Hong Kong luxury for a day
I had the privilege of spending only one full day in Hong Kong, and wanting to make the most out of it, I decided to splurge and live in the lap of luxury, hoping the pleasure would more than make up for the abrupt trip.
From the airport, I was met by the friendly guide and brought straight to the limousine lounge where my ride whisked me away directly to the hotel. Before closing the car door, he flashed an iPad with a short menu and asked if I wanted to order something that would be ready by the time I arrived at their property. From that moment on, I knew I had made the right decision in booking The Upper House.
Located in Admiralty’s Pacific Place, the no. 3 best hotel in Hong Kong, as proclaimed by Conde Nast readers, has the makings of a high-end condominium, the warm service of a family home and the views that make one feel they’re up in the mountains. I stayed in a Studio 80, which was decked with glass windows in all rooms, including the bath, allowing me to soak in the panoramic vista of Victoria Harbor even as I lay in the tub.
There was no lobby per se as they don’t want guests to waste any time away from the splendor of the room, and so not long after I arrived and was given a quick room tour, I plopped on my king bed and spent most of the day luxuriating in my 48th floor suite. I was fully entertained not only by the sweeping views but also by the art books in the living room and snacks like egg tarts, fresh fruits and nuts, and pineapple buns sent my way.
The Upper House makes for a legit staycation, as it gives you few valid reasons to leave the premises. The gym is open 24 hours and since the brand is big on wellness, the hotel has an array of services that provide self-care, from yoga sessions and fitness classes to in-room treatments and residencies to boost one’s well-being.
Personally, I rely on a different kind of therapy—food. And for that, it has Salisterra, found on the highest level of the building, where Michelin-starred chef Ricardo Chaneton has curated a menu inspired not just by the flavors of the Mediterranean, but also by his culinary training in Denia, Spain, and Côte d’Azur in southern France.
Mono’s chef Ricardo Chaneton
Fine fare
The food is a mix of small and for-sharing plates, which can easily be turned into sets fit for a business lunch. I started with whelk or sea snails with lentils and slow-cooked octopus with a Greek herb rub, downed with a refreshing gin-spiked pineapple and rosemary lemonade.
Heavier fare of a seafood medley with citrus shallot sauce, accompanied by spelt and venere rice, followed, capped off with a lovely goat’s cheese cheesecake with Napoleon cherries and acacia honey. It was a great meal clearly marked by a refinement and style that’s solely Chaneton’s, so good that it actually drove me to book a seat in his fine dining spot, Mono.
In his 30-seater, the chef gets to flex his culinary muscles, this time using Latin American ingredients and his Italian roots. The place, situated on the fifth floor of a building in Central, is upscale but not intimidating, made friendly and charming perhaps by the timeless jazz music and the chef’s collection of close to 400 vinyl records, some displayed on the wall.
Chaneton surely knows how to balance flavors and textures, something that’s a turn-on for a diner like me. It was evident in the Yellow Tail Carpaccio where thin slices of fresh fish on a savory pool highlighted both the heat of the lacto-fermented Peruvian chili and the Veracruz-style cocktail sauce.
Other culinary come-ons include the taco that simply relied on the natural flavors of the sweet Shizuoka ken fruit tomato, a perfectly binchotan-grilled Fukuoka bonito with his signature shiso curry, and his much celebrated number, Danish langoustine with Ecuadorian cacao expressions.
A lot of his ingredients come from Latin America, and given the logistics, he makes sure to treat them with much respect and to the best their good quality can offer. That’s pretty evident in numbers such as the Venezuelan wasakaka and beef jus and Costa Rican cassava roti that came with the Australian Wagyu flap, and the Mexican nixtamalized purple corn shuffle with calamari tartare and Brazil nut-seaweed pesto.
If Salisterra piqued my curiosity regarding his capabilities, at Mono, Chaneton surely impressed, with points stacking up to the restaurant’s credit as the no. 27 best restaurant in Asia, according to Asia’s 50 Best.
Top drinks
It’s just a year old and Bridges Street’s Bar Leone is already amassing awards many have to work years for. In the recent Asia’s 50 Best Bars Awards, it made history by being the first-ever establishment to debut on the list in the no. 1 position. On top of that, it also brought home three other accolades: the Disaronno Highest New Entry, The Best Bar in Hong Kong and The Best Bar in Asia 2024.
Its concept and design may not be as exciting and innovative as the others, but when it comes to drinks, owner Lorenzo Antinori has ingenuity in spades. He makes “cocktail popolari,” an Italian phrase that, in essence, means “cocktails for the people,” but for drinkers, it means libations that are stripped back for a simple yet satisfying experience.
Take the Leone Martini, for example. It’s a sexy beverage composed of an Italian gin, marsala and a hint of orange blossom water garnished with an almond-stuffed olive. It’s a unique and refreshing drink that’s so good and easy to down that it can very well be a classic in its own league.
I may not have had the time to explore Hong Kong, visit museums and queue for roast goose, but it was still 24 hours well spent as I got to experience the best of the best of what the city has to offer.
Special thanks to Heaven’s Portfolio, Cebu Pacific and Big Sky Nation. Follow the author @fooddudeph in Instagram.
