A HONG KONG KIND OF JANUARY

New year, new things to do

CALLING ALL

Hongkongers who asked Santa Claus for new restaurants, spa treatments and art expos in the New Year: your wishes have been granted.

Talent from the four corners of the world has descended on Hong Kong to ratchet up the city’s dining options:

Venezuelan chef Ricardo Chaneton has departed Island Shangri La’s Petrus to introduce his take on contemporary French cuisine at new restaurant Mono (1) in Central.

Pop-up appearances include Christian Bau, of Germany’s Michelin-starred Victor’s Fine Dining, who will be showcasing his signature Japanese-influenced European gastronomy at Haku (2) in Tsim Sha Tsui with an eight- course collaboration menu from 6-8 January, while award-winning chef Kenichiro Yamauchi will be serving up an eight-course menu at The Mira’s Whisk on 16 and 17 January.

Afternoon tea at The Drawing Room (3) in the St Regis in Wan Chai is getting an international twist with such ingredients as French chestnuts, Canadian maple syrup, American pecan plus Japanese pumpkin and sweet potato, courtesy of chefs Vincent Leroux and Chad Yamagata.

Red Lobster (4), a US restaurant chain which started out in Florida half a century ago, has now opened a branch in Causeway Bay – with a special Typhoon Shelter Lobster option.

And Chris Woodyard and Bronwyn Cheung – a husband and wife culinary team – are conjuring up modern Australian cuisine at Hue (5) in the newly revamped Hong Kong Museum of Art, which houses 17,000 artworks in swanky new surrounds.

For other artistic offerings,

Dai Bing (6) bar in Sheung Wan is hosting multimedia exhibition ‘ Combing for Ice and Jade’ on the lives of independent Chinese women known as ‘Comb Sisters’, focusing on photographer Kurt Tong’s own nanny.

Meanwhile over in spa land, the Four Seasons is harnessing oxygen to turn back the clock with its new

Luminous skin facial (7), while brand new Amooma Spa & Sanctuary (8) in Wan Chai is using virtual realityassisted meditation to take spa- goers around the world, with scenes of forests, waterfalls and flower-filled fields from Australia, the Philippines, Germany, New Zealand and the Caribbean.