’Tis the season to be jolly – get ready to loosen those belts and indulge in these holiday menus

Christmas is all about gathering loved ones around the table to share a feast of indulgent Yuletide delights. But between prepping the turkey, mulling the wine and compiling a glorious cheese platter, that doesn’t leave much time for hosts to enjoy the holiday spirit. This year, why not ease the stress of the season and leave it to the experts?

At IFC mall’s restaurants, you’ll find festive menus aplenty, making it your ideal home for the holidays. Best of all for non-turkey believers, there’s always more than just traditional Christmas fare at IFC mall: whether you’re after refined plates with added Christmas sparkle or comfort bites to beat the chill, they have it all.

Below is a list of selected restaurants and their take on festive feasting, leaving you very little to do other than to gather your favourite people and jingle all the way to your holiday meals. Ugly Christmas jumpers are optional.

Dear Lilly: for a flower-powered fairy tale Christmas

Tatler Asia
Above Duck breast will be served on New Year's Eve (Photo: Dear Lilly)

The hopelessly romantic will fall head over heels in love with this floral wonderland designed by Ashley Sutton – the man behind immersive spaces like Iron Fairies, J Boroski and many more. Dear Lilly is the interior designer’s tribute to romance, inspired by the city of love itself – Paris. To help you celebrate the festive season, the contemporary European restaurant has arranged special Christmas and New Year’s set menus. Between bites of roast beef and turkey at Christmas or rich, creamy lobster risotto on New Year’s Day, you’ll be enchanted by the floor-to-ceiling shelves of vintage perfume bottles, each of them filled with flowers.

Dear Lilly, Shop 4010, 4/F, IFC Mall, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2771 6060

Ramen House Konjiki Hototogisu: for noodleheads who believe ramen’s the best type of men

Tatler Asia
Above The secret to this bowl of ramen is the clam broth (Photo: Ramen House Konjiki Hototogisu)

Sometimes, all you need is a steaming bowl of noodles to get you through the winter chill. For these occasions, look no further than Tokyo’s Michelin-starred ramen joint, Ramen House Konjiki Hototogisu, which has just opened at ifc mall. Its addictive golden soup is the star of the show – an umami bomb of fish- and pork-based stocks, alongside the restaurant’s famously secret clam broth recipe. Topped with a fragrant truffle sauce and porcini oil, the soup is the perfect accompaniment to the Hokkaido-made wheat flour noodles. Add the fully seasoned sous vide pork slices, spring onion, parsley and minced bacon, and you have yourself a hug in a bowl that’ll leave you as happy as a clam.

Ramen House Konjiki Hototogisu, Shop 3020, 3/F, IFC Mall, 1 Harbour View Street, Central, Hong Kong; +852 6333 8036

Mu-ni by La Bombance: for palates who prefer jet-fresh fish over turkey

Tatler Asia
Above Traditional Japanese cuisine with a touch of French influence (Photo: Mu-ni by La Bombance)

Traditional Christmas lunches aren’t for everyone, so if turkey isn’t for you, head to the Hong Kong outpost of Tokyo’s one-Michelin-starred La Bombance. Like its sister restaurant at the Japanese capital, which has been a hit with celebs and scenesters for 15 years – Mu-ni by La Bombance is all about seasonal kaiseki menus. Using a technique that combines traditional Japanese cuisine with a touch of French influence, the restaurant delivers a 10-course set that changes monthly according to the principle of kaiseki. No matter the season, jet-fresh fish sourced from Toyosu Market play a starring role; think premium assorted sashimi platters, simmered kinmedai (splendid alfonsino) from Izu, Hokkaido seafood sashimi donburi and Kanto-style charcoal-grilled eel on rice. 

Mu-ni by La Bombance, Shop 2016, 2/F, IFC Mall, 1 Harbour View Street, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2338 8353

Duck & Waffle: for those who simply must put a bird on it

Tatler Asia
Above The eponymous duck and waffle (Photo: Duck & Waffle)

If Christmas just isn’t Christmas without some kind of poultry on the table, then this London transplant is for you. Merrymakers can enjoy a lavish tasting menu complete with the optional wine pairing on Christmas Eve and, of course, the eponymous dish – confit duck leg sandwiched between a fluffy waffle and a fried duck egg, drizzled with a mustard maple syrup. On New Year’s Eve, revellers can do it all over again with another tasting menu of indulgent dishes and toast the new year with their special cocktail Glitzmas – a concoction of Cognac, spiced rum, blackberry red wine reduction and a touch of nutmeg. On Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, their hearty brunch selections such as grilled 18-hour pork belly and The Full Elvis with all the trimmings will help you with recovery from the night before.

Duck & Waffle, Shop 1081, Podium Level 1, IFC Mall, 8 Finance Street Central, Hong Kong; +852 2267 6338

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