Dining news: Estro welcomes Seoul’s Eatanic Garden, Andō collaborates with August from Jakarta, Bakehouse launches shiopan, and more

Hong Kong’s tables this week tilt between heritage and invention. Bread comes salted with minerals drawn from the city’s own shores, its crust crackling as it gives way to a soft, buttery heart. From the southwest arrives a banquet layered with wild mushrooms, roots, rivers and centuries of cooking tradition.

In Central, two kitchens invite voices from overseas, reshaping memory and method through cross-border dialogue. And at the bar, familiar cocktails split in two, reminding us that even the classics have arguments worth hearing. Keep reading to find out more.

In case you missed it: Uwe Opocensky and Frédéric Chabbert reunite at Restaurant Petrus, The Butterfly Room welcomes Mandy Siu of Finesse Patisserie, and more

Seoul Food, Napoli Heart

Antimo Maria Merone of Estro brings Neapolitan roots to his cuisine

Son Jong-Won of Eatanic Garden, Seoul’s champion of fermentation and finesse

Estro will welcome Seoul’s Eatanic Garden back to Hong Kong on September 10-11 for a two-night reunion that trades culinary passports between Korea and Italy. The two restaurants are also 2024 Tatler Best 100 winners. Chefs Antimo Maria Merone and Son Jong-Won, both of whom have appeared on Korean variety show Please Take Care of My Refrigerator (also known as Chef & My Fridge), present a new line-up, where dishes such as arancino with kimchi and tomato concentrate, bottarga noodles with abalone and wild sesame oil, and samgyetang reimagined as matsutake brodo with chicken and mortadella tortellini form part of a multi-course tasting. The collaboration menu is priced at HK$2,980 per guest, with optional wine pairing at HK$1,880, and reservations are now open via SevenRooms.

Biker’s Catch, a sidecar gone savoury with cognac, squid-infused Cointreau and soy

Unsplash, a milk-clarified riff with citrus trio cordial and tangerine pu’erh

The Opposites, by Antonio Lai and Samuel Kwok, has unveiled its second menu. This time, reworking cocktail icons rather than forgotten curiosities. Six drinks reinterpret three classics in contrasting pairs: the Paloma comes as oye muchacha with Don Julio Blanco, mezcal, pomegranate and jasmine tea, or Peacemaker with green mango, Sichuan pepper and curry leaf; the Espresso Martini is recast as Caffeini with longan-infused vodka and chrysanthemum honey, or Wakey Wakey, poured from a siphon with nitro Brazil coffee and hazelnut; while the Sidecar takes a savoury turn in the Biker’s Catch with dried squid Cointreau and soy, or a clarified lift in Unsplash with citrus cordial and tangerine pu’erh.

Yunnan’s wild treasures: matsutake, morels and chanterelles at their seasonal peak

Greater China Club in Lai Chi Kok is spotlighting Yunnan’s rich culinary heritage with a guest-chef series running until September 20. Ou Tingzhou, fifth-generation inheritor of the Yan school of Dian cuisine and culinary director of Papman Hotel Group, takes the reins with a menu that brings the province’s famed mountain and sea produce to Hong Kong. Highlights include roasted, crispy baby wild duck with lemongrass, recognised as a Yunnan Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage; claypot rice with Iberico pork, porcini, and wrinkled green pepper; and a lineup of wild mushroom dishes, from fresh matsutake sashimi to stewed snow crab with chanterelles. A special four-hands “Shan Hai Yunnan Banquet” with executive chef Vincent Chan offers an 11-course tasting at HK$888 per person (minimum four diners), pairing dishes such as Yunnan traditional chicken stew with dendrobium flowers and bamboo sprout with aged pu’er tea.

Greater China ClubAddress: Shop A, 10/F, D2 Place One, 9 Cheung Yee Street, Lai Chi Kok, Hong Kong

Spice Route 2.0

Agustin Balbi and Hans Christian, during the first leg of their collaboration in Jakarta, while Hong Kong plays host this September

Andō continues its cross-Asian dialogue this September, hosting Jakarta’s August for a two-night collaboration on September 17-18. Chef-owner Agustin Balbi is teaming up with chef Hans Christian to present a tasting menu that pivots between Argentine storytelling and Indonesian spice. Highlights run from Lombok fish crudo with watermelon and laksa to Wagyu tri-tip with chimichurri and glazed vegetables, followed by arroz caldoso with lobster, chilli and lime leaves, and a modern pavlova with local fruits and spices. The collaboration menu is priced at HK$2,688 per person, with bookings available via SevenRooms.

Shiopan made with Yim Tin Ssai sea salt. Taste it fresh this September or win a bite via our Instagram giveaway

Bakehouse Causeway Bay is turning September into shio season, thanks to head baker Jackie Wu’s take on Japan’s cult-favourite salt bread. His version layers a baguette-like crust with brioche softness, achieved by rolling butter into the dough, then finishing with artisanal sea salt from Yim Tin Tsai in Sai Kung, a UNESCO-protected site once famed for its salt pans. The result is a loaf that crackles with great satisfaction. Jackie’s shio pan is HK$18 apiece, released in strictly limited runs of 80 pieces at 12pm, 3pm and 5pm daily, capped at two per customer. And for those who fancy skipping the queue, Tatler Dining readers can enter our Instagram giveaway post for the chance to win a tasting of this new bake.