Sukiyaki japanese food
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With the winter air setting in, it’s time to indulge in warm comfort foods

There’s nothing more comforting than having a hot meal on a chilly day. Need some ideas on how to warm up your stomach? From sizzling claypot rice to bubbling shabu shabu, these winter warmers are a delicious way to ease the chills.

Cheese fondue at Chesa

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Above Cheese fondue at Chesa (Photo: Courtesy of The Peninsula Hong Kong)

You don’t have to travel to the Alps to get your fondue fix. Chesa at The Peninsula Hong Kong will transport you to a cosy Alpine chalet filled with warm lighting and wood-paneled walls, setting the mood for indulgent cheese delights. 

Two kinds of cheese fondue are served at Chesa: “Fondue moitié-moitié”, a mix of Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourgeois cheese which gives a strong flavour; and “Fondue Montagnarde” with a parmesan and smoked mountain bacon finish, served with macaroni and boiled potatoes. Whichever you choose, the gooey and oozy cheese will leave you wanting more.

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Chesa
Swiss   |   $ $ $ $

1/F, The Peninsula Hong Kong, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

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Sukiyaki at Sukiyaki Mori

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Above Sukiyaki at Sukiyaki Mori (Photo: Courtesy of Sukiyaki Mori)

Winter calls for the sweet, umami-rich flavours of sukiyaki, a Japanese hot pot dish of thinly sliced beef and a melange of vegetables. 

At Sukiyaki Mori, sukiyaki is prepared by the chef at the open kitchen counter, where a cast iron pot is heated in front of you. It begins with a tiny block of beef suet, which melts to grease the pan before a sprinkle of sugar is added. A fine slice of Ohmi wagyu beef is then added, followed by a special sweet soy sauce that works with the caramelised sugar to give an aromatic fragrance. 

For a complete sukiyaki experience, a quick dip into beaten raw egg will add creaminess to every bite. 

See also: 25 Hong Kong Restaurants Featured On La Liste 2020

Sukiyaki Mori
Japanese   |   $ $   |  

LG/F, 66 Hollywood Road, Central

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Claypot rice at Yan Toh Heen

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It is served with meat sausage, Shitake mushroom, egg, chicken, minced salted fish.  The rice is cooked in the claypot first over a charcoal stove, giving the dish a distinctive flavour and it is garnished with spring onion.
Above Photo: Getty Images

A Hong Kong winter favourite, claypot rice is a must-have to warm you up in the colder months. The base of the pot is mostly white rice, which is moist in the centre but crispy on the edges—the charred rice is usually the best part of the meal. 

At Yan Toh Heen, clay pot rice comes in two dishes: mixed air-dried meat and duck liver with minced wagyu beef. The first one uses air-dried preserved duck and pork sausages as toppings, which are traditional ingredients for classic claypot rice. The second one with duck liver and wagyu beef is Yan Toh Heen’s take with premium ingredients using wok-seared duck liver and minced beef, finished with mildly sweet soy sauce that adds flavour to the crunchy rice at the bottom.

See also: 11 Best High-End Chinese Restaurants In Hong Kong

Lai Ching Heen
Chinese   |   $ $ $ $   |  

G/F, Regent Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

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Snake soup at The Chinese Restaurant

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Above Traditional snake soup at The Chinese Restaurant (Photo: Courtesy of Hyatt Regency Hong Kong)

A classic Hong Kong winter warmer for the older generations, snake soup is a healthy delicacy in traditional Chinese medicine that works to balance yin and yang, which is the key to maintain health. 

Snake soup is considered a “yang” ingredient that warms the body when the temperature is low outside. At The Chinese Restaurant, the cooked snake meat is double boiled with tangerine peels and ginger for five hours, and the soup base made with chicken, Yunnan ham, snake bones, sugar cane, dried longan, ginger and dried tangerine peels creates a hearty clear soup that preserves the nutrients from every ingredient.

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The Chinese Restaurant
Chinese   |   $ $   |  

3/F, Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

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Taraba king crab leg hot pot at Kaetsu

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Above Seafood hot pot at Kaetsu (Photo: Courtesy of Grand Hyatt Hong Kong)

Japanese hot pots are highlights of Kaetsu’s seasonal menu, featuring premium seafood ingredients flown in from Japan. This season, the hot pot specialties include pacific cod fish and cod milt shabu shabu, Hiroshima oyster, vegetables, red miso hot pot, Okinawa sangen pork spicy hot pot, and the deluxe Taraba king crab leg hot pot.

Perfect for sharing, the succulent nabe (Japanese hot pot) is made with a light bonito broth featuring tender meat of Taraba king crab and the freshest Japanese seafood to deliver sublime seasonal flavours.

Kaetsu
Japanese   |   $ $ $ $

Mezzanine Floor, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

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Shabu shabu at Shikigiku

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Above Matsuba crab legs hot pot at Shikigiku (Photo: Courtesy of Shikigiku)

Shabu shabu is one of the most comforting of winter treats, add in the highest grade of snow crab and you’ll have the cosiest winter in one pot. The Matsuba crab legs hot pot with Shizuoka kujo negi (Japanese green onion) is served in a mini hot pot with Fukui Matsuba crab legs and seasonal vegetables in umami-rich dashi soup. 

You can also opt for the Matsuba crab set menu which comprises six dishes, each prepared with different parts of the Matsuba crab, from steamed egg custard with crab meat to crab tempura, filling this season with delightful textures.

See also: Feast On Japanese Winter Specialties At Shikigiku Japanese Restaurant

Shikigiku
Japanese   |   $ $ $ $   |  

1/F, The Royal Garden, 69 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

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Tagines at Aziza

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Above Tagines at Aziza (Photo: Courtesy of Aziza)

A nourishing dish helmed from Northern Africa, tagine is named after the earthenware pot in which it is cooked. Egyptian eatery Aziza in Kennedy Town, along with its new branch in Sai Ying Pun, offer delicious tagines with meat, fish and vegetable options. 

Using a slow cooking method, tagines are traditionally served with couscous, bread or rice together with spices, nuts and dried fruits, which makes it a wholesome meal perfect for those who want a warm boiling meal but something more exotic.  

Aziza, Shop D, 28 Hau Wo St, Kennedy Town, +852 3462 2844; Shop 1B, G/F, Upton Tower, 345 Des Voeux Road West, Sai Ying Pun, +852 2886 4889, aziza.com.hk

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