HONG KONG. Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has revealed plans to diversify its food & beverage offer, with a series of ambitious new openings planned.
A Caviar House & Prunier Seafood Bar and store opened recently in the Terminal 1 East Hall, Level 7. The brand had a presence at the airport previously, but returns now with a striking fresh design on the main dining floor.
A comeback for Caviar House & Prunier: The premium dining concept has opened a new store and seafood bar (images below) as part of a big upgrade of the Level 7 dining space at Hong Kong International
In a location adjacent to Caviar House, cake concept Lady M New York will open in early 2018. This popular concept will feature a store and seating, and offer cakes and other desserts.
Lady M New York (above and below): The airport is adding diversity to the dining offer airside
Close by will come another key opening, gourmet burger bar Beef & Liberty. This concept, led by former Mandarin Oriental Executive Chef Uwe Opocensky, is a popular recent addition to the dining scene in Hong Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong area, and this outlet will mark its first unit at Hong Kong Airport.
Crucially, it will also feature a strong craft beer offer targeting drinkers who are seeking something new; this is a partnership with Kowloon craft brewery Moonzen and will feature brews made specially for HKIA.
Elsewhere, in arrivals a new Ramen restaurant will take the popular Japanese noodle concept to HKIA in a stand-alone format for the first time, and will open before Christmas this year.
Ramen: The popular Japanese noodle concept will open as a stand-alone outlet for the first time at the airport
A highlight of the new-look dining offer in arrivals will come in late 2018, when a new concept from French chef Joël Robuchon (the most awarded Michelin-starred chef in the world) will open. Robuchon will make his debut in the airport business through this new venture. His café concept will offer a menu based on light and fresh ingredients and takes up space currently occupied by a McDonald’s outlet.
Robuchon is a first ever airport outlet for the most awarded Michelin-starred chef in the world, and a coup for the airport company
McDonald’s in turn will take up a new space in the landside Departures Hall in Q3 2018. This unit will house its latest restaurant design and some new elements. These include table service and offering travellers the opportunity to customise their meals (including creating their own burgers) for the first time.
McDonald’s will introduce its latest restaurant design at HKIA, with table service and the opportunity for travellers to customise their meals
In other developments, one of the biggest F&B projects is the tender for space at the soon-to-be-expanded food court in the East Hall (departures). As reported, six outlets are being tendered, with a deadline of 30 November. A further three will be put out to the market in early 2018, taking the number of concepts to nine. At least one of these concepts (likely to be a dim sum outlet) will feature an open kitchen that will add a fresh sense of theatre to the environment.
Importantly, the food court will be redesigned by well-known architect and interior designer Ronald Lu. It will take the theme of ‘Lion Rock spirit’, which is said to epitomise the spirit and values of the Hong Kong people. Renovation will begin in Q2 2018 and take around one year until all new concepts are in place. The project will extend seating capacity from 900 to 1,200.
Finally, submissions from a recent bento tender are under evaluation with a winner to be revealed soon. This concept addresses demand for a premium takeaway concept, noted HKIA.
Tender time: Submissions are due this week for six units in the new-look East Hall food court, with a further three to come amid expansion in 2018
How one of the boutique food court kiosks will look after renovation