Whilst many of you may often pop along to Hong Kong Park or Pacific Place for a stroll, I recently found myself at the Asia Society Hong Kong Centre on Justice Road in Admiralty for a dinner with a close friend. To reach the venue, we had to walk up a slope to the basement—a spot that even Hong Kong locals might not be familiar with, let alone visitors. The Asia Society Hong Kong Centre was formerly a British Army armoury., It has now been repurposed as an art exhibition venue, thereby preserving the architectural design of yesteryear, It also offers a relaxing spot where visitors can explore historical sites and enjoy delicious food, whilst the restaurant in the basement AMMO Zheng ZhengThat is to say The meanings of ‘Asia’, ‘Modern’, ‘Museum’ and ‘Original’.
AMMO, formerly the Victoria Armoury, has in recent years been a Michelin-starred restaurant and a favourite among foodies. It remains a restaurant of considerable calibre today. With a five-metre-high ceiling and a glass-walled design on three sides, the sense of space is, needless to say, incredibly comfortable. The décor seamlessly blends art and design, with each element possessing its own unique character, rivalling the appeal of the cuisine itself. Right then, let’s get down to business and introduce a few must-try dishes.
The first starter…
▼ Italian poached egg with asparagus, caviar and creamy mashed potato ($128)
Slow-cooked egg with asparagus, caviar and potato fondue
Although caviar is the most luxurious ingredient, the runny-yolk egg is always the most enticing part of the dish; moreover, the eggs are sourced from Italy and are renowned for their rich, aromatic flavour. Served with asparagus and velvety mashed potato, the dish offers an exceptionally rich and layered flavour profile.
▼ Italian Fassone beef tartare with rocket ($158)
Fassone Beef Tartare with bruschetta and rocket salad
Made with premium Italian Fassone beef, which is tender yet slightly chewy, and seasoned in the tangy ‘BRESCHETTA’ style, the restaurant manager strongly recommended that we pile it generously onto crispy toast to enjoy it at its best.
▼ Quail, bacon and grape salad ($138)
Quail Salad with braised grapes, pancetta and quail sauce
Quail, Bacon and Grape Salad – We select the most tender quails, each weighing around 160 to 170g. This salad utilises two different cooking methods: the first half retains the natural flavour, with the thickest part of the quail simply pan-seared; the other half features quail wrapped in Italian pancetta, which are then pan-fried and drizzled with a sauce made from green grapes and quail stock – rich in flavour yet not at all greasy.
▼Crayfish Cappuccino ($138)
Scampi Cappuccino with brandy and scampi foam
This crayfish consommé is simmered for two hours using vegetables and crayfish from New Zealand, before being finished with a delicate, velvety foam whipped from butter and cream.
▼ Crispy baby cuttlefish with cuttlefish-infused aioli ($98)
Crispy baby squid with squid ink mayonnaise and lemon zest
M mixed with cuttlefish inkAyo mayonnaise, and the baby squid are fried to perfectionDelicious, with a rich and savoury flavour.
▼ Thinly sliced scallops with soy sauce and Spanish chilli caviar ($148)
Japanese Scallop Carpaccio with green apple, chilli caviar and sesame soya dressing
Thinly sliced Hokkaido scallops, seasoned with Japanese soy sauce and sesame oil, served with slightly spicy Spanish chilli roe and refreshing green apple.
▼ A bite-sized silver fish fillet in Altamura bread ($68)
Cantabrian Anchovies on Altamura Bread
Salty, savoury anchovy fillets are tucked away inside crispy, fluffy bread; whilst it may not look like much, the salty, savoury flavour is truly moving the moment it touches your tongue, giving your appetite a real boost. And as it’s not expensive, need I say more? Let’s all have one portion each to start with.
▼ Handmade dumplings with Iberian pork and spicy sausage, served with buffalo mozzarella sauce ($148)
Homemade tortellini stuffed with Iberian pork and chorizo, served with a Parmesan cheese fondue
The wonton wrappers are freshly made in-house every day. Just like Italian pasta, the savoury buffalo mozzarella sauce and spicy sausage, combined with the bite-sized portions, mean you won’t feel weighed down.
▼ Handmade wide pasta with homemade meatballs and Parmesan cheese ($128)
Homemade pappardelle with homemade veal and pork meatballs and Parmesan cheese
▼ Hokkaido Sea Urchin and Cherry Tomato Angel Hair Pasta ($198)
Angel Hair with sea urchin, cherry tomatoes and garlic crisps
The crisp cherry tomatoes paired with the sweet Hokkaido sea urchin create a refreshing flavour. It’s a shame the angel hair pasta was a bit too soft today; if you’d like to give it a try, you might want to speak to the waiter first to see how they prepare it.
There were actually several other dishes on the menu that evening; overall, the snacks and cocktails were excellent – you could pretty much order anything at random and it would be delicious and refreshing. However, when it comes to the main courses, such as pasta, it’s best to be a bit more specific with your order – for example, you might want to ask for the pasta not to be too soft. Right, I won’t go into any more detail—I’ll leave it to you all to discover the place for yourselves.
In keeping with recent practice, I introduced AMMO on my radio programme a Friday evening a while back. If you’re interested in listening, just click on the player below, though due to time constraints, it was only a brief introduction.
Programme replay.
Chinese (Hong Kong) 
Chinese (China) 
English 
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