Porkcentric opens in Hong Kong’s vibrant Tai Hang as a Central European ode to the mighty pig.
The problem with pandemics is we need to sate our wanderlust without leaving home, and that usually means via our taste buds. So if you’ve had a hankering for Central Europe but don’t fancy the Lord of the Flies challenge that is booking a quarantine hotel, you might be in luck with the arrival in Tai Hang of Porkcentric.
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The newest creation of restaurant group Deadly Rabbits, Porkcentric is dedicated to the pork-driven dishes of Central Europe, the ones that founders Bart Szyniec and Giuliano Dacasto (who once worked at a leading wild pig farm in Umbria), the minds behind Ask for Alonzo, grew up on. The new restaurant shares their European roots and pairs pork-driven cuisine alongside seafood and vegetarian-friendly dishes, all of which an be paired with craft drafts from unique ceiling-mounted beer tanks.
Porkcentric’s menu focuses on Central European offerings, taking inspiration from street food from Germany, Hungary, Poland and beyond. The pork is sourced from five different breeds of pig – American Duroc, English Hampshire, Japanese Korobuta, Italian Cinta Senese, and Hungarian Mangaliza, each offering unique characteristics, flavours, and textures.
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In addition to Hong Kong’s biggest dine-in selection of cold cuts, Porkcentric is the only place in the city offering Polish cold cuts on a restaurant menu, served from a dedicated salumeria – think Slovenian Deer Salami, Italian Cinghiale (boar) Salami, and cooked Hungarian Mangaliza Shoulder – and complemented by a diverse range of European cheese, available in a chefs’ choice tasting platter.
Main courses offer a show-stopping variety of meats, grilled with different types of charcoal between 250-300 degrees, and range from Hungarian Pork Chop Tomahawk served with cucumber dill salad and jalapeño pork jus; and the Duroc Porterhouse Pork Steak with Silesian mashed potatoes (Bart’s grandma’s recipe!) and brussels sprouts; to the Porkcentric Platter, which serves up a trio of classic crispy pork knuckle, spicy chipotle marinated pork ribs, and roasted sausages, with sides of Cajun fries, sauerkraut and lentils.
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If you don’t dig swine, you can try the Mushroom Salad with marinated true morels, black trumpet mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, and shiitake on a bed of cauliflower puree; the Charcoal Garden, a grilled vegetable medley with goat’s cheese and Italian Saba syrup made from grape must; Grilled Octopus with beetroot and radish purée and red onion and parsley salad; and fresh Grilled Catch of the Day baked in fish jus.
Potatoes also take a leading role on the menu and are available in four ways to complement the perfectly cooked mains, such as in the signature Polish Pierogies, an iconic potato and cheese dumpling dish straight from Bart’s childhood, and the Charlotte Potato Salad with gherkins, oven roasted red onions and green radish dressing.
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The venue’s collaboration with Moonzen Brewery sees a curated a selection of local and international craft beers served from the restaurant’s three ceiling-mounted beer tanks, a first for any restaurant in the city. Each of the Moonzen beer tanks is filled with 500 litres of fresh locally brewed beer delivered to Porkcentric weekly, with selections changing all the time. Available on tap are Moonzen’s Jiang Xi Salted Mandarin IPA, the gluten-free Dancing Lion Cider, and the Moonzen Marzen Euro Lager, as well as classic Stella Artois, Goose Island IPA from Chicago, and traditional German Lowenbrau.
For those who prefer cocktails, the cocktail program features classy yet down to earth highballs as well as a selection of beer cocktails – be sure to try the Pearl Jam, which combines bourbon and Moonzen’s Pearl Dragon Weizen with apricot coulis.
Because man can not live on pork alone.
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