Cover The Chinese liquor line-up at Duckee (Photo: Courtesy of Duckee)

The food and drink happenings that you should know about this week

As an oppressive yet familiar heat rolls in and the prospect of another summer without travel becomes all the more real, it's understandable that Hongkongers are getting hot under the collar for all things slightly sinful. This seems to be spilling over into restaurant offerings this week, from Japanese restaurants reimagined as gambling dens, and dinner pairings with the explicit intent of causing a hangover, to the debut of dish names such as Hotter And Harder and Urchin For More. Parental guidance is advised for this week's raunchy round-up of restaurant news.

See also: Meet The Tastemakers, A Series Of Pop-Up Events At Tatler Dining Kitchen Happening This May

Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong Launches Afternoon Tea Delivery

Tatler Asia
Above Photo: Courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong

Though restaurants and bars are, for all intents and purposes, open again, there's still an undeniable appeal to enjoying the craft of a five-star hotel kitchen in the comfort of your own home. The Mandarin Oriental seems to think so too, with the introduction of its takeaway afternoon tea set.

Delivered in a sturdy, illustrated top-hat box fastened with branded ribbons, the tea set is delicately arranged on a four-tiered stand and includes various creations of the hotel's executive pastry chef, Christophe Sapy, including sweet treats like the 1963 Mandarin cheesecake, matcha éclair, and madeleines, as well as savoury sandwiches in smoked salmon, roast beef, and egg salad varieties, among others. Rounding out the tea set are the indispensable scones in classic and raisin varieties, along with jars of rose petal jam and clotted cream. Expect these bites to change according to the season.

Priced at HK$898 for two people, the afternoon tea set is available for delivery or takeaway and can be purchased online here or at the Mandarin Cake Shop.

The Mandarin Cake Shop, M/F, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Rd Central, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2825 4008

See also: Renowned Mixologist Devender Sehgal On Leading The Aubrey's Bar Programme

Tokio Joe Unveils New Look And Focus On Omakase

Tatler Asia
Above Photo: Courtesy of Tokio Joe

Lan Kwai Fong fixture Tokio Joe has wrapped up its latest revamp, having operated in the party district since its debut in 1995. Named after notorious Japanese-American gangster Ken Eto, the restaurant channels its namesake into a new look inspired by Japanese gambling dens and the speakeasy format. The dark wood interior is now home to antiques sourced from Japan, such as a working vintage Pachinko machine, 1960s speakers and vinyl records, while a soundtrack of mid-century blues and jazz adds to the allure of the dining experience.

The menu marks a shift towards omakase cuisine both with an expansion of its omakase seating, as well as the appointment of five dedicated omakase chefs, each of whom will oversee the meal from beginning to end. Meanwhile, on the à la carte menu, dishes to look out for include the LKF Roll, comprising sea urchin and salmon roe, and topped with steamed lobster and chu-toro tuna; Joe’s New Zealand Lamb Fumi, grilled and served with wasabi soy sauce; and the signature spicy toro tartare, chopped and eaten in a lettuce wrap.

Tokio Joe, 16 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2525 1889

Duckee Shines A Spotlight On Chinese Spirits With New Hangover Set Dinner

Tatler Asia
Above Photo: Courtesy of Duckee

Chinese spirits get their due at a new eight-course dinner menu at modern Chinese restaurant Duckee, appropriately named the Hangover Set. Each course incorporates a different liquor into their cooking process, gradually ascending in alcohol content: beginning with a welcome tea-based sharing cocktail, the dinner starts in earnest with a sliced duck skin and kaoliang liquor osmanthus pudding, drunken whole abalone in 20-year huadiao wine, and fried prawns with sweet rice wine, before progressing onto the main dishes of beer duck paired with Suntory beer, and flaming braised pork belly with a glass of Chita single grain whisky. The meal wraps up with Indian lettuce and egg sautéed with kaoliang liquor, and xiao long bao in a broth of "nu'er hong" huadiao wine, before ending on a sweet note with Guo Jiao liquor-infused osmanthus cakes.

