Chef hopes to win a Michelin star with the relaunch of Haku in Central
20 April 2022
Haku, a Hong Kong restaurant, will return in May with a new menu concept as well as a new location.
It will serve Western meal at IFC Mall in Central on Hong Kong Island, after serving Japanese fusion fare at Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon – and aspires to win a Michelin star.
The restaurant will occupy the fourth-floor area in IFC Mall that was formerly occupied by gaming bar Pong IFC, and will be designed in a clean, minimalist Japanese-Scandinavian style with plenty of wood, stone, and glass to allow visitors to enjoy the harbour views while dining.
Its kitchen will focus on serving modern Western meals using Japanese ingredients and cooking techniques.
Chef Rob Drennan, who has been at Haku for approximately a year and a half, says the restaurant’s food concept has developed throughout that period.
The move across Victoria Harbour “seemed like a wonderful chance for us to reestablish ourselves… and do some creative and exciting things,” he says.
“I want to use what I’ve learned and where I’ve been, in the United States, Europe, and now here, and see how I can bring all of those components together into your dining experience,” Drennan said. Drennan previously worked in Norway and cooked Americanized Japanese food in Texas.
American fried chicken with caviar, combined with beer, will be one of the menu’s highlights.
Parker House rolls (a sort of bread roll) with black garlic and whipped brown butter and truffle will be among the other dishes, as will Hokkaido uni on black brioche toast with yuzu truffle emulsion and pickled onions.
If we do what we desire, we’ll be able to… And if that results in a Michelin star, [then] happy days.
Haku, Rob Drennan
Roasted Jerusalem artichoke ice cream with chocolate sauce on a bed of toasted hazelnuts has made the cut from the old Haku.
Lunch will start at HK$600 (US$75), with dinner costing over HK$2,000. “The pricing isn’t going to go up that much from the old Haku; it’ll still be reasonably priced,” Drennan says, “but the menu will be lot longer.”
“We simply want people to chill out, relax, and take their time,” he says, adding that supper will be served in one sitting.
