Black Salt Tavern adds a pinch of the exotic to drinking and dining
- Shek Tong Tsui gastropub puts a South Asian twist on fare and refreshment to offer a satisfyingly delicious taste of Nepalese, Bengali and Sri Lankan cuisine
FARE: Nepalese, Bengali and Sri Lankan fare for the 21st century.
AMBIENCE: Buzzing gastropub with South Asian accents: think chalkboard menus and high chairs mixed with tiger prints, vibrant cushions the colours of spices, and concrete walls decorated with turquoise stencils and Indian patterns.
COST: From HK$70 to HK$325 a dish.
WHO TO BRING: Ideal for dates as the vibe is casual and relaxed without being cheap, with good food and drink.
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TURN-ONS: Formerly known as Salt & Barrel, it became Black Salt Tavern to align itself with the previous one in Sai Ying Pun. Craft beer and food from around the Indian subcontinent remain the name of the game, though. The babs are sizeable mounds of salad, and there is biryani rice and your choice of everything from pork belly to fish pakora to sweet potato. Packed with flavour, and subtly spiced, each is almost a meal in itself. The Kathmandu meatball momo – we tried the Timur chicken variety – are dumplings that resemble xiaolongbao. They’re stuffed with a good portion of meat and are the ideal accompaniment to the flavourful jhol, or gravy, covering the plate.
TURN-OFFS: The lamb rhapsody, made up of barbecued lamb ribs, shank roti rolls and roasted rump korma, was a mixed bag. The ribs were the best thing on the menu – mouth-wateringly tender and covered in a delicious barbecue sauce – but the rolls were depressingly dry and bland, while the rump, though perfectly pink, was also somewhat dull.
DRINKS: There’s a small number of cocktails but the rotating range of craft beers – such as Fourpure Brewing, Adnams and Black Kite Brewery – is definitely the draw.
BLACK SALT TAVERN
G/F, One South Lane, Shek Tong Tsui Tel: 3702 1237