Priced at HK$1,952 for four people, the Hangover Set is available until June 30, with a 12 per cent discount for bookings between Monday and Wednesday.

Duckee, Shop B01-B10, B/F, Lee Garden Three, 1 Sunning Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong; +852 3105 1252

Related: 8 Of The Healthiest Cocktails In Hong Kong

Sexy Crab Launches Raunchy New Dishes This Summer

Tatler Asia
Above The Urchin For More (Photo: Courtesy of Sexy Crab)

Cheeky crab-centric restaurant Sexy Crab is introducing a tasting menu in the truest sense starting from this month. The Flirty Go Round is an ornate flight of Chinese yellow wine, where the wine is poured into the top of a fountain and dispensed into snifters—each individually loaded with ginger, preserved plum, aged orange peel and dried longan for different taste sensations. Meanwhile, the unadulterated Sex Swing involves a miniature carnival swing set-up, where each chair swing seats a morsel of grilled wagyu beef with crab roe, sea urchin and slow-cooked chicken breast roll, fresh scallop, or radish with crab roe and caviar, for a flight of fancy on the tongue.

Alongside these risqué creations are two equally maximalist dishes. The Urchin For More piles a whopping 125 grams of Hokkaido sea urchin and 80 grams of seasonal snow crab on chilled soumen noodles flavoured with Kyushu plums, atop which Japanese cold dressing is drizzled (a 50 gram tin of sturgeon roe from Caviar House & Prunier can be added to up the ante). The Hotter And Harder continues the Pornhub-ready naming convention with a bowl of Nanatsuboshi rice topped with a yin-yang-patterned sauces: the 'yin' being Italian truffle sauce with sea urchin and snow crab meat, and the 'yang', a signature 'golden ratio' of 40 per cent crab meat, 25 per cent male crab roe, and 35 per cent female crab roe. Certainly not for the faint of heart, guests are encouraged to leave all prudish assumptions firmly at the door.

Sexy Crab, Shop 401A, 4/F, K11 Musea, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Hong Kong; +852 6655 7629

Baileys Is The Latest To Collaborate With Cookie DPT

Tatler Asia
Above Photo: Courtesy of Cookie DPT

Baileys and Cookie DPT are certainly happy bedfellows, so much so that their first collaboration sees the release of three baked goods infused with the Irish cream liqueur. Decadent in every sense of the word, these are Baileys and Cream cookie, Baileys cupcake, and Baileys fudge brownie, each of which will be released on staggered dates—May 10, May 17, and May 24 respectively. Mark your calendars and pick up these fast-selling treats at all Cookie DPT locations when they become available.

Cookie DPT, Basehall, LG/F, Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place, Central, Hong Kong

Cookie DPT, 2/F, Lee Garden One, 33 Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Cookie DPT, 3/F, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, 3-27 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

See also: Where To Find The Best French Toast In Hong Kong

Suivie Brings The Little-Known Jabuticaba Berry To Hong Kong

Tatler Asia
Above Photo: Courtesy of Suivie

Swiss-Brazilian health drink Suivie makes its debut in Hong Kong, introducing the jabuticaba berry and its myriad health benefits from the tropical climes of Brazil to this side of the world. Widely regarded as a superfood, jabuticaba is rich in antioxidants, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc, helping to enhance the immune system, improve blood pressure, as well as skin and hair health. Featuring a similar flavour profile to the blueberry, the jabuticaba is blended by Suivie with organic apples from Switzerland's Romandy region, ginger, and pristine alpine water, resulting in a fruit drink that is low in calories, and has no added sugars, sweeteners, taste enhancers or preservatives.

Suivie is now available at Citysuper outlets in Hong Kong for HK$34 per bottle, as well as online at HKTVmall.

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