The summer’s almost here so it’s time to hit the beach and get some seaside scram. Mavericks, a new bar, restaurant and ‘board shack’ on Pui O Beach, south Lantau, has timed its opening perfectly. The place reeks of summer, sporting an atmosphere that’s more Hawaii than Hong Kong. There’s an open-air design, chairs made out of skateboards and laidback staff. The brainchild of chef Austin Fr and designer Jay FC, this spot should be packed with beach-goers over the summer.
The food at Mavericks reflects the whole surf crowd ethos, with rad names for many dishes. To begin, we choose the pork wonton ‘nachos’ ($78). Each bite-sized crunchy wonton has the perfect ratio of cheese and meat, and toppings like sour cream and guacamole work well with the flavours. For mains, we order the ‘carpet bag’ ($388), which is a pan-seared grass-fed Angus tenderloin with battered oysters and Béarnaise sauce. The oysters are soft and juicy but the medium-rare steak is disappointingly dry.
For the finale, we go for the ‘mason jar s’mores’ ($68), a rich, decadent rum-spiked chocolate pudding, topped with lightly torched marshmallows, which are sadly not roasted enough to create that classic gooey texture and flavour. But the pudding is satisfying.
The food at Mavericks needs a bit of work yet. The concept, vibes and beachside location are ace – so hopefully Fry will wax out the gastronomic creases before the surf’s up for summer.
Mavericks Pui O Beach, Lantau, 5662 8552; mavericks.hk.