Roganic is hosting a bittersweet farewell and bidding goodbye to its original Sino Plaza mall location in Causeway Bay with edible blasts from the past.
For the past five years, the nonpareil culinary endeavour by British trailblazer Simon Rogan has tantalised diners in Hong Kong with its sustainable gastronomy. Against the backdrop of the restaurant’s imminent relocation to new premises, which will be completed before the end of the year and also see the launch of an entirely new menu, chefs Adam Catterall and Mark Catchpole look back upon Roganic’s journey and its many standout moments, revisiting a long list of crowd-pleasing dishes that have characterised the restaurant over the half-decade. Noteworthy events include Roganic being awarded a Michelin Star in 2020, as well as Hong Kong’s first-ever Michelin Green Star in 2021, consolidating the restaurant’s status as a beacon of gastronomic excellence, innovation, and sustainable dining.
From collaborative culinary experiences with acclaimed restaurants around the world, such as Seroja, Quintonil, Amber, Crony, Locavore, and Jaan, to its green dining initiatives like the Friends of Sustainability series, Sustainability Champions, and the launch of the Simon Rogan Academy in Hong Kong, Roganic has repeatedly pushed the boundaries of what it means to be a responsible fine-dining restaurant, in line with Rogan’s definitive farm-to-fork ethos. “When we first opened all these years ago, we couldn’t even begin to imagine what we could achieve. But with everything in life, the time has come to change things up a little, and after five years, we gained a great understanding of the city and our customers,” the award-winning chef and pioneer says of the strategic move. “So, with Roganic 2.0, we will have the opportunity to adjust our offering to an ever-evolving Hong Kong audience and are very excited to push the boundaries even further in the years to come.”
His farewell begins with the two-part Best of Roganic experience, a celebration of the restaurant’s greatest hits. Each meticulously crafted dish, initially served in 2019, 2020, and 2022, carries with it a note of nostalgia and a sneak peek of the excitement to come. While the restaurant’s current location will close on 15 September, Roganic and its sister restaurant Aulis will be reopening in new, separate locations, reassuring gastronomes that the dining odyssey with these two beloved food concepts will continue.
Available from now until 25 August, Roganic invites diners to indulge in the Best of Roganic Part One menu, a curation of the restaurant’s most popular dishes from the past five years. With an unwavering commitment to quality and a deep respect for the land and its bounties, the nine-course menu begins with the Hong Kong pea tartlet; the amuse-bouche, a seaweed tart with a pea filling offering a rousing umami punch balanced by salty roe, sets the tone. With taste buds now awakened, the textured cep wafer with curds, pickled shimeji, and summer shoots follows as a crisp and creamy bite, tantalising the palate. Using seafood sourced from the local Aberdeen Fish Market, the Spanish mackerel in coal with apple and kohlrabi juices is cured in gin produced by Hong Kong’s own Two Moons distillery; the dish is paired with a punchy apple kombucha with notes of jasmine tea, one of several full-bodied, farm-to-bar beverages from the restaurant’s creative non-alcoholic pairing.
A true standout, endorsed by approving murmurs echoed around the table, is the combination of the salad grilled over embers with Corra Linn, elderflower, and toasted seeds with a warm brioche and the carrot, ginger, and pineapple concoction. Following that, the menu segues into poached grouper cooked in brown butter, Black Beauty courgettes, and roasted kuruma shrimp paired with ahojicha stem and dashi zero-proof tipple, and the succulent three-yellow chicken with Sweet Jean corn with preserved nasturtium and the jus of chicken bones and fats. Served with a coconut water drink infused with lime and lemongrass, the tender chicken thigh and breast is a harmonious blend of familiar flavours.
Not to be outdone, Roganic’s best-of dessert courses showcase the frozen Tunworth cheese ice cream with cherry and roasted hazelnuts, an accomplished display of masterful interplay between sweet and savoury, while the caramelised Pink Lady apple tart with Taiwanese vanilla ice cream and verjuice imparts a madeleine de Proust moment. Saving the best for last, the endmost mouthful is the embossed fig mousse with snow pear, an unforgettable, branded mignardise to bring the meal to an end.
Not only is the Best of Roganic Part One menu a testament to the restaurant’s culinary distinction, but it is also a celebration of Hong Kong’s rich food traditions, with nods and odes to the city’s cuisine. From 27 August onwards, gourmands will get to enjoy Roganic’s final swan song—Best of Roganic Part Two, a fitting tribute to five extraordinary years.
As the curtains close on Roganic’s run at Sino Plaza, we raise our glasses to the next chapter of the restaurant, and its promises of reaching new heights of culinary excellence and exploring new sustainability frontiers. One thing is certain: the signature cuisine brought forth by Roganic will continue to delight and amaze Hong Kong’s diners for years to come.
Best of Roganic Part One is available from now until 25 August.
Best of Roganic Part Two is available from 27 August to 15 September.
Shop 08, UG/F, Sino Plaza, 255 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay
Tel: (+852) 2817 8383
All images courtesy of Roganic.
