Creative PLATES

New to Hong Kong’s vibrant Sheung Wan neighbourhood, Rêveri is the brainchild of founders Jessica Kesumo and John Law, who first envisioned creating a restaurant together after helping establish a family friend’s venue in Indonesia. Promising a one-of-a-kind fine dining experience inspired by the couple’s journey, simple yet forwardthinking lunch and dinner tasting menus combine Asian flavours with western cooking styles: think Truffle Brioche, Japanese scallop with aged cheddar and fragrant scallop oil atop a fluffy truffle brioche bun; bite-sized Carabinero Tarts with foie gras mousse and yuzu sake jelly topped with caviar; and Butter Poached Lobster drizzled with a fragrant Shaoxing wine sabayon. Dishes are served in a dining room dressed in muted, neutral tones designed to create a light and warm ambience and an escape the bustling city. reverihk.com

The Grand Hyatt Singapore will partner with Sergio Herman later this year, with a new restaurant marking the acclaimed Dutch chef-entrepreneur’s Asia debut. Located on the hotel’s mezzanine level, the new signature restaurant will take over the space of local favourite mezza9. A household name in the Netherlands and Belgium, 52-year-old chef Sergio Herman is famed for running a slate of successful restaurants, his role on prime-time cooking shows, and as an advocate for the judicious use of local Zeeland produce procured around the Westernmost region of the Netherlands. Herman gained prominence when he transformed Oud Sluis, his family’s humble mussel restaurant, into a culinary powerhouse that earned three Michelin stars every year since 2005 and is now the driving force behind the Sergio Herman Group, which includes twostarred Pure C, one-starred AIRrepublic and one-starred Le Pristine in the Netherlands and Belgium. hyatt.com

Hong Kong’s Pirata Group will introduce Calle Ocho this month, a convivial tapas restaurant and bar inspired by Spain’s historic Madrid de Los Austrias neighbourhood. Located in Fashion Walk, in Causeway Bay, the 130-seat restaurant will welcome guests with a striking tiled facade and bespoke artwork that evoke hallmarks of Iberian ambience such as the spacious plazas, narrow streets, and warm, inviting enclaves that make Iberian dining so special. Executive chef Víctor Caballé Molina will deliver a menu that travels the length and breadth of Spain, from the humble Pan con Tomate made with fresh tomato and herbaceous olive oil, to the playful “Uni-Cone” featuring tuna tartar crowned with sea urchin. Also look out for a selection of indulgent Charcuteria; Grilled Cuttlefish, Clams Clay Pot, Spanish Suckling Pig ‘Boneless’ Terrine, a wholesome Vegetales section, and a show-stopping squid ink paella packed with octopus, crispy calamari, king prawns, mussels and clams. piratagroup.hk

Pioneering restaurant group 1957 & Co. has ushered in a new era of fine dining with the arrival of Akanoshou, an elevated teppanyaki and sushi omakase restaurant in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay. Drawing inspiration from the element of fire as well as from traditional Japanese art, the striking 3,000 sqft space was conceived by acclaimed designer Steve Leung with input by lighting designer Tino Kwan and creative director and graphic artist Ruth Chao, and is helmed by teppanyaki head chef Chong Wai Cheong and sushi head chef Okura Masataka. A main dining room is complemented by a custom-built teppanyaki area, a dedicated sushi space with a bold red marble countertop, and four private rooms, while an outdoor terrace is the perfect spot for pre-meal aperitifs.

Chef Chong draws upon his expert knowledge of traditional teppanyaki techniques to create signature dishes like the teppangrilled Wagyu Sando, made with premium Hida Wagyu beef; and the Hida Wagyu Yakisuki, an innovative twist on Japanese sukiyaki with marinated Wagyu seared on the grill and served with raw Taiyou-ran egg yolk from Nagasaki.

In addition, chef Masataka presents an exquisite Edomae sushi omakase that includes tuna sourced from two of Japan’s leading suppliers, Ishiji and Yamayuki, and two types of shari (sushi rice). Signature dishes include Steamed Abalone with Sake, in which the chef wraps the mollusc with kombu and steams it with sake for seven hours until it’s tender and flavourful. akanoshou.com.hk

Another new Japanese eatery for Hong Kong, Izakaya Nakame No Teppen, the first overseas branch of the celebrated Tokyo restaurant, has opened in Tsim Sha Tsui, offering diners an authentic robatayaki experience. Located in the basement of The Kowloon Hotel, the new venue’s atmosphere is enhanced with the use of warm lighting and wood throughout the space, including tables made of reclaimed wood and custom-designed tatami-inspired booths. The centrepiece of the restaurant is an open robatayaki bar, which also houses a sushi bar, dining bar and chef’s table. Using fresh, high-quality ingredients sourced from Yamagi, the largest wholesaler in Tokyo’s famous Toyosu Fish Market, the restaurant offers a plethora of dishes, ranging from Grilled Unagi Ochazuke; and Monkfish Liver with Ponzu Sauce to Spicy Dam Dam Gyoza and even a plant-based cheesecake. @nakamenoteppen.hongkong

Meliá Chiang Mai has launched Sky-High Mai Restaurant & Bar, an intimate fine-dining restaurant serving contemporary Northern Thai dishes with Mediterranean influences. Located on the hotel’s 21st floor, with panoramic views of the city and famed Doi Suthep Temple, diners enter the intimate venue under an arch that pays homage to a nearby temple, while, in a salute to Chiang Mai’s Bo Sang Umbrella Village, large lit installations of umbrella ribs cling to the ceiling. The menu by award-winning executive chef Suksant “Billy” Chutinthratip and sous chef Karn Phojun celebrates traditional Lanna cuisine with Mediterranean touches in adherence to a ‘360-degree Cuisine’ programme that promotes healthy and sustainable eating based on farm-to-plate and plate-to-farm processes. Highlights include crisp fried fluffy catfish and pomelo salad scented with rice field crab jus; a Vietnamese sausage and edible flowers salad roll with yellow chili puree; and Pappardelle Soi Neur, homemade pappardelle with creamy khao soi curry sauce and slices of seared Australian sirloin. melia.com - NICK WALTON