RESTAURANT RENAISSANCE

It’s time to embrace eating out again. Here are the best new places to excite your tastebuds in Hong Kong and Macau

MIXING RAP AND ROLLS WITH TMK

TMK Rap & Rolls joins the Hong Kong restaurant scene with a hip hopthemed temakeria perfectly made for fun-fuelled nights out. Serving hand- crafted temaki from its location on Wan Chai’s Star Street precinct, the restaurant celebrates the culture of the golden era of hip hop with vintage boomboxes and a mural covering the restaurant exterior in 1980s rap lyrics alongside artwork featuring The Notorious B. I. G. and Salt- N- Pepa.

Dishes include classic handrolls like the crispy soft- shell crab and hamachi tomato, tuna hotdog and salmon taco with yuzu mayo and avocado tempura. Nori bowls include the West Coast (marinated salmon, avocado and crackling tofu) and the Fat Beats menu, which brings out recommended plates of the day.

TMK Rap & Rolls is the first restaurant launched by Pirata Group in 2021, with four more in the pipeline, including a new Pici Pasta Bar in Kennedy Town and an Italian bakery concept, Pane e Latte, in Stanley. piratagroup. hk

DIG INTO STEAKS AND SANDWICHES AT AUSSIE GRILL BY OUTBACK

Aussie Grill by Outback has opened its Hong Kong flagship at the Entertainment Building in Central, with signature burgers and sandwiches as its calling card.

Hungry? Then order a burger, hearty 5-6oz patties of USDA Choice Grade Beef generously loaded with toppings, like the Bacon Bomb Burger topped with jalapeños, bacon onion jam, bacon, Cheddar, homemade pickles and aioli sauce. Another signature is the braised pork sandwich, hand-pulled, shredded roast pork in toasted ciabatta, topped with aged Cheddar, tomatoes, peppercorn sauce, honey balsamic vinaigrette and rocket. Other crowd pleasers include the crispy sriracha chicken burger, crispy shrimp sandwich and Impossible melt sandwich. aussiegrill.com.hk

SOAK UP THE AFTER-WORK VIBES AT IZAKAYA BY K

Modelled after Tokyo’s legendary after work social hubs, Izakaya by K has opened at The Parkside in Tseung Kwan O with Michelintrained chef Yusuke Kitade at the helm. Menu specialties include Japanese Wagyu clay pot rice with A4 Miyazaki Wagyu and tuna tartare with avocado paste and marinated egg yolk topped with caviar, along with iwashi (sardine) sushi and unagi inari (deep-fried tofu with eel).

The restaurant manager is also an experienced sake sommelier and keen to introduce diners to hidden sake, shochu, whisky and liqueur gems from Japan. There’s an extensive range of sakes, from feminine and floral to rich and complex brews. facebook.com/izakaya.byk

SAVOUR GRILLED DISHES AT TEPPANYAKI MIHARA

Serving up Japanese fare with a global twist, Teppanyaki Mihara has debuted at The Parkside in Tseung Kwan O.

Named after chef Terufumi Mihara, menu highlights include Miyazaki A4 Wagyu beef sirloin, known for its snowflake-like marbling from Japanese Black cattle, and Hokkaido pork, which is revered for its high collagen and healthy fat content.

Elsewhere on the menu, there’s tuna from Daisen, one of Japan’s oldest tuna suppliers, Hokkaido scallops and oysters and Canadian lobster & South African abalone sourced by the restaurant’s local team in Japan.

Chef Mihara is especially skilled at the Shiogama-Yaki cooking style, steaming fish in a crust of salt and egg white on the grill, retaining moistness and tenderness for maximum flavour. The technique also creates cool presentation, being cracked open on the table for guests when served.

Chef Terufumi’s two omakase chef’s choice menus, invite foodies on a gourmet journey spotlighting highest quality meat, shellfish and fish flown daily from Japan, complemented by homemade sauces, along with wine and sake pairings.

EMBRACE THE TIKI AMBIENCE AT CABANA BREEZE

There’s some Tiki vibes going down in Tung Chung now all-day dining destination Cabana Breeze has made its debut along the waterfront.

There’s an eclectic selection of Tiki-inspired cocktails and mocktails with a modern twist. Menu highlights include the Maui Margarita, with Mexican pepper-infused tequila, mezcal, lime, pink grapefruit, pineapple juice and kaffir lime, and the Cabana Colada, a creamy blend of coconut-infused white rum, pineapple nectar, fresh coconut, guava and lime. Gin and rum lovers will enjoy Cabana Breeze’s custom-built gin and rum trolleys, which highlight the venue’s selection of fine spirits, available by bot h the bottle and the shot.

With a focus on fresh seafood, grilled dishes and freshly-baked pizza from the woodstone oven, menu highlights include a Tuscan-style brick chicken and slow-cooked lamb rump served with green pea puree, broccolini and mint sauce.

Featuring cosy booths and banquette seating, the main dining room is bathed in golden light by banks of suspended pendant lamps. Other design highlights include vibrant turquoise sofas and tropical floral wallpaper.

NEW EATS AT LONDONER MACAO

One of Macao’s hottest new openings, the Londoner Macao brings several new dining options to the city, with an eclectic range of British, Asian and international dining experiences. One of its standout eateries is North Palace (pictured), which will present the northern Chinese cuisine of Shandong, Beijing and Inner Mongolia as an elevated dining experience. The restaurant’s dramatic open fire pit, rotisserie grill, duck oven and signature roasted whole Mongolian lamb and Beijing duck all look set to be firm favourites.

Another place worth checking when the restaurant opens later in 2021 is the Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill, the celebrity chef’s authentic British gastropub, which serves classic British cuisine including Ramsay’s his signature beef wellington, shepherd’s pie and ale-battered fish. londonermacao.com