Aqua celebrates 10th birthday with ‘Around-The-World’ menu - Hong Kong (China)
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Aqua celebrates 10th birthday with ‘Around-The-World’ menu - Hong Kong (China)
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Category: Asia Pacific - China - Gourmet restaurants
- Gourmet restaurants
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2010-08-31
(Hong Kong, August 31, 2010) – Hong Kong’s internationally acclaimed Aqua Restaurant Group is marking its milestone first decade with a ‘10 years, 10 chefs, 10 dishes’ celebration from September 10 - October 10, 2010.
The celebration marks the Group’s rise in 10 years from its humble beginnings with a single stylish brasserie on Hollywood Road and a commitment to the best in contemporary cuisine with a ‘wow’, to a global culinary empire of 20 groundbreaking bars and restaurants in three of the world’s major cities. including the landmark Hullett House hotel
Ten chefs from ten of the group’s celebrated restaurants in Hong Kong, London and Beijing are each creating a 10th birthday dish which highlights the aqua culinary philosophy applied to the six different global cuisines the Aqua Group has become famous for: Italian, Japanese, Thai, Spanish, Chinese and French.
Each 10th Birthday dish will be available for a month at one of the Group’s participating outlets in Hong Kong from September 10 - October 10. Diners ordering the dish will receive a complimentary glass of bubbles to celebrate.
Diners will also be able to collect a souvenir dine around “passport” from each of the restaurants, and can win offers and prizes by visiting the different participating outlets in the group during the celebration month.
Participating restaurants in Hong Kong are the Group flagship aqua and Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant Hutong at One Peking, Hullett House, WasabiSabi Japanese dining bar in Times Square, Thai restaurant ayuthaiya in Hollywood Road, Wyndham Street restaurant Yun Fu, and vivo in Elgin Street.
The birthday celebrations will culminate on Saturday October 9th (and the small hours of October 10th) in a grand gala dinner featuring all ten signature 10th Birthday dishes to be held in Hullett House, the Group’s hotel and restaurant collection housed in a magnificent colonial building at 1881 Heritage in Tsim Sha Tsui.
The Aqua Story
Ten years ago, former lawyer David Yeo launched his first 60 seat aqua restaurant on Hollywood Road with just 20 staff, and a vision to bring some of the chic restaurant buzz of New York, Tokyo and London to Hong Kong.
It proved such a phenomenal success that today Aqua Restaurant Group has grown to a formidable culinary empire of 20 groundbreaking outlets which embraces some of Hong Kong’s most innovative and successful destination restaurants, a landmark boutique hotel, and talk of the town multi-faceted restaurants in London and Beijing. Today, the Aqua Group serves more than 700,000 customers every year and employs around 560 staff in Hong Kong, London and Beijing.
Says Yeo, “The group has evolved organically from our passion for good food, a love of entertaining, and our joy in creating exciting interiors. I am delighted and quite humbled by the extent of our success, even in such a notoriously difficult market as London.”
Throughout these ten years, the Group’s fundamental philosophy has remained unchanged; to source the freshest highest quality produce, prepare it in a way where the true flavours shine and where food is presented in an aesthetically stunning manner.
This is coupled with service that is approachable and unobtrusive, and always in a jaw-droppingly stylish environment that features the very best of innovative Asian-inspired contemporary design, right down to the last small details, which has become the hallmark of the Aqua Group.
Aqua Group’s signature restaurants, aqua and Hutong at One Peking Road in Tsim Sha Tsui have for several years been two of the most admired restaurants in Hong Kong, and a “must” for sophisticated visitors to Hong Kong. The group has also taken everyday casual neighbourhood dining to a new level of sophistication with its trio of Soho and Wyndham street brasseries, tivo, vivo and ayuthaiya.
In 2009, aqua restaurant group expanded its portfolio to include aqua London, its first offering outside China. Aqua London comprises three integrated parts: aqua nueva which offers a very modern take on the traditional cuisine of northern Spain; aqua kyoto, a contemporary Japanese restaurant and aqua spirit, a stylish pre and post-dining bar with three outdoor terraces and sweeping views over London’s rooftops. Located at 240 Regent Street in the heart of London’s West End, aqua London has quickly became the in place to see and be seen.
