Off Menu, the latest and greatest addition to T. Dining’s repertoire of inventive dining experiences, unveils its line-up for the highly anticipated three-day gastronomic festival. Held between November 15 and 17, 2019, at The Peak Galleria, Off Menu is a celebration of Hong Kong’s dining scene and those who have shaped it.
Off Menu showcases local flavours reimagined in unexpected new ways by the world’s most innovative chefs, mixologists and tastemakers. The event is anchored by chef collaborations between Hong Kong and Macau’s culinary heavyweights and their international counterparts to create twelve one-off dishes using local ingredients. Representing Hong Kong are Richard Ekkebus of Amber, Palash Mitra of Rajasthan Rifles, May Chow of Little Bao Diner, Vicky Cheng of VEA, Vicky Lau of Tate Dining Room, Uwe Opocensky of Petrus, and Tam Kwok Fung of Wing Lei Palace. These trailblazers will be joined by Richie Lin of Mume (Taipei), Jordy Navarra of Toyo Eatery (Manila), Hisato Hamada of Wagyumafia (Tokyo), Nobu Namiki of Kermis (Tokyo) and Simon Rogan of L’Enclume (Cumbria, UK) and Roganic who will be flying in especially for Off Menu.
These collaborations are centered on a simple premise: local ingredients spotlighted by two chefs with distinct culinary styles who will be working together for the very first time. One such pairing is Richard Ekkebus and Jordy Navarra who will create two brand new dishes together. Mitsuhiro Araki, of soon-to-open The Araki that will be taking up an exclusive residency at heritage hotel House 1881 this winter, will also make a special appearance. The acclaimed master of Edomae-style sushi will be showcasing his tuna cutting skills and share some special treats with event-goers.
Off Menu also takes pride in championing the next generation of rising culinary stars, Stephanie Wong of Roots, Joanna Yuen of Nobu and Eleven Madison Park alum Leonard Cheung. These up-and-comers will draw on their deep-rooted connections to Hong Kong to create a selection of canapés that highlights local heritage ingredients. Each chef’s chosen ingredient embodies a personal story and represents quintessentially Hong Kong flavours. For Stephanie, it is dried salted fish, a humble ingredient found in most Cantonese pantries, one that she has grown up with and carried with her through her culinary career. Professing it to be “the anchovy of the Canto World”, she uses salted fish in French-Cantonese cuisine to accentuate dishes with its complex umami flavours. At Off Menu, the salted fish will star in the sauce for a fried abalone dish.
Taking the bar scene to new heights, Hong Kong’s top mixologists will also be shaking up creative cocktails inspired by the flavours and vibrancy of the city. Each mixologist is assigned one base spirit to work with and tasked to spotlight local ingredients in their creation. The line-up of award-winning mixologists include Agung Prabowo of The Old Man, Sandeep Hathiramani and Gagan Gurung of Tell Camellia, and Victoria Chow of The Woods Nomadic. Additional beverages will continue to quench the thirst of eventgoers, with an exclusive presentation by Baijiu Society of their east-meets-west craft offering, Baijiu Beer, and by local champions Josh and Caleb Ng of Interval Coffee Bar who will be serving up hand-drip coffee and natural wines.
To add to the all-immersive experience, Off Menu will showcase the best of Hong Kong’s music scene with a line-up of local music legends and indie stars. Spinning great tunes on-stage will be Mukzi & The Island (Hong Kong) and world-class DJ KULU, one of the most recognised faces in the city’s club scene.
When: Friday–Sunday, November 15–17, 2019
Where: The Peak Galleria, 118 Peak Rd, The Peak, Hong Kong
How much: HKD $1,800 per person
The single-day ticket will grant diners access to sample 12 distinct dishes, experience a variety of bespoke alcoholic beverages, and taste thoughtful canapés
For more information, check their website and for ticketing, click here
