How Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong’s eateries are honouring their legacies in the 21st century
A stalwart of Central’s well-heeled social scene, the Mandarin Oriental has touched up its famous eateries, striking a delicate balance between preservation and innovation
Composed simply of sour cream, cream cheese and almond powder, the recipe for the buttery-soft 1963 Mandarin Cheesecake has remained unchanged since the founding of the Mandarin Oriental 61 years ago. But not all recipes stay the same, especially in a city as fast-changing as Hong Kong.
“The hotel is a part of the social fabric of the city,” says general manager Michael Groll. “It’s like a living room for the local community here, and that comes with a bit of responsibility to take care of these spaces that have been here for so many decades and generations. We wanted to refresh the spaces in a way that people feel that they can still connect with, but at the same time feel that it is a part of the future.”
“When I was a child, my mother would bring me here once in a while for high tea, and now that I’m bringing my own kids, it’s become like a family tradition”, she says.
But what began as a quick project to refresh the restaurant interiors inevitably came with complications, sometimes compounded by lightning-fast deadlines as tight as two weeks.
“Facelift projects are always quite challenging, because you have to find the right balance, especially with such a long history at the Mandarin,” says Chan.
