EDUCATION

Out on the town

Gemma Shaw rounds up the hottest places to be seen this month

Salisterra opened mid-April

Dining out

Salisterra Opens at The Upper House

Midway through April, The Upper House unveiled its much-anticipated dining concept at Level 49. Drawing upon flavours from the Mediterranean, Salisterra delivers a layered and social dining experience through carefullycurated gastronomy, service and design. The name forms from the Latin words ‘salis’ for salt and ‘terra’ for earth.

Helmed by London-based, Michelin Starred Chef, Jun Tanaka, the menu takes a seasonal approach with fresh, vibrant flavours that draw inspiration from the coastal cuisines of France and Italy.

Upon entering from the iconic Sky Bridge, guests are greeted by a full-height bronze gate that contrasts Hong Kong’s skyline. Level 49 has undergone a bold evolution with the introduction of rich, earthy hues and the main dining room is adorned with a bespoke five-metre chandelier that is made up of over 80 glowing glass lanterns.

Three semi-private dining booths and a private dining room off the open kitchen offer a secluded chef’s table experience. The long bar is proudly adorned in rustic tones and leads to an intimate bar lounge or ‘Green Room’ which is geared up for cosy wine and whisky tastings and reminiscent of a glamorous greenhouse suspended in the sky.

André Fu has pulled off the seemingly impossible task of changing a restaurant which everyone loved so much already. In the flurry of excitement for what is new, familiarly reminiscent memoirs of what was previously Café Gray remain.

Over seven types of hand-crafted pasta and grilled meats feature on Tanaka’s seasonal menu, while bold vegetable dishes including pickled carrots with coconut yoghurt and grilled hispi cabbage with tahini also play a leading role.

In a move towards implementing more sustainable practices, The Upper House has become a Founding Collective Member of Belu Hong Kong with the installation of an in-house water filtration system. For just $30, Salisterra guests can enjoy unlimited still or sparkling filtered water, helping to reduce the carbon footprint and single use bottles.

Breakfast is served from 6.30-11am, lunch from 12-2.30pm, afternoon tea from 3-5pm and dinner from 6-10.30pm. Reservations recommended. www.salisterra.com

Brunching out

Mother’s Day brunch at Zuma

There aren’t many better places to be than at a Zuma brunch, with a glass of champagne in hand. On May 9, Zuma is hosting a free-flow Mother’s Day brunch. Kick off with unlimited Japanese delights including salads, yakitori, tempura, sashimi, sushi and maki rolls, follow with a choice of mains such as the signature spicy beef tenderloin with sesame, red chili and sweet soy or miso marinated black cod wrapped in hoba leaf and roasted lobster, shiso and ponzu butter. Finish with Zuma’s famous dessert platter, the highlight of which is Zuma’s iconic molten chocolate cake. zumarestaurant.com

Horizon Club Harbour View room

Staying out

Island Shangri-La unveils new Horizon Club rooms

Island Shangri-La kicked off its 30th anniversary celebrations a few weeks ago with the unveiling of new Horizon Club rooms and suites. Elevated and refined, the new club rooms offer a stylish getaway for Mother’s Day, with or without kids in tow.

Built with the needs of the modern-day traveller in mind, the enhanced Horizon Club rooms and suites provide a sense of space that can adapt according to guests’ needs. Designed by world-renowned French interior designer Tristan Auer, modern conveniences blend perfectly with Parisian charm and a modern Oriental feel. Acknowledging that there is no rivaling the hotel’s first class view of Hong Kong’s skyline, Auer drew inspiration from the local Hong Kong architecture, with a focus on “Framing the View”.

We were lucky enough to be one of the first families to experience the new Horizon Club rooms for a one-night stay with our 10-month-old baby. While a luxury staycation may be somewhat daunting for first-time parents, we found the rooms extremely well-equipped and everything about the hotel accommodating to the needs of a little one.

The bespoke in-room pantry was perhaps the most defining feature with distilled hot and cold water taps and chilled guest fridge draws - perfect for storing milk. For families with slightly older children, upholstered daybeds which run the full length of the Harbour View rooms are a huge plus point since they offer flexibility to increase sleeping capacity when needed. Gorgeous touches such as a bespoke mirrored cocktail trolley didn’t go amiss and my husband took great pleasure in mixing his own aperitif from a selection of bottled cocktails from the hotel’s award-winning Lobster Bar.

Access to the Horizon Club Lounge on the 56th floor offers a host of benefits including daily breakfast, afternoon tea, free-flow evening cocktails and canapés between 5.30pm-7.30pm and all-day light refreshments. Children are welcome in the lounge until 7pm, which we took full advantage of with our daughter and the staff we fantastic in welcoming her.

The hotel is renowned for serving up some of the best cuisine in Hong Kong at One Michelin star Petrus, or for a more casual vibe, we opted for the Lobster Bar and Grill which serves up excellent seafood, meats and pastas alongside an impressive drinks menu. The creative wine menu allows for over 70 wines to be ordered by glass, carafe or bottle. Staff were extremely attentive and considerate, even pre-allocating us a booth where we could easily park our sleeping daughter in the stroller throughout dinner.

Located on Level 8, the hotel boasts a world-class outdoor swimming pool, fitness centre and serene health club and spa, which was unfortunately closed due to government restrictions during our stay.

As expected, service throughout our stay was impeccable. We were constantly reminded that staff at Shangri-La are among the very best in the world and they simply couldn’t do enough to keep our baby smiling throughout our stay.

shangri-la.com

Lunching out

Tatcha Afternoon Tea at Four Seasons

Four Seasons Hong Kong has collaborated with Tatcha this May to create a Japaneseinspired Shinsei afternoon tea to celebrate the launch of The Dewy Serum. Executive Pastry Chef Ringo Chan took inspiration from the beneficial ingredients in Tatcha’s products to create an afternoon tea experience to help guests glow from the inside out. The dedicated pastry team showcases Kyoto craftsmanship, including soft akita rice and sakura jelly, uji green tea and azuki bean cake and Okinawa sea salt caramel chocolate crème with biscuit. For every order of afternoon tea for two, guests will receive a Tatcha Dewy Skin Discovery Kit valued at $431. The set is priced at $688 for two and served in The Lounge from 2-4pm and from 4.15-6.15pm on weekends throughout May. fourseasons.com