LSA Eats: Three of the best tasting menus that won’t break the bank

If you’re a frequent diner at restaurants, you would have noticed that many restaurants these days are offering these fancy tasting menus. There are some very practical reasons for this, of course. Firstly, it helps to cut down on food wastage as restaurants don’t need to store as many different ingredients as are needed for a la carte menus – on the off-chance that someone might order it. And in these days of skilled labour shortages, it also leaves the staff less stressed.

So, tasting menus have become all the rage, but let’s face it, they can be pretty expensive and time-consuming. Not everyone has the cash or the hours to spare for a marathon dinner, am I right? But the good news is, there are still some awesome spots in Hong Kong that get it. These establishments understand the need to strike a balance between offering a refined dining experience and making it accessible to a wider audience and are now dishing out slightly shorter tasting menus at more affordable prices, so you can still have a classy night out without blowing your budget.

Here are our top three choices for a night of good food and good vibes, at nice prices of less than $1,200:

Mora

TATE Dining Room chef-owner Vicky Lau opened her second Hong Kong restaurant just over two years ago, with the humble ambition of showcasing soy as a star ingredient. Since then, Mora – located on the quirky and enchantingly nostalgic Upper Lascar Row (or Cat Street) – has built up a loyal following amongst those in the know. Lau, who mainly tends to her clientele at the more high-end TATE up the road, can often be seen popping into Mora’s kitchens where head chef Choi Ming Fai is cooking up signature dishes such as the udon noodle in soy milk lobster bouillon, one-sided crispy threadfin with coconut soy milk broth and the duet of local duck breast. The udon noodles, easily the star attraction here for me, unfortunately comes at $138 extra, but the main seven-course tasting menu comes in at only $1,080, so I’d recommend adding the udon if you can. Mora has also been awarded the Michelin Green Star for its use of local ingredients and bringing a bit of life back into the sleepy neighbourhood, so you’d be doing your part too!

Mora, 40 Upper Lascar Row, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 9583 8590; Open: Tues-Sat 12nn – 2pm, 6pm-9.30pm last order.

Dolos

Twin brothers Joshua and Caleb Ng are no strangers to the food and beverage scene, having created popular spots like Interval, Café Leitz, Common Ground, and Vivant under their Twins Kitchen brand. And Dolos is their latest venture, continuing their knack for creating unique and cosy spaces that serve up delicious food at reasonable prices. Head chef Sean Yuen may not have attended prestigious culinary schools but honed his skills at places such as the three-Michelin-starred Caprice in Hong Kong. While the word dolos may sound a little Greek, the restaurant actually serves up French-Japanese fare featuring fresh seafood. Yuen’s crispy and succulent grilled eel is a definite highlight of the meal together with dishes such as the squid celeriac or the sawara (Spanish mackerel). In a rarity for Hong Kong, dolos has also waived corkage for those who might want to bring their own wines. Or, if you don’t want to carry bottles of wine around town before dinner, there’s also a good selection of reasonably-priced tipples in-house. At only $980 for seven courses, this is definitely a steal – if you can get a table at the 20-seater!

Dolos, G/F 60 Staunton Street, Central. Tel: +852 34885770; Open: Tues-Sat 6pm-10pm (two seatings)

Roganic

Michelin-starred Roganic Hong Kong is the first outpost of award-winning British chef and restaurateur Simon Rogan of the three-Michelin-starred L’Enclume in the Lake District of the United Kingdom. As with his UK restaurants, Rogan places a high importance on local and sustainable ingredients, and Roganic Hong Kong – which received Hong Kong’s first Michelin Green star – grows its own hydroponic herbs and sources vegetables and meat from local farmers. Since its opening in 2019, Roganic has managed to surprise and delight at almost every turn – head chef Adam Caterall has elevated plain sunrise tomatoes and ordinary old potatoes to where they stand tall and proud as main dishes. The truffle pudding and the the soda bread are to die for. On a recent visit, the barbecued hen of the woods in miso butter and the 14-day dry aged duck were highly memorable. The price at Roganic is a little higher at $1,180 for a full 11-course menu (including three desserts) so it’s quite good bang for the buck. The restaurant also has the best non-alcoholic pairing (+$380) I have had in Hong Kong.

Roganic, Sino Plaza, UG/F 08, 255 Gloucester Rd, Causeway Bay. Tel: +852 2817 8383; Open: Tues – Sun 12nn-2pm, 6pm – 10pm