A delectable blend of Swiss Emmental cheese, Tokachi cheese and sake in a warm pot, accompanied with all sorts of dippable savouries, is being served over get-togethers at The Hari Hong Kong this winter.
Sukiyaki Cheese Fondue is on offer at the elegant hotel’s second-floor contemporary Japanese restaurant Zoku every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6-10pm. Inclusive of tea and coffee, the indulgent 90-minute feast is priced at HK$788 for two and HK$368 per additional person.
The fondue is complemented with an endless vegetarian selection of homemade toast bread, shiitake mushrooms, broccolini, asparagus, broiled cherry tomatoes, Japanese sweet potatoes, taro, kinu tofu and shishito pepper. Condiments range from shichimi and wasabi to sesame and yuzu kosho.
Optional kushiyaki, which translates to skewer grill, comprising two pieces each of U.S. prime beef, Kyushu chicken thigh, wild octopus, and Hokkaido scallop, is an additional HK$368. Two pieces each of soft-shell crab, tiger prawn and wagyu gyoza are also optional and total HK$228.
The hearty dining experience ends on a sweet note with matcha burnt cake and white chocolate ice-cream.
Featuring warm sake, cocktails and champagnes, a beverage menu has been concocted specifically to be paired with the fondue. Gassan Houjun Karakuchi, boasting an elegant richness with full umami, and Yamagata Masamune Junmai, defined by a mild spiciness and crisp aftertaste, are recommended warm sake pairings, priced at HK$168 and HK$198 respectively.
“Say cheese with sake to melt the chill of Hong Kong’s winter months away,” said The Hari Hong Kong’s food and beverage director Francesco Gava. “Our Sukiyaki Cheese Fondue is hands down the ultimate guilty pleasure and epitomises Zoku’s take on modern Japanese cuisine. It’s already proven to be such a hit we’ll be bringing it back next winter.”
The Wan Chai hotel’s award-winning Zoku makes for an intimate setting of leather fluted booths, crimson velvet banquettes and bar lounge chairs amid the glow of pink bubble glass tealight holders and orange hand stitched fringed lampshades. Meaning “clan” in Japanese, Zoku is dominated by a mesmerizing ceiling of angled timber slats in origami-like forms.
The concept of fondue has humble origins in 18th century Switzerland. From the French word “fondre”, meaning “to melt,” fondue was a means for farm families to stretch their limited resources during the winter months. With some remaining cheese, stale bread, and a dash of wine the family could gather around the hearth.
For more information about Sukiyaki Cheese Fondue, available until February 28 this year before it resumes in December, visit https://www.thehari.com/hong-kong/the-hari-hotel-hong-kong-eat-drink/zoku/sukiyaki-cheese-fondue/. To make a booking at Zoku & The Terrace, email [email protected] or call +852 2129 0338.