonnel et Walker’s pop-up cart at Landmark Prince’s Building and on www.charbonnel.com.hk.

Hong Kong brewery Yardley Brothers recently launched their barrel-ageing programme with the opening of the brewery’s new barrel room and the release of their new barrel-aged sour ale series named Bugs! Yardley Brothers's first barrel-aged release under the Bugs! series is a wheat sour called Bourbon Marmalade ($78 for 375ml; $432 for a six-pack). The brew comes in a sexy long neck bottle – designed by Kyle Christensen – which makes the product look sophisticated but bears a green bug graphic that shows the brand's playfulness. The beer is aged for eight months in a Jim Beam bourbon whiskey barrel added with citrus peel. The result (ABV 7%) has an aroma and taste that will remind you of a honeyed whisky sour, with hints of vanilla, subtle bourbon warmth, and a hint of oak. You can drink it chilled and straight from the bottle or pair it with a savoury dish – the sourness helps clear the palate and its honeyed sweetness definitely whets the appetite. There are only 1,000 bottles of the Bourbon Marmalade 2020 vintage out now in the market, so make sure to try one while it lasts. Get a bottle today at yardleybrothers.hk.