HK and Macau’s top 5 autumn pop-ups

As the weather cools down, Hong Kong and Macau’s restaurant scene heats up. We look at the top gastronomic pop-up events happening over the next couple of months.

Ritz-Carlton Macau’s Asia Pacific Food & Wine Festival

The sumptuous surrounds of the Ritz Carlton Macau

Four chefs with nine Michelin stars between them are set to descend on the Ritz Carlton in Macau this November for the fifth Asia Pacific Food & Wine Festival which runs from 10-13 November.

Regis Marçon from Regis et Jacques Marçon in Haute Loire; Paco Pérez from Enoteca, Hotel Arts in Spain; the Hong Kong’s Ritz Carlton chef de cuisine at Ting Lung Heen, Paul Lau and Erlantz Gorostiza from M.B, The Ritz-Carlton, Abama in Tenerife will host chef’s tables, cooking classes and brunches alongside Hong Kong’s cocktail legend, Antonio Lai and Hardeep Rehal from Blume in Copenhagen.

(Fans of le fromage should also make a beeline for Francois Bourgon, cheese affineur and master who will have a treasure trove of French cheese for tasting.)

From 10-13 November – Ritz-Carlton Macau, Galaxy Macau Nossa Senhora da Esperança, Estr. da Baia de Nossa Sra. da Esperanca, Macau; +853 8886 6868

Virgilio Martinez at Amber, Landmark Oriental

Virgilio Martinez whose restaurant, Central in Lima is currently No. 4 on the San Pellegrino’s World 50 Best Restaurants list

For two nights only on 21 and 22 November, Peruvian chef Virgilio Martinez of Central Restaurant in Lima is in town for a four hands dinner alongside Amber’s famed chef, Richard Ekkebus.

Following Martinez’s visit to Hong Kong last year, Ekkebus visited Lima and convinced him to come for another stint which will see Ekkebus’ contemporary French cuisine married with Martinez’s Peruvian feast using ingredients from Peru’s jungle, desert, mountains and sea, over an eight-course dinner.

Priced at HK$3,488 per person, the dinner also includes a signed copy of Martinez’s book, Central.

From 21-22 November – Amber, Landmark Oriental, The Landmark York House, Queen’s Road Central, Central, Hong Kong; 2132 0188

Shangri-La Festival of Gastronomy

Anton’s ‘The Scallop’ with Marinière sauce

Chef Frédéric Anton from the three Michelin-starred Le Pré Catelan in Paris makes his first Hong Kong appearance at the Shangri-La’s Restaurant Petrus from now up until 29 October.

Anton began his culinary career in 1983 and worked alongside many top chefs until he became the head chef at Joël Robuchon in 1996, and since 1997, has been chef at Le Pré Catelan, eventually earning it three Michelin stars in 2007.

The lunchtime menu is priced at HK$620 for three courses and HK$780 for four courses and includes eggplant caviar, curry oil, fried onions and French caviar and Anton’s roast lamb with Timut pepper and celery with citrus salad.

A not-to-be-missed evening will be on 29 October when Petrus’ chef, Ricardo Chaneton and Anton will also team up for one-off collaborative dinner priced at HK$1,980 per person.

From 25-29 October – Petrus, Island Shangri-La, Pacific Place,  Supreme Court Road, Central, Hong Kong; 2877 3838

Carlo Cracco at Ritz Carlton Hong Kong

Cracco’s marinated egg yolk, pappa al pomodoro and vegetables

For three days only, Milanese chef, Carlo Cracco will take over the kitchens at Tosca at the Ritz Carlton in Hong Kong with a series of imaginative dishes inspired by his time working with Alain Ducasse and Alain Senderens.

Cracco also helmed the kitchens at  Enoteca Pinchiorri, earning it three Michelin stars and at Le Clivie where it was awarded its first Michelin star.

In 2001, he opened Cracco-Peck restaurant as a joint venture and earned it two Michelin stars in 2004 before claiming sole ownership in 2007.

Priced at HK1,680 for four courses and HK$,180 for seven courses, his pop-up dinner at the Ritz Carlton includes prawns, salted pistachio and beetroot, marinated egg yolk, pappa al pomodoro and vegetables, and chocolate, lentils and peas.

From 3-5 November, Tosca, Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong; 2263 2263

Björn Frantzén at Altira Macau

Frantzen’s cauliflower chawanmushi with Hokkaido uni and wild trout roe

Celebrated Swedish chef, Björn Frantzén owner of his two-star Michelin eponymous restaurant, will craft a 10 and seven-course menu featuring modern Scandinavian dishes with Japanese influences for up to 12 guests per night at Yi Pavilion, Altira Macau from now until 17 December.

Frantzén Group’s head bartender, Oskar Johansson will also whip up a variety of Nordic-style cocktails for guests at the bar of the Aurora restaurant during the entire event period.

Places for dinner are priced at MOP1,288 for 10 courses and MOP 688 for seven.

Separately, it has recently been announced that Frantzen is also set to open his first restaurant outside of Sweden in Hong Kong this November.

Until 17 December, Yi Pavilion, Altira Macau, Avenida de Kwong Tung, Taipa, Macau; +853 2886 8888