A foodie’s guide to Clockenflap: the festival’s 10 best eats
No music festival is complete without food stalls, and this year’s Clockenflap will have more than 40
For the bhangra bros: Tandoori Bro
Last summer, the guys from laidback Lantau surf shack Mavericks decided to throw together a tandoori oven from a few leftover flower pots they had lying around. A bit of experimenting later, and Tandoori Bro, a proud mash-up of Indian cuisine and surf culture, was born. On the menu: S’Naanies and S’Mosas. The former are toasted naan sandwiches, filled with tandoori chicken, butter sauce and salad – or alternatively grilled paneer with spinach sauce. Meanwhile, the S’Mosas are samosas full of spiced lamb and potatoes, with lashings of mint yoghurt and tamarind sauce. The idea is that they’re quick, portable … and you can eat them one-handed so you don’t have to put down your beer. Good thinking, bro.
For the vegetable-inclined: Leaves & Liberty
Burger joint Beef & Liberty got its start in Hong Kong three years ago as a Clockenflap pop-up, and it’s been a reliable presence at the festival ever since. They’re back this year with their grass-fed New Zealand beefburgers, but there’s also a treat for the vegetarians in the form of Leaves & Liberty, which will be serving up falafel burgers. If their beefburgers are anything to go by, committed carnivores might even be tempted to cross the divide. Well, maybe. All-day drinking doesn’t normally mix well with newfound commitments to clean living.
For the proudly carnivorous: Biltong Chief
For the K-pop fan: Momojein
Casual Wan Chai Korean joint Momojein serves up traditional Seoul street food with a twist. They make hotteok, a thin and crispy pancake usually filled with sugar, cinnamon and nuts. For Clockenflap they’re mixing things up, with six different hotteok on offer, stuffed with everything from kalbi marinated beef ribs to fried japchae noodles – and, of course, that quintessential Korean combo of chicken and cheese. All the best of Korean flavours, packed into an easily grabbable pancake. This, right here, is why Clockenflap is a force for good in the world.
For the baguette lovers (and the French): Chôm Chôm
Beer will be in plentiful supply at Clockenflap, so you’ll want to line that stomach with something satisfyingly carby. Chôm Chôm specialises in bia hoi food – quick bites served with fresh draught beer – so they know what they’re doing with their banh mi. This classic Vietnamese street snack is a fresh baguette spread with house-made pâté, stuffed full of braised pork shoulder and topped with pickled radish and coriander mayo.
For the pork pullers: Pomegranate Kitchen
Unless you plan a lot of events, you might not know about Pomegranate Kitchen: but these caterers are among the best in town. They’ve built up a name for themselves with their gourmet Mediterranean bites, but Pomegranate can get down with festival food too. For the ’Flap they’re serving chipotle , thyme and coffee-marinated pulled pork sliders with red cabbage slaw, and herbed meatballs with broad bean