The team behind British restaurant Roganic opens its latest venture in Hong Kong: The Baker & The Bottleman. Reflecting the same sustainable values, the new shop is a bakery by day and wine bar and restaurant by night, offering gourmet British bakes and natural wines on Lee Tung Avenue in Wan Chai.
The menu features British bakes including pastries, scones, cakes, bread, sandwiches, cookies and more, as well as locally-sourced coffee, soft drinks, juices, loose-leaf teas from a boutique tea merchant in Hong Kong, and soft-serve ice cream.
The bakery's new head chef, Benjamin Lee, recently introduced his new creations to the shop's fresh baked offerings. Grab a box of traditional French pastries, including an array of croissants ($28) in chocolate ($30), almond ($40), and chocolate almond ($45) flavours, and sweet pastries like caramelised white chocolate donut ($20), hazelnut coffee cookie ($25), and almond citrus cookie ($25). Other treats available on the shelves daily include the spiced British yeast dough bun Chelsea Bun ($30) and the Sub Rosa Bun ($34). Chef Benjamin's also introduced his signature to the shop's sourdough bread ($48/whole; $25/half). For savoury bites, the breakfast croissant ($50) with fried egg, truffle ham and red Leicester cheese is available.
On the second floor, guests can enjoy food and drink as it transform into a casual restaurant and wine bar in the evening that serves natural wines from organic and biodynamic winegrowers. The wine bar menu features organic and biodynamic wines from sustainable and ethical winegrowers around the world. If you want to bring the wine experience back home, take away anything from the menu and grab a bottle from The Bottleman's hand-picked wine selection (starts at $200 per bottle) available on the first floor shop. Sip on natural and biodynamic wines and pair them with hearty dishes from the à la carte menu, created by executive chef Oli Marlow together with restaurant head chef Ollie Eisendhardt. The refreshed menu at The Baker & The Bottleman reflects the ethos of the Simon Rogan restaurant group, where seasonality and sustainability are at the forefront. Independent growers and small-scale producers are put in the spotlight.
Guests have the option to enjoy a three-course set menu priced at $380 or choose from the à la carte menu that features the bakery's signature breadbasket ($30) and other small plates such as beef tartare ($180) and grilled cuttlefish ($150). For those looking for filling main dishes that are great for sharing, the half-dry-aged duck ($210) is highly recommended. It is served with confit duck leg ragout, roasted parsnips, and duck jus. Other big plates include the Iberico pork chop ($360) served with braised cabbage and pork jus, and the fish burger ($130) made with cod in beer batter.