The new Margo experience launches from 21st April 2022
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<<26th April 2022 – Hong Kong>> MARGO, an intimate modern European restaurant headlined by Head Chef Mario Paecke (former Chef de Cuisine of SOMM and Sous Chef of 2-MICHELIN-starred Amber), opened its doors in July 2021 at The Galleria at 9 Queen’s Road, Central.
Starting from 21st April, MARGO has unveiled two new dinner tasting menu experiences that pay homage to Chef Mario’s German roots and his artistic flair for urban photography. A wearer of several hats – whether leading MARGO’s acclaimed kitchen or behind the lens of his favourite camera – Chef Mario’s inimitable cuisine is a reflection of his journey growing up in east Germany, spending his formative years training as a chef in Bavaria, and ultimately moving to Hong Kong to pursue his dreams.
Margo’s New Modern European Tasting Menus by Chef Mario Paecke
Chef Mario Paecke’s new dinner tasting menus are rooted in his extensive knowledge and experience of German cuisine, accompanied by a wine list focused on a unique curation of German and Austrian labels. A nod to Chef Mario’s beloved pastime outside of the kitchen, the menus are named after common terms in photography – “Focus” for the 6-course menu priced at HK$980+10% per person, and “Exposure” for the 8-course menu priced at HK$1,380+10% per person.
The new dining experience at MARGO draws on unique parallels between cooking and photography, which both require a similar eye for creativity and flair for finesse. Just as a chef will need the best ingredients to produce a fine meal, photography requires the best lighting and environmental conditions for a successful shoot. In the final delivery, photographers will fine tune and edit their work to create the perfect image, while the final step of serving a dish is plating the food with attention to shapes, colours, textures and spatial composition. Throughout the dining experience at MARGO, guests will be dining against a backdrop of Chef Mario’s exclusive photography works that are displayed upstairs at Kyle & Bain.
Highlights of the new contemporary European menus start with small bites featuring elevated, seasonal Bavarian delights such as Rainbow Trout, which is cured and seasoned with smoked sea salt, served with dill mayonnaise and served on a “Flammkuchen” cracker, a German style pizza bread originated from Alsace; Foie Gras with smoked eel and preserved quince salad, served upon a five-spice filo dough shell – inspired by Chef Mario’s memory of quince being the one of the first products he ever used in an apprentice kitchen; and umami-filled bites of traditional French Toast, served with homemade fermented cabbage and cooked Le Delas ham.
Served only on the “Exposure” 8-course menu are Lobster “Leipziger Allerlei”, a re-invented regional German vegetable dish that is typically served in spring featuring white asparagus, local peas, and pike; and Three Yellow Chicken Ragout Fin, inspired by Chef Mario’s childhood memories of the traditional dish of chicken ragout in puff-pastry. MARGO’s version features local three yellow chicken ragout with seasonal morel mushrooms, creamy kohlrabi, kohlrabi shavings and caper leaves.
One of Chef Mario’s first dishes ever learnt in German culinary school, the Hokkaido Scallops served with celery, green, apple, hazelnut, walnut and Kristal caviar is a re-interpreted traditional Waldorf salad.
For the main course, guests may choose between 24-Month Local Tilapia with leek, beetroot, buttermilk sauce, basil oil, and pickled spring onions, or the Okinawan Pork Belly, a hearty dish inspired by Bavarian pork belly, where the pork is first marinated in German Erdinger beer, slow-cooked for 12-hours and finished in the oven. The pork belly is glazed with beer reduction, drizzled further with local honey from Yuen Long Farm, and served with mustard to cut through the richness.
The dessert, “Dresdner Eierschecke”, is a recreation of Chef Mario’s grandmother’s recipe originating from Dresden in East Germany. Found only in eastern towns in Germany, the dessert includes strawberry parfait, cheesecake made with quark cheese, and vanilla custard.
