DiningCity cordially invites Hong Kong's food lovers to CHILL EATS, part of Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival 2022 and supported by Hong Kong Tourism Board. From 1 November to 30 November 2022, the programme offers the diners a memorable journey within four pillars that trace the trends of the city's dining scene, offering over 200 restaurants with selected menus up to 30% off.
Through four distinct pillars, CHILL EATS aims to showcase Hong Kong's dining trends in 2022.
New in the City
Food lovers in Hong Kong are always seeking new experiences – it's why gourmet food abounds and famous chefs flock to start up business here. Unique new restaurants continue to open up in the city despite the impact of the pandemic. Mr. Kent Wong, founder of Taste Gourmet Group, explains "Hong Kong has gone through dark days in recent years and everyone has a need for optimism. For the hospitality industry, hit hard by closures and health regulations, hope for what comes next is what is sustaining the sector."
"New in the City" engaged the restaurants newly opened in 2021 and 2022 to bring new dining experience to the diners.
Taste Gourmet Group has come together to create concepts and brands that honour the desire to live in the moment and the understanding that all things, good and bad, pass with time. Their recent brands, Que and San-Kinn mirror this concept. "I firmly trust that our food & beverage sector will flourish again in no time given the diversity, vibrancy and multi-cultural society in Hong Kong," said Mr. Wong.
In the Open Air
After spending hours cooped up indoors, many diners are looking for a breath of fresh air and a laid-back atmosphere. "In the Open Air" highlights spaces and offers the pleasure of the outdoors such as Pirata Group's venues.
"More than just the basics of good food, good service and good value for money, we've seen guests gravitate toward restaurants that convey a sense of wellbeing," said James Gannaban, Director of Marketing & Communications at Pirata Group. "Of the 14 restaurants we opened in the last two years, the most popular are the ones with access to open spaces – be it pizza and Aperol spritz on a sidewalk, to freshly baked pastries at the seaside, to a full-on classical Italian garden surrounded by lemon trees. It's all about simple, accessible pleasures that provide a quick escape and a hit of holiday vibes."
Feast Your Eyes
Apart from delicious food, "Feast Your Eyes" features show-stopping presentation and restaurant design that catches diners' eyes.
"Dining out is not just about food and service. Guests nowadays have a lot of knowledge and high expectations. We need to keep the bar high in order to stay on top of our game," said Alex Bellafronte, Operations Director, Asia of Aqua Restaurant Group. "Dining is an immersive experience, where all views, design, atmosphere, lighting and music play an incredibly important role to elevate our guest's journey."
Taste Travel
"Taste Travel" takes diners around the world and through culinary foodways. It's a showcase of the diverse range of cuisines in Asia's culinary capital, encompassing the popular Italian, French, Japanese and Cantonese cuisines alongside less mentioned ones such as Peruvian, Scandinavian or Argentinian fares.
Andrew Yang, Rosewood Hong Kong's Director of Food and Beverage, agreed industry players must go the extra mile in formulating unique restaurant concepts from regional cuisines. "The hospitality industry has changed over the years, it's not just about delivering great service anymore," said Yang, "At Rosewood Hong Kong we think outside the box to create unique concepts so that each outlet is differentiated from the competition, and we work closely with different brands and beverage partners to present one-of-a-kind experiences our guests can only find here."
CHILL EATS Citywide Dining Programme. Diners can book more than 200 participating restaurants and enjoy menu discounts up to 30% off. Menus are divided into four price categories:
DiningCity, an online bilingual guide and instant reservation service for premium restaurants, launched its Asian edition first in Singapore as early as 2007 and initiated official websites for Hong Kong and Mainland China in 2008 and 2009 respectively. DiningCity offers restaurant listings, introductions, reviews, pictures and the ability to make instant reservations for its users. Its platform and app also offer instant discounts off the food bill through its Off-peak feature and rewards loyal users with welcome drinks and window seat priority. DiningCity lists over 55,000 well-selected member restaurants with more than 1000 instantly bookable member restaurants in Greater China, Hong Kong and Singapore.