OPENINGS: More Middle Eastern action arrives in Central with Manouche Grill 

No.13 Elgin Street must be a jinxed space having endured quite a turnover of restaurants in the last 12 months. There was Canadian restaurant Cannuck, which failed in just 6 months of opening. Then there was the recently shuttered tapas place, La Luna which closed at an even briefer time than that. Hopefully this newcomer stays afloat longer than its predecessors.

Manouche Grill is a more fine dining option to its sister restaurant, Marouche, on Cochrane street. So at the latest venue, expect the white linen tables and service to go with your Middle Eastern food. The usual Lebanese staples are alive and well here, including hummus and babaghanouj dips with pita breads, as well as meats fired off from the spit. Marouche on Cochrane is beloved for their skewered lamb and chicken dishes, and here they've upgraded its style to cater to more elegant tastes. Our kafta meshwi (skewers of minced lamb, onion and parsley, HK$170) had the meat elegantly charred by the grill and poised alongside vegetables that were poised and decoratively arranged at the centre of the plate. Other dishes that you won't find in a casual kebab joint but you'll find here includes King prawns (HK225), grilled sea bass in a tahini sauce HK$190) and grilled veal cutlets HK$228) and other high quality ingredients.

Just because it's more upscale doesn't mean this joint is a pretentious venue. In fact, harking back to Lebanese tradition, nothing says 'lets loosen our ties and relax' like smoking a hooka pipe. You have that option here too, available from their extra floor upstairs.
 

31 Elgin Street, Central. Tel: +852 2524-4125.

Overshadowed by Indian and Thai cooking that dominates the city's curry scene, Nepalese cuisine has never made a real splash in Hong Kong - until now.

Most Hong Kongers don't know the difference between Nepalese and Indian cooking since there are so few strictly Nepalese eateries in town. That is, until the recently opened Annapurna in Soho. A casual and affordable eatery, Annapurna's menu is focused entirely on the cuisine from the tiny, nomadic country sandwiched between Tibet and India, and this newcomer is hell bent on broadening our exposure to their flavours.

Founder Meenu Gurung, a Nepal native herself, says, "Most restaurants in Hong Kong that claim to be Nepalese really aren't at all: curries are always made extra spicy or with cooking and spices are closer to the Indian style than Nepalese style." Frustrated, Gurung decided to open her own eatery, tucked away at the tail end of Soho's Staunton street. To make sure that her restaurant offers authentic flavours close to home, she flies in exotic ingredients from the Himalayas, including yak cheese and buffalo jerky.

Iconic Nepalese staples are all present at Annapurna, including lovely and plump mo-mo-chas (from HK$50; steamed dumplings stuffed with spiced and minced chicken with a fiery tomato based dip) and Dhal Bhat Tarkari's, that's rice and various lentil and meat curries served on a round dish (from HK$128). There's also a wealth of unfamiliar dishes such as tough and stringy buffalo jerky in masala (‘Gorkhali Sukuti' at HK$65) and yak cheese salads (from HK$80). All mains are served with a tiny bowl of a dried rice gruel, known here as ‘beaten rice' which interestingly, has the texture of cornflakes. According to Gurung, this is a side dish the villagers back home nibble on as a snack or to add extra crunch to your main. The hospitality at Annapurna also ensures you've found one another refuge over here. Gurung is always chatting with her diners and there's this everybody-knows-your-name quality about this joint- an antithesis to the mega-chains and cookie-cutter restaurants along this neighbourhood.

G/F., 59 Staunton Street, Central, 2857-2966

RELOCATION: The Stonegrill shuttered its Soho location only to resurface in Causeway Bay a few months later

Just because The Stonegrill closed its Soho location a few months ago doesn't meant this steakhouse's fate is doomed. A spokesperson from the restaurant said they've left their Elgin Street space due to high rents and found a more reasonable alternative in Causeway Bay. Now, they've just unveiled their latest location on Sunning Road. The menu is pretty identical to what you'd expect from their other outposts: It's meat galore including their classic Canadian Angus beef rib-eyes, sirloins and tenderloins, plus Japanese marbled meats like Wagyu. They also offer hearty seafood fare, like Pacific lobster tails, king prawns and Canadian cod. If you've got the appetite for both, the Surf N' Turf menu of red meat and seafood paired dishes is for you. Nothing dramatically has changed since Stonegrill's move; meat continues to be served in their way - on a sizzling slab of stone.

Shop 1, 3 &5 M/F., Sunning Plaza, Sunning Road, Causeway Bay. Tel:+852 2504-3333; www.thestonegrill.com.hk

Tonic opens at former Frog Face Fish space 

The space formerly known as Frog Face Fish restaurant on Wyndham street is now known as Tonic. This new bar on the bustling strip actually looks like a colder, blue-ish-hued brother to Tivo a few doors down. No, Tivo and Tonic aren't related, but they do draw a similar crowd of predominately suits and expats. It's only two weeks old but already, Tonic is becoming the latest pick up joint along the bustling Wyndham bar strip.

Its floor-to-ceiling glass doors at the entrance are often open to encourage passersby to sneak a peek and to let the crowd spill out to the pavement when it gets too full inside. Small bites are available including the usual bar grub of potato skins, nachos, fries and dips, although most of the clientele seem happy just chatting, drinking and loosening those neck ties. Judging from the crowds we've seen last weekend, it looks like Tonic's moment isn't going to be quite as brief as its Frog Face Fish predecessor.

34-55 Wyndham St., Central. Tel: 2537-8010

 

OPENINGS: Meals with unbelievable views at Kwan Cheuk Heen in Harbour Grand Hotel, Fortress Hill

This recently opened five-star hotel boasts harbourside views and you get to continue to survey this tinkering urban landscape at their Chinese eatery, Kwan Cheuk Heen. The skyline is visible from this set up of floor to ceiling windows across the restaurant. This eatery doesn't look so bad itself, a posh and polished interior dotted with the usual Chinese motifs (prevalence of the colour red, traditional majestic wood furniture, folksy arts and crafts here and there). Being of Cantonese cooking, there's dim sum by day then traditional Canton classics by night. It's all done with a fine dining direction such as decadent yum cha offerings like steamed shark's fine and black truffle dumpling in soup (HK$78), steamed lobster dumplings (HK$58 a piece), or using Angus beef in a mushroom puff pastry. Seeing as the Harbour Grand is a business hotel, they also have executive lunch menus for a 4-6 persons tailor made for this demographic. You get seven to nine multicourse meals featuring indulgent Cantonese dishes like suckling pigs, braised sharks fins soup or fried rice with chicken and octopus abalone. The Executive Lunches are HK$388 per person. Whether you're a business traveler or local resident, this place is worth splurging for with authentic Chiense meals with some of the best views in this part of town.

5/Floor, Harbour Grand Hotel, 23 Oil Street ,Fortress Hill. Tel: +852 2121-2688.