MARGO’s new 6-course and 8-course tasting menus are as below:
Focus Menu
6-courses at HK$980 + 10% per person
Rainbow Trout
Cured, fennel & dill
Foie Gras
Smoked eel, preserved quince
French Toast
Fermented cabbage, Le Delas ham
Hokkaido Scallops
Celery, green apple, hazelnut, Kristal caviar
24-Month Tilapia
Leek, beetroot, buttermilk sauce, basil oil
OR
Okinawan Pork Belly
Parsnip, pear, pickled mustard seed
(supplement charge at HK$200)
“Dresdner Eierschecke”
Strawberry parfait
Petit Four
Dark chocolate, coconut, butter & rum
————
Exposure Menu
8-courses at HK$1,380+10% per person
Rainbow Trout
Cured, fennel & dill
Foie Gras
Smoked eel, preserved quince
French Toast
Fermented cabbage, Le Delas ham
Hokkaido Scallops
Celery, green apple, hazelnut, Kristal caviar
Lobster “Leipziger Allerlei”
Pike quenelles, white asparagus, peas
Three Yellow Chicken Ragout Fin
Kohlrabi, morels, caper leaves
24-Month Tilapia
Leek, beetroot, buttermil sauce, basil oil
OR
Okinawan Pork Belly
Parsnip, pear, pickled mustard seed
(supplement charge at HK$200)
“Dresdner Eierschecke”
Strawberry parfait
Petit Four
Dark chocolate, coconut, butter & rum
New Weekday & Saturday Lunch Menu at MARGO
MARGO unveils a brand-new lunch experience available on Mondays-Saturdays, with the choice of either 3 courses (HK$500+10%) or 4 courses (HK$635+10%). The brasserie-style menu features a delectable range of dishes inspired by Chef Mario’s favourite German dishes, such as White Asparagus Soup with Boston lobster and preserved Amalfi lemon, and Alexandre Polmard Beef Tartare, a decadent take on the original tartare using world-famous aged Polmard beef, Pied du Mouton mushrooms and white onion. A dish exclusive to the lunch menu is the Wiener Schnitzel, available for a supplemental +HK$100, featuring breaded pan-fried veal cutlet with Champignon-foie gras duxelles and a side of refreshing potato and cucumber salad.
For reservations at Margo, please contact the restaurant at 2130-7731 or email to info@margo.com
<<ENDS>>
ABOUT MARGO
Helmed by German Chef de Cuisine Mario Paecke, MARGO tells a vibrant story of contemporary European cuisine with German influences throughout the tasting journey that boasts eccentricity, flamboyance, and style. The restaurant offers a curated wine selection with a focus on German and Austrian wines by Head Sommelier Elvis Lo, to pair with dishes inspired by Chef Mario’s native origins in Germany. The creative cuisine at Margo epitomises Chef Paecke’s vision of food, just like his second passion as a professional photographer. His detailed eye and flair for creativity serves both passions well, inspiring a continuous evolution in his craft as a chef and photographer. Guests dining at MARGO get to experience the best of both worlds, as they dine on Chef Mario’s exquisite modern fare against a backdrop of his exclusive photography works.
Restaurant Contact – Margo
Address: Shop 6, 9 Queens Road, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: 2130 7731
Website: www.margohk.com
Email: info@margo.com
Facebook: margo.hkg
Instagram: @margo.hkg @MarioPaecke_Photography
ABOUT KYLE & BAIN
Tucked away in Margo’s mezzanine level, KYLE & BAIN is the whimsical speakeasy cocktail bar headed by Leading Nation’s Beverage Director John Nugent. As Hong Kong’s very first specialty American Martini Bar, KYLE & BAIN unravels the mystery of the American Martini by deconstructing history’s best-kept secrets on how to make it. KYLE & BAIN is an homage to ice machine inventors, William Kyle & John Bain, the lesser-known heroes of colonial history who made ice an affordable commodity in Hong Kong.
Bar Contact – Kyle & Bain
Address: Shop 6, 9 Queens Road, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: 2222 2345
Email: info@kylenbain.com
Instagram: @kyleandbain @jpnuge
Website: www.kyleandbain.com
About LEADING NATION
Founded in 2016 by entrepreneurs Gerald Li and Kevin Poon, Leading Nation is a Hong Kong-based hospitality group specialising in eclectic F&B concepts with a focus on quality, craftsmanship and design, leading to unique culinary experiences.
Leading Nations Hospitality portfolio includes stand-alone concepts such as La Rambla by Catalunya – located in Hong Kong’s iconic International Finance Centre, Wagyumafia Hong Kong – the first international outpost of top Chef Hisato Hamada’s wagyu-centric concept; and The Diplomat, recently voted as one of Asia’s 50 Best Bars. Driving shop growth are multi-location brands Morty’s (American Deli), Mashi No Mashi (Wagyu Ramen), and Elephant Grounds (Lifestyle Specialty Cafe).
As key players in the international Art and Fashion scene, co-founder Kevin brings an urban appeal to fine dining, while partner Gerald’s strategic approach to operations and keen sense of culinary trends places the group at the forefront of Hong Kong’s dining scene.