Impressive amalgamation of dramatic interior design and consummate contemporary Cantonese cuisine
June 10th, 2014
Certainly one of the significant restaurant openings in Hong Kong this year, Mott 32 embodies the flair for combining bold design with contemporary cuisine that has become the hallmark of the burgeoning local restaurant and lifestyle group Maximal Concepts. Taking its name from the Chinatown address of New York’s first Chinese convenience store (opened in 1891), Mott 32 is a contemporary Chinese restaurant serving traditional recipes of Cantonese, Szechuan and Beijing cuisines- cooked with an honest, straightforward approach. Occupying an expansive 700 sq m basement space of a bank building in the heart of Hong Kong’s Central financial district, the Mott 32 interior deftly combines a distinctly Chinese design heritage with an edgy, pared-back industrial New York aesthetic, with dramatic effect.
Entering the restaurant down an impressive spiral staircase from the ground level reception reveals an elegant central main dining space encircled by a series of five, distinctively themed, private dining rooms, plus a sleek, handsome bar. The showpiece refrigerated air-drying duck cabinet and apple-wood oven stand prominently adjacent to the glass-fronted main kitchen. Mott 32 can comfortably accommodate 170 patrons- with 85 seats in the central dining area, plus the private dining rooms and bar section. Open daily for lunch and dinner, including dim sum lunch and weekend brunches. Reservations for tables and private rooms are advised.
Mott 32 interior
Acclaimed local designer Joyce Wang was engaged to execute a cross-cultural concept that harmoniously merges a classic, yet understated Chinese aesthetic with elements that evoke the industrial grit of New York’s late 19th Century. Muted colour and material palettes of dark browns, black, and grey unfinished concrete surfaces are complemented with plush soft furnishings, antique Chinese ornaments, and refined traditional table settings. Combined with comfortably subdued lighting, an atmosphere of sultry sophistication exudes the impressive space.
Mott 32 cuisine
Heading up the kitchen at Mott 32, chef Fung is renowned for his consummate traditional Cantonese cooking, honed over a long cooking career at some of Hong Kong’s most famous Cantonese restaurants- most recently at the Michelin-starred Dynasty Restaurant. At Mott 32 the menu offers primarily selections of authentic Cantonese cuisine, supplemented with a few dishes of Szechuan and Beijing origin. Traditional recipes are updated with a modern approach to farm fresh ingredients, and creative touches to presentation. Standout dishes include the dim sum- with varieties including the Kurobuta Pork, Soft Quail Egg and Black Truffle; and the Signature Crispy Sugar Coated BBQ Spanish Teruel Pork Bun. Traditional roasted Peking Duck, air-dried and cooked in the apple-wood fired oven is a specialty. Other notable dishes are the Double Boiled, Imperial Bird’s Nest, Supreme Soup; Signature South Australian Lobster “Ma Po” Tofu; and Australian Wagyu Beef M5+ Sirloin with Shitake Mushrooms.
Mott 32 cocktails
The Mott 32 mixologists have devised an intriguing selection of house cocktails to complement the flavours of the Chinese cuisine. Utilising a carefully selected variety of traditional Chinese culinary ingredients, including jasmine tea, ginger, plum, Szechuan pepper and shiso, to create sublime flavour combinations results in enticing drinks such as the Old Harbour (Fashioned)– with Hakushu Whisky, Rittenhouse Rye, Chrysanthemum, Goji Berry, and Grapefruit Bitters; and the Five Points Perry– with Tonga Island Rum Rum, Camus V.S.O.P Cognac, Nashi Pear Liquor, Poached Five Spice Pear, and Lemon. The bar at Mott 32 also showcases an extensive wine cellar, highlighted with premier vintage wines, plus numerous sake selections.
