One MICHELIN-starred Andō unveils its latest menu creation in addition to its current lunch and dinner tasting menu starting 19th January, 2025 – an immersive culinary exploration dedicated entirely to RICE, with a particular focus on Yi O Rice, one of Hong Kong’s most distinctive and quietly revered agricultural treasures.
At the heart of the menu is Andō’s signature Arroz Caldoso, a soulful, brothy rich rice dish that has become synonymous with Chef Agustin Ferrando Balbi’s cuisine (watch more on their latest excursion to Lantau Island in July 2025 at HERE). In this new iteration, rice is no longer a supporting element, but the central narrative, examined through terroir, seasonality, technique, and culture.
Yi O Rice: A Living Expression of Hong Kong’s Land
Grown on Lantau Island in Yi O, one of Hong Kong’s last remaining rice-producing areas, Yi O Rice is a locally cultivated, sun-dried, and milled long-grain variety harvested just twice a year. Cross-bred in Mainland China for its aroma, texture, and yield, it is farmed through a meticulous 120-day cycle that produces especially prized winter harvests, when cooler temperatures deepen fragrance and flavor. The fields are tended by a dedicated community – many from culinary backgrounds, including former Fook Lam Moon chef Yu Kin Sun – using fully hands-on, pesticide-free methods from planting to sickle harvesting, followed by natural sun-drying. With yields of only about 300 kilograms per acre, Yi O Rice remains rare, highly sought after, and deeply rooted in Hong Kong’s agricultural heritage.
Rice as Craft, Memory, and Technique Andō
Chef Agustin Balbi translates this agricultural story into a 8-course tasting menu that explores and focuses on rice in its many forms – steamed, puffed, fermented, creamed, and simmered. Priced at HK$1,888 + 10% per guest, the journey begins with playful snack interpretations such as crispy rice spheres with crab, rice paper rolls with prawn and cilantro, and tuna “onigiri”, before moving into more intricate expressions:
The menu culminates in Andō’s defining dish: Arroz Caldoso with lobster and XO sauce – a deeply aromatic, generously textured rice that embodies the restaurant’s identity, bridging Spanish rice traditions with Japanese precision and Hong Kong produce. Dessert continues the theme with sake kasu ice cream, coconut, and dulce de leche, followed by a selection of rice-inspired mignardises.
A Rice-Centric Pairing Journey by Carlito Chiu
To complement the menu, Carlito Chiu, MICHELIN Guide Sommelier of the Year, presents a fully rice-focused drinks pairing, drawing from Japan, Korea, China, and beyond. Each pairing deepens the dialogue between grain, fermentation, and flavor:
Since its opening, Andō has defied culinary conventions – not bound by geography or genre, but grounded in personal memory, craftsmanship, and curiosity. For reservations enquiries, contact the guest relations team via WhatsApp +852 9161 8697, or book online HERE.