December 23, 2011
Greyhound is one of the enduring home grown fashion and lifestyle brands of Thailand, and has garnered an acclaimed status both within Thailand and amongst a discerning international clientele. Branching out from their roots as a fashion lifestyle brand, the first Greyhound Cafe was launched in 1997 at the Emporium Mall in Bangkok, and following its popularity, six further Greyhound Cafes have been subsequently established within other leading shopping and lifestyle malls in Bangkok. And now, moving on to international expansion, Greyhound Cafe have opened their first venue in Hong Kong in October 2011. The Greyhound style of dining has been brought to Hong Kong by the Gaia Group, leading local operators of stylish restaurants serving authentic Italian and Mediterranean cuisines- including Isola bar + grill and Costa, both also located within the ifc mall.
The food concept of Greyhound evolved from the design and style ethos of the founders, presenting a simple, uncomplicated cuisine that reflects both home grown “Thai” recipes and influences from abroad. Creative combinations of the diverse influences and ingredients result in dishes with both attractive presentation and an appealing tastefulness. In launching their first international venue, the Greyhound team have applied their meticulous attention to every detail of the operation- from the interior design, staff uniforms, native Thai chefs, and most importantly the food ingredients and recipes. A good number of the ingredients and sauces are prepared in the kitchens in Thailand and flown to Hong Kong on a weekly basis to ensure that the tastes, textures and appearances are exactly as would be found in any Greyhound cafe in Bangkok. Cleverly attuned to the lifestyle of the chic urbanite, Greyhound is certain to be readily adopted by local Hong Kong diners, and also to be a hit with international visitors to Hong Kong.
The Greyhound Cafe is located in a corner space of the Podium zone within the prestigious ifc mall in central Hong Kong. The cafe presents an open facade to the main mall floor, with windows providing both abundant natural light and a pleasant outlook over the harbourfront. The interior design faithfully reproduces the quirky, contemporary chic style of the Bangkok cafes. Details such as the light globes suspended overhead from looping cords, to the hand-painted wall murals (the same Thai artist who has decorated the Bangkok cafes was flown to Hong Kong to personally create the murals on the walls) to replicate the ambiance of the Bangkok Greyhound experience. The cafe seats around 120 patrons- withvarious table arrangements, a black leather banquette across the rear wall, and a private room opposite the bar counter.
The inner room area- with kitchen and serving bar
Leather banquette setting
Greyhound Cafe offers an all-day dining menu, including, uniquely for the Hong Kong venue, a breakfast menu from 8am in the mornings. The large menu assemblage includes Breakfast items; Salads; Appetizers; Sandwiches & Burgers; Pasta; Rice; and Desserts. A selection of the most popular signature dishes are featured in the photographs below.
In addition to regular cafe drinks such as teas, coffees, soft drinks, Greyhound are notable for their original adaptations of favourites such as Ice Lemon Tea (Greyhound Style)– where they use fresh green lemons flown in from Thailand, and the ice blocks are actually frozen blocks of ice tea so there is no dilution of the flavours as the ice melts. The Healthy Cocktails and Juice & Shakes are refreshing and healthy concoctions that are particularly popular in the Bangkok cafes. A small selection of alcohol is also served- some beers- local and Thai- and spirits are available. The wine list features both New World and Old World wines, selected specifically to compliment the cuisine.
Breakfast- Bacon and Egg in the Hole– Bacon bits with egg cooked in Thai hot tray served with baguette and coffee or tea
Greyhound Famous Fried Chicken Wings- Deep fried marinated mini chicken wings in fish sauce. A family recipe, legend has it someone dropped an entire batch on sand but decided to brush it off and continued nibbling
Soft-Shell Crab Salad- Served on romaine leaves with honey mustard dressing
Spaghetti Cha Cha Cha- Ink spaghetti with tiger prawn and scallops stir-fried with Italian basil leaves, green peppercorns and chilies
Greyhound Parfait- Sticky Rice & Mango – served with Coconut Sherbet and coconut milk and mini mint leaf
Thai Black Coffee Grantita- Special Thai black coffee over shaved ice
Iced Lemon Tea (Greyhound Style)
Wall mural hand-painted by Thai artist
GREYHOUND Cafe at ifc mall, Hong Kong
Address: Shop 1082, Podium Level 1, ifc mall, Central. Hong Kong
MTR: Central station – direct access- 3 minutes walk
Reservations: +852. 2383 1133
Website: www.greyhoundcafe.com.hk
Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday 08:00 ~ 10:30 pm
Sunday: 11:00 am ~ 10:30 pm
Asia-Bars.com review of Greyhound Cafe in Bangkok