Towards the end of 2009, in addition to bringing delectable cuisine to the hippest happening areas of Hong Kong, aqua restaurant group also set out to preserve Hong Kong’s heritage. Hullett House is an intimate hotel with bespoke luxury suites and five restaurants housed in a magnificent colonial building dating from 1881, the Former Marine Police Headquarters on Canton Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. The property is inspired by Hong Kong’s rich and varied history over the last 150 years, with its unique blend of Chinese and British influences and a mix of old and new. Hullett House was described by Yeo as aqua’s humble attempt to give something back to Hong Kong in return for all the wonderful opportunities Hong Kong has given the group.
Signature Dishes for the 10th Birthday
Ten chefs from ten of the group’s stylish and celebrated restaurants in Hong Kong, London and Beijing are each contributing a 10th birthday dish to create an eclectic ‘around-the-world’ menu highlighting the six different global cuisines which the Aqua Group has become famous for: Italian, Japanese, Thai, Spanish, Chinese and French.
A delectable trio of hot appetisers featuring Kobe beef, anago sea eel and Akashi octopus created by Tatsuya Iwahasi, Group executive chef of Japanese cuisine, Hong Kong offers a tantalising start to the around-the-world menu. Iwahashi was born and raised in Fukushima, Japan where his father owned a small restaurant serving very traditional Japanese home cooked meals. After enrolling in the Musashino cooking school in Tokyo, Iwahasi went on to work at the Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel & Towers and Kowloon Shangri-la in Hong Kong. Having joined aqua restaurant group in 2002, Iwahashi oversees the kitchens at aqua Tokyo, aqua London, shiro and Wasabisabi where Yeo constantly challenges his culinary techniques and boundaries.
Marco Medaglia, Chef de cuisine of aqua roma restaurant, Hong Kong, brings his expertise to the celebration with the creation of the Adriatic sea scallops with Italian cheese fonduta and Alba white truffle dish. Hailing from a family of foodies where his grandmother was a well regarded restaurant chef, Medaglia has worked in Italy, the US, Jakarta and Hong Kong preparing food for heads of states such as Italian President Francesco Cossiga and world famous entertainers such as Hollywood star Melanie Griffith.
Jointly created by Michelin-starred Hutong Head chef Ng Kam Wai and Yun Fu Head chef Wong Lin Shan is the spotted grouper fillet in chili broth poached with mixed wild mushrooms. Born in Guang Dong, Ng was awarded a Michelin star for his stellar cuisine at Hutong and has over 30 years of experience in northern Chinese cuisine. Wong boasts of an equally impressive repertoire with over 25 years of experience in northern Chinese cuisine.
Another highlight is a dessert contributed by Philippe Orrico, Executive chef of Western cuisine, Hullett House comprising of Pur Caraibe chocolate and tonka mousse layered with crunchy hazelnut, salted caramel and raspberry pearl. Orrico came to Hong Kong with Pierre Gagnaire to open the much acclaimed Pierre restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong where he was awarded his first Michelin star under the name of his mentor and today he leads the team at Hullett House.
Aqua Milestones at a Glance
Some of the milestones of the Aqua Restaurant Group’s first decade.
September 2000
aqua Hollywood Road opens / Aqua Restaurant Group formed
May 2001
aqua named one of the World’s 100 hottest tables by Conde Nast Traveler
April 2002
WasabiSabi opens (Times Square, Causeway Bay)
May 2002
Water Margin opens (Times Square, Causeway Bay)
November 2003
ayuthaiya opens (Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong)
December 2003
aqua and Hutong open at One Peking Road (Tsim Sha Tsui)
March 2004
aqua and Hutong featured in Wallpaper magazine
May 2005
Hutong named one of the World's 100 hottest tables by Conde Nast Traveler
October 2005
Time magazine ranking among World's 7 best sky-high restaurants
January 2006
aqua luna, red-sail Chinese junk boat launches
January 2007
tivo and Yun Fu open (Wyndham Street, Central)
February 2008
vivo opens (Elgin Street, SoHo)
April 2008
shiro opens (Pacific Place, Admiralty)
August 2008
aqua Beijing opens (Shiro Matsu, Agua, Hex Bar and Fez)
December 2008
Hutong receives Michelin star
September 2009
aqua london opens (London)
October 2009
aqua’s all-suite boutique hotel, Hullett House opens (Tsim Sha, Tsui, Kowloon) with 5 restaurants and bars: St. George, Loong Toh Yuen, The Parlour, Stables Grill and Mariners’ Rest
March 2010
ayuthaiya opens in new home (Hollywood Road, Central)
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