Saam
Hong Kong
This cozy, 24-seater forgeos having a paper menu. Instead, at SAAM, the offerings are projected onto the walls. The kitchen pushes out inventive plates like cuttlefish noodles (HK$178($31)) with thin-cut cuttlefish as pasta, and cognac-marinated fois gras (HK$88($15)) created to resemble candy. They also serve classic cocktails concocted with curious ingredients. Especially intriguing is the milk clarified tea infused with vodka, honey and lemon (HK$120($21)).
Baba Iki
Phuket, Thailand
If the super luxe cliff-side Sri Panwa resort isn’t enough to make you want to instantly jump on a plane to Phuket, this new Japanese restaurant might just do the trick. Baba Iki is the resort’s newest addition and comes with an outdoor dining area and views of the sunset. Inside, it’s an open-kitchen concept with teppanyaki and sushi counters. Go for their teppanyaki dishes like the Phuket lobster and hida teppanyaki (THB2,900($120)) that’s served with mixed vegetables, clear soup and fried garlic rice or try the gyu don (THB680($28)), a dish that consists of beef tenderloin served with rice and clear soup.
The Rangoon Bar
Yangon, Myanmar
The former capital is hot right now and all the F&B movers and shakers want a piece of it. Singapore restaurant group Les Amis has recently set up House of Singapura that’s a nod to old school coffee shops and serves up no-fuss local grub like laksa (MMK6,500 ($8.50)) and kampong nasi goreng (MMK6,000 ($7.90)). Then, there’s also the industrial-chic Rangoon Bar that serves cocktails (from MMK6,500 ($8.50)) dreamed up by local cocktail maestro Jeff Yeo (of the Jekyll & Hyde fame) and rare single malts (from MMK7,000 ($9.20)), to be sipped while taking in views of the Shwedagon pagoda in the distance.
