8 art-inspired menus now serving in Hong Kong: from Mandarin Oriental’s Banksy dessert to celebrity drag queen Courtney Act live at Sevva and the Rosewood Artistry culinary events series

Mar 18 , 2023

Mandarin Grill + Bar’s The Artistry Moments menu in Hong Kong takes inspiration from well-known art pieces. Photos: Handout

To celebrate Art Basel, Veda invited modern artist Riya Chandiramani to collaborate on a nine-course plant-based menu which will only be served to 50 diners

Netflix’s The Final Table winner Timothy Hollingsworth will be appearing at Rosewood Hong Kong, while K11’s Tirpse is serving a dessert paying tribute to Banksy’s Love is in the Air

Creative chefs are constantly showcasing their artistic capabilities, from the vision required to conceive and create a noteworthy menu, through to the aesthetics of plating and the edible art that is presented to diners. Art informs many stages of the elevated dining experience.

During art month in Hong Kong, these culinary creatives take inspiration from the plethora of works on show, delving deeper into their inner artist to produce limited-time menus or dishes celebrating art in all forms.

1. Mandarin Grill + Bar

Select dishes from the Artistry Moments menu.

Taking inspiration from well-known art pieces is the Artistry Moments menu from Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong’s Mandarin Grill + Bar, available until April 2. Curated by executive chef Robin Zavou and chef de cuisine Matthew Reuther, each of the three or four courses pays homage to a different artist or artwork in edible form. For example, main course The Currency mimics the circular features from Damien Hirst’s painting of the same name, with each element of the dish presented in circles. Meanwhile, the dessert – a sakura and strawberry parfait with a heart-shaped sugar balloon – is inspired by Banksy’s work Girl with Balloon. It’s priced at HK$1,288 per person for three courses or HK$1,488 for four (plus 10 per cent service charge).

1/F, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road Central, Central

2. Veda

Good enough to eat? Marinated beetroot with baby spinach and pickles.

Contemporary Indian restaurant Veda is taking the bold step of working directly with a visual artist. Until March 26, chef Raul Tronco Calahorra and modern artist Riya Chandiramani will be presenting the The Art. Full. Dinner at Veda, an exclusive nine-course plant-based art-dining journey. Pictured above is the first course of marinated beetroot, baby spinach and pickles, a combination of vibrant ingredients and textures that reflects the vivid palette of Chandiramani’s work. By contrast, the tofu chilla cannelloni encapsulates the artist’s favourite flavours. Priced at HK$1,688 per person (plus 10 per cent), only 50 seats are available throughout the promotional period, with each diner taking home a limited-edition signed work of art.

2 Arbuthnot Road, Central

3. Rosewood Hong Kong

Chef Nokx Majozi of The Pie Room, Holborn Dining Room at Rosewood London will share her insider secrets in the pie-making masterclass as part of Rosewood Hong Kong’s artistry events line-up.

The Rosewood is paying homage to the return of Art Basel while celebrating its own fourth anniversary with the Rosewood Artistry. Running until March 23, the curated culinary series comprises expert-led masterclasses, collaborations and four-hands dinners with renowned chefs, spread across all of its F&B outlets. Masterclasses range from the art of gourmet pie-making through to a caviar tasting workshop, and a deep dive into the world of truffles. The one-of-a-kind dining experiences all feature visiting chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants or sister Rosewood hotels worldwide, including Netflix’s The Final Table winner Timothy Hollingsworth from Otium.