Where to Eat: Top Restaurants to Try This July

This month, we take you on a journey around the world to enjoy a myriad of our favourite cuisines.

Vesu Pizza Bar Puts a Delightful Twist on Traditional Italian Classics

New to Aqua Group is Vesu Pizza Bar, sitting atop their iconic location in One Peking. Drawing its name from Italy’s famed Mount Vesuvius, the restaurant puts a fun, funky and retro-inspired twist on Neapolitan pizza, which are all made at the open-kitchen countertop within a handmade pizza oven. While you’ll find all the traditional classics like the Margherita or Parma Ham, it’s the more innovative portion of the menu that captures our hearts. A personal favourite is the The Ducky, a fantastic pizza bringing together Italian cuisine with Chinese flavours through the use of Hutong’s wondrous Peking duck and homemade roast duck sauce, though you should also try the I’ll Be Bok and Amalfi if you’re in a bigger group. In usual Aqua fashion, be sure not to miss out on their drinks offerings either: their cocktail and mocktail menus are immensely creative, with drinks such as the whisky-based Popcorn, rum-centric Unicorn and Pomodoro using clarified grilled tomato serving as the perfect complement to your meal. – Jeff Yeung

Chef Kazayuki Itagaki Brings Us Sukiyaki Nakagawa

Fresh to Causeway Bay’s CUBUS on Hoi Ping Road is Japanese chef Kazayuki Itagaki, who’s spent the last two and a half decades perfecting his craft in Tokyo and beyond. His latest venture is Sukiyaki Nakagawa, an intimate 15-seater offering a reimagination of classic Kansai-style sukiyaki omakase. Of course, the star of the show is the three types of premium wagyu sourced directly from Japan’s most renowned cattle-rearing regions, including Matsusaka beef, Oita wagyu and Jinnai wagyu, all of which are prepared meticulously by chef Kazayuki in front of the guests, though the nine-course menu I’ve tried went far beyond just meat. From the prized Kosawari Tamago eggs from Hyogo Prefecture prepared in two ways – gently steamed or whisked to a meringue-like consistency – to the sashimi selection, abalone and firefly squid apPetisers, foie gras sukiyaki, Akita cold Inaniwa udon in a refreshing lime dashi and the wagyu beef and sea urchin with egg sauce on Japanese claypot cooked rice, everything was simply exceptional. – Jeff Yeung

Bedu Launches New Summer Dishes

With summer well and truly here, Gough Street’s Middle Eastern delight Bedu is introducing new seasonal dishes for the warmer months, this time showcasing head chef Ali Ahmadpour’s brilliant creativity and thorough understanding of Persia’s regional fare. The new dishes are designed to bring friends and family together in celebration of these sunny days and feature a diverse range of ingredients and a mesmerisingly colourful presentation. Our favourites include the Maitake Mushroom, a reimagination of the hearty mushroom stew chef Ahmadpour’s mother used to make with turmeric, sumac, chilli, onion, sundried tomato and white wine, as well as the Golden Persian Prawns, which takes grilled whole tiger prawns and pairs them with lemon sumac and Do Piyazeh – also known as a two onion sauce – an old recipe from Iran that was inspired by Indian migrants. Other highlights include pan fried King Fish, roasted chicken and grilled beef kebab. – Jeff Yeung

Dine Like Kings at Leela

Chef Manav Tuli has done much to open our eyes to Indian cuisine, from his first restaurant Chaat, where we’re introduced to vibrant and authentic Indian street food, to Leela, his newest venture, where we get to dine like maharajahs, diving right into the Tuli’s interpretations of the foods of different Indian empires such as the Maurya empire circa 300BC. This being my first exposure to Chef Tuli’s food – never having tried Chaat – I’m immediately blown away by the complexity of flavours and the balance of spice and aromas in every dish. You’ve never had butter chicken until you’ve had the Smoked Butter Chicken at Leela, which comes with a dramatic fire show table side as the dish is lit up with a generous splash of Laphroaig Whiskey, which lends an additional peaty layer to the already smoky chicken. The Peshwari Naan, filled with almonds, golden raisin and coconuts, was a perfect match, its delicate sweetness cutting through the heavier flavours of dish. The Bone Marrow Biryani is another highlight, the marrow is folded into the grains of aged Basmati rice, coating each bite with meaty, beefy goodness. Chef Tuli’s magic is evidently at work – I promise you’ve never had Indian food quite like this. – Stephanie Ip

Regional Italian Packed full of Flavour at 208 Italian

Don’t let any preconceptions fool you; this isn’t just another Italian restaurant in Central. We’re seriously impressed with the food at 208 Italian, the two-story venue that reopened this month on Hollywood Road, now under the ownership of the Epicurean Group. Expect proper Italian regional cooking packed with flavour and a menu that strikes the perfect balance between familiar and unique dishes to try. Choose from starters such as truffle arancini and chicken liver parfait; pasta dishes include saffron risotto with roasted bone marrow and squid ink taglioni. There’s also hearty mains such as veal scaloppine and roast chicken, as well as pizza options. For dessert, try the Croccantino, a dish based on the chef’s memories of an Italian ice cream as a child that’s made from chocolate mousse with a morello cherry centre. As for drinks, there are as many spritz variations as you’d expect, which are perfect for summer nights. The restaurant also serves Sanbitter, a delicious non-alcoholic aperitif that tastes like a Campari spritz – it’s pretty hard to find these outside of Italy. Great for groups and mid-week dinners, this might just be your new regular. – Madelaine Clark

New seasonal menu at Posso

Posso revamped its a la carte menu this week, emphasising seasonal and premium ingredients while remaining true to their concept as a Hong Kong neighbourhood sanctuary. Known for its modern Italian cicchetti-inspired dishes, Chef Max Wong and his team bring vivid and lively Italian flavours to the table. For the full Posso experience, guests are recommended to try four to six dishes per person. Highlights on the new menu include the golden baccala arancini with citrusy finger limes, sweet pepper jam, and tangy pickled onions and the red snapper crudo, served atop a savoury smoked bone sabayon with vibrant bergamot and ikura. For a veggie option, be sure to try the stracciatella with tomatillo, sweet peas and arugula pesto. Of course, the pastas at Posso are handmade fresh in-house every day. You can’t go wrong with the lily-shaped calla, topped with spicy nduja, bouncy squid, and fresh clams, or the indulgent ribbons of Mafaldine that are adorned with lobster, lobster miso butter and lobster bottarga. – Andre Neveling