Restaurants and bars celebrate Hong Kong art week with artsy menus

Inspired by the Dadaism art movement of the early 20th century, the bar has created an artistic homage to surrealist artists’ famous works. The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dalí inspired the cocktail Memory’s Persistence, which blends whisky, cherry brandy, and triple sec.

Belgian artist René Magritte inspired the Vanishing Cloud and the Magritte’s Dove cocktails, which offer a multisensory experience combining sight, smell, and taste.

Contemporary Indian restaurant Veda (Ovolo, 2 Arbuthnot Road, Central) has launched an exclusive nine-course art-inspired dining experience called the Art. Full. Dinner.

The menu, curated by executive chef Raul Tronco, draws inspiration from Hong Kong-born Indian artist Riya Chandiramani, who has also created 50 limited-edition artworks signed by herself and Raul for every guest to take home.

The menu is designed to take guests on a culinary “journey”, with each dish reflecting the vivid colours and textures of Riya’s artwork.

From the first course of marinated beetroot, baby spinach, and pickles, to the sixth course of grilled marinated paneer, maitake, sweet makhani gravy and creamy morel mushroom risotto, each dish offers a balanced blend of flavours and artistic presentation.

The creatively presented dessert promises to give diners an artful surprise to end the meal.

Modern Japanese restaurant Zuma (Level 5-6 The Landmark, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central) is celebrating art month and spring with a range of art-inspired savoury dishes and cocktails.

The culinary team has drawn inspiration from the ancient Chinese poem Spring Night and its imagery of fresh breezes, fragrant flowers and moonlight to create dishes such as chirashi spring donburi – assorted sashimi and salad on a bed of rice – and wagyu tataki with truffle ponzu.

The bar team has collaborated with Hong Kong-based Perfume Trees Gin to create two special cocktails, The Scent of Spring and Courtyard Melody, which incorporate elements of the poem, from fragrance to sound. As an extra touch, the drinks are served in specially decorated glasses adorned with calligraphy inspired by the poem.

For those who do not have time for a multi-course meal, there are shorter artful tasting experiences.

Island Shangri-La hotel’s Lobby Lounge (Level 6, Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Central) is serving an art-inspired afternoon tea set from March 21 to 31.

Executive chef Uwe Opocensky and executive pastry chef Julien Gourmelon created the tea set, which features a selection of artistic, brightly coloured delicacies.

Banksy is an anonymous street artist known for his politically charged and satirical artwork. Rin Horiuchi, the head pastry chef of Tirpse (Shop 219, K11 Musea, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui) has created a sweet interpretation of Banksy’s Love is in the Air for this year’s Art Karnival, an international art event held at Hong Kong mall K11 Musea, in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The dessert features a thin buckwheat crepe paired with chocolate ice cream, chocolate tuile, and white chocolate stems and flowers.

The bold and modern approach of Banksy’s piece – which features a man with a half-covered face militantly poised to throw a bouquet – is reflected in the dessert’s presentation, with ruby red beetroot powder splashed on the plate and a stencilled white chocolate “arm” holding the flowers.

Guests can experience this limited-edition edible art during lunch and dinner from March 20 to May 14, for HK$188 à la carte, or HK$108 when ordered as a supplementary item to the dinner set.

The Mira Hong Kong hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui has curated a range of artful specials throughout March, including a chic afternoon tea at Coco (G/F, The Mira Hong Kong, 118 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui) featuring four miniature desserts and five savoury finger food items presented on a painter’s palette with artful strokes.

The tea set includes a foie gras sando with mango chutney, matcha opera cake, white peach mousse with lychee jelly, and signature scones served with artisanal rose and lychee jam and Devonshire clotted cream.

Of course, there are also restaurants that are dedicated to art in Hong Kong all year round, where what is on the walls has equal billing with what’s presented on the plate.

LPM Bar and Restaurant (Shop 1, UG, H Queen’s, 23-29 Stanley Street, Central) in Central – in the same building as top art galleries David Zwirner, Pace Gallery and Hauser & Wirth – devotes one section to works by 20th-century painters from the South of France.

The international restaurant brand also ensures that each branch features signature wall-mounted pans adorned with male and female faces, by artist Max Cartier.

Michelin-star contemporary Chinese restaurant Duddell’s (1 Duddell Street, Central), is also an art space, and features works selected by its art manager or a guest curator. The current exhibit, “The Drifters”, is selected by independent curator and artist Eunice Tsang.

It features works by artists Tala Madani, Matt Connors and Sam Young from the vaults of Hong Kong collectors Alan Lo, Lawrence Chu and Evan Chow.

Contemporary Australian restaurant Hue (1/F, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui) is inside the Hong Kong Museum of Art. The restaurant not only has one of the best views of Victoria Harbour, but the wallpaper here is art in itself. Designs include “Mystic” by Jen Merli, “Oh La La” by American abstract artist Kiki Slaughter and “Infinite Path” by Stacy Solodkin.

If you are looking for quirky contemporary Hong Kong art, pay Bo Innovation (1/F, H Code, 45 Pottinger Street, Central) a visit. The restaurant’s interior, designed by Monique Lee of Mas Studio, includes pieces of contemporary art, some of which are from chef/owner Alvin Leung’s private collection.

Dine next to a banana eating a banana statue, alongside graffiti of a wok-frying cuttlefish, to complement the artful fare on the plates.