Knutsford Terrace as a dining and nightlife destination continues to get hotter (and the rents higher) so budding chefs and their financial backers are crossing the street to redefine a neighboring lot.
The lot is Observatory Court and, behind it, Knutsford Square. In the past few months, the area has become a bit of a foodie enclave. There seems to be a grand opening or a re-launch or some other reason to party almost every night. They’ve closed off the road to cars for bars to expand their operations to the sidewalk and allow for dancing in the streets. Now, you can sit in one of the many pubs and down happy hour spirits and sample the many international cuisines while the locals try to make sense of what happened to their ‘hood.
In the past few weeks we’ve logged many an hour and many a pint to see if Observatory Court could very well be Tsim Sha Tsui’s new epicenter for good eats. Here’s what all the noise is about:
Newly revamped, Indonesian Restaurant 1968 was one of the first to arrive on the scene in 1968. Though its multi-floor dining rooms have gone through a modern facelift, its kitchen has remained the same, serving up classic Indonesian cuisine. They have branches in Causeway Bay and Sha Tin but the Observatory Court location has the vibe that only long-term staff and regulars can give – go once and you’re a lifer.
When you’re done feasting, head over to one of the many pubs lining Observatory Court such as 8 Fine Irishmen to catch a replay of last night’s game. If pub-crawling is not your thing, head upstairs to the small Moroccan oasis Mingle@Life, from the same people who have brought you Life Café and Life Organic Wholefoods. This place is a bohemian lounge true to its definition complete with large Balinese pillows, Hotel Coste tracks, and a (skinny?) dipping pool. Mingle@Life has a downscaled menu with favorites from their café in Central such as flax seed and sun-dried tomato wraps and their beloved raw live salad.
Once the bohemians have defined their territory the super groups are never far behind. Enter Que Pasa Tequila Bar. This bar and cantina has one major thing going for it - an impressive list of the Mexican spirit distinguished by three categories - Tequila Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo (the “vintage” tequila aged from one to three years in oak barrels). But their Mexican dishes are lopped in with Barcelona-styled hot tapas, Madrid-styled cold tapas, Italian Caesar salads and bouillabaisse – kind of a Latin world tour. Its owners promise “the liveliest party outside Tijuana” so bring your sombrero for some spontaneous dancing.