Food: Former Lily & Bloom chef Kong Wai Sing’s first venture – Mustard Bar & Café in Tai Hang – has done so well that he’s now opened his second restaurant in the neighbourhood. At Tipsy Restaurant & Bar, Kong, who spent time honing his culinary skills in Melbourne, presents a modern, Australian-inspired menu with smalls plates and mains that are ideal for sharing. Tipsy also offers a wide variety of fun cocktails and mocktails, making it the perfect choice for after work bevvies, big social gatherings, or corporate get-togethers. Dishes include comforting classics such as grilled asparagus with smoked salmon and parmesan custard,  deep fried Camembert cheese with quince purée, as well as more unusual items such as duck confit risotto ball, blistered Spanish prawn in sake and sesame oil, grilled barramundi with pomegranate molasses dressing, and roast spring chicken stuff with black truffle.

 

Service: Dishes are served promptly, and with smiles.

Must try: The unusual pairing of a grilled BBQ lamb sausage with Japanese-style pickled daikon worked wonderfully in this generously portioned, moreish starter. The charcoal grilled Rangers Valley grain fed tomahawk steak was beautifully done too. But the highlight was the blistered Spanish prawn in sake and sesame oil. The raw prawns are marinated overnight in sake and sesame oil, then torched at your table by a chef before being served to you on a plate of puffed rice. The unique thing about Spanish prawn is the juices from the prawn’s head, which unlike regular prawns, is sweet, aromatic and flavourful. When the juice is released, it works as a natural gravy that’s soaked up by the rice puffs.

Ambience: Located on the first floor of boutique hotel Little Tai Hang, the restaurant is spacious enough that you can comfortably have a laugh with a group of friends, without having to worry about disturbing other diners, yet intimate enough for a romantic meal. You can peek at the chefs in action in the open kitchen, and enjoy a wall mural of the Tai Hang annual Fire Dragon Dance by Hong Kong artist James Ng. The restaurant also has an outdoor terrace where you can enjoy cocktails on a cool evening.

 

Average price per person: Approximately 500 HKD per person with drinks. A three-course weekday lunch set is also available starting from 108HKD per person.

Address: Tipsy Restaurant & Bar. 1/F, Little Tai Hang, 98 Tun Lo Wan Road, Tai Hang, Hong Kong. Tel: (852) 2818-8807.