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The city’s culinary scene has been buzzing with excitement about fresh restaurants and new watering holes, but perhaps none are so highly anticipated as BaseHall. A bold food hall concept in the basement of Jardine House, BaseHall has taken the spirit of local food courts and combined it with some of Hong Kong’s top homegrown culinary talents. Where else would you be able to customise your meal by picking and choosing dishes from Hong Kong’s best menus? Here’s a little guide on the best dishes to order from each BaseHall concept. Say hi when you bump into us there!
We’ve always loved rotisserie chicken, but when it’s paired with Japanese elements, it’s taken to a whole other level. When at the Roti Tori stall, you’ll obviously have to order the quarter chicken ($68) that comes with one choice of sauce. We particularly like the spicy red sauce and yellow sauce, the latter of which is a blend of yuzu, honey, and mustard. Diners also absolutely need to get a side of Ro-Tater Tots ($40)—we damn near shed a tear when we started popping these tater tots with nori seaweed, sesame, and bonito sprinkled on top.
Anyone who loves burgers will already have had their fair share of Honbo’s signature offerings made with seasonal produce, sandwiched between their special potato buns. Their classic burger ($78) comes with a 4oz patty made with beef that’s freshly ground in-house each morning, but we’d go for the Honbo 1.5 ($124) which comes with three 2oz patties and double cheese instead.
If you’re feeling extra (or particularly hungry), The Gold Standard ($164) will more than sort you out with two 4oz patties, double cheese, and bacon. Vegetarians are well catered for as well with their Impossible burger ($108). Go to the Honbo stall on an empty stomach!
Fans of Korean cuisine will likely linger indecisively for ages outside the Moyo Sik stall, frowning at the menu because it all looks amazing. We’ll make it easier for you: definitely get the bulgogi tokgalbi meatballs bansang combo ($128). This is the first time we’ve ever had bulgogi beef served in meatball form, but it works very well and comes perfectly marinated. The set also comes with rice, two sides, and japchae stir-fried noodles; there is also a sam-gyupsal version ($128) which is barbecued pork belly instead of beef. Wash it all down with Five Grains Iced Tea ($30) over lunch, or a few cheeky soju bombs ($40) if you’re there at night.
To us, Malaysian food is the epitome of Southeast Asian comfort soul food, which is why we love that BaseHall has included Return of Lemak in their lineup. They’ve taken to creating the classic flavours and aromas of Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine, using local ingredients and contemporary techniques.
Once you’re done chuckling at the Mark Morrison pun, go ahead and order the Nyonya laksa ($128), with its fantastically rich, spicy, coconut milk-based broth that you will no doubt slurp up. If you’ve still got space to spare, try the sotong youtiao ($88) as well, which is a traditional Chinese fried dough fritter, but with a fish paste and shrimp twist, and a sambal mayo to dunk it in.
Bringing recipes straight from Nguyen Thi Thành’s kitchen—better known as the Lunch Lady of Saigon—Co Thanh is offering Hongkongers their famous local Vietnamese noodles. While we usually love a good bún Thai ($118), summer calls for the more cooling option of bún thịt gà nướng ($118), a cold noodle salad with lemongrass roasted chicken. The bánh mì ốp la ($98) is also fantastic, hefty enough for a meal without leaving you feeling stuffed.
Thank god finding good homemade tacos and guacamole is no longer a difficulty in Hong Kong anymore. Final Table’s Taco King, chef Esdras Ochoa, brings an authentic roadside taqueria experience to BaseHall. Start with the carne asada fries ($118) loaded up with an insane amount of toppings, or the yellowtail ceviche ($118). When it comes to their tacos, the al pastor ($48)—with achiote and pineapple roasted pork—is understandably very popular, but we also really enjoy their Baja fish taco ($48). Westside Taqueria is also one of the very rare places in Hong Kong where you’ll find a cup of horchata ($48). Salud!
This well-loved plant-based enterprise is a shining beacon of the green movement’s future—and tasty to boot. We love the oak flatbread ($60+) which includes an omelette, halloumi, and roasted mushrooms, and the banyan flatbread ($60+) which has eggplant, turmeric soft egg, and roasted garlic hummus. Choosing at Treehouse is hard, so you can simply create your own flatbread as well starting from a herb base, four toppings, and a sauce. Their bowls are fantastic too; standouts include the bauhinia salad bowl ($128), wherein greens are spiced up with roasted pumpkin, kimchi, tahini sauce, and more, as well as the carb-free kelp dan dan noodles ($138).
Run by Young Master Brewery, Pub 1842’s concept is a traditional public house in spirit, but presented in a trendy modern setting. Its circular bar table is set in a cosy nook aside from the regular seating in the rest of the food hall. They have 10 taps serving up brewery-fresh ales and lagers, alongside a draft cocktail (G&T on tap, anyone?) and a daily dram. It’s not just drinks either; a selection of savoury pies and curries reminiscent of British pub food with a local twist will be served all day as well. Expect interesting choices such as mui choi bacon pie ($98) and nibbles like Snaffling Pig crackling ($28)!
The important thing to remember when dining at BaseHall is to always save some space, because you simply can’t walk away without picking up a cookie or four at Cookie Department. These dense packages of indulgence are great because the insides are still soft and moist—in fact, so rich that we’ve found it impossible to finish one cookie by yourself in a single sitting.
Brownie filled and peanut butter are highly popular flavours, but our favourite is funfetti (all $40). Crisp on the outside, and warm and chewy on the inside, you’ll get hooked in no time, just like us. Keep an eye out for their special limited edition flavours every now and then!
Lastly, the BaseHall Bar is there to keep you hydrated and libated all day, whether your choice of drink is a freshly brewed coffee, fruit blend, or something stronger. They have a select list of cocktails, champagne, wine, and mocktails for the evening—a must-have in hand for when the ceiling lights up with multi-coloured flashes that pulse to the music. Not to be missed is The Classic grilled cheese sandwich ($128) from the Mandarin, which we were delighted to find on the BaseHall menu, tasting just as delectable as ever. If you know, you know!
Catharina has recently returned to her hometown of Hong Kong after spending her formative years in Singapore and the UK. She enjoys scouring the city for under-the-radar things to do, see, and eat, and is committed to finding the perfect foundation that will withstand Hong Kong’s heat. She is also an aspiring polyglot, a firm advocate for feminist and LGBTQIA+ issues, and a huge lover of animals. You can find her belting out show-tunes in karaoke, or in bookstores adding new tomes to her ever-growing collection.
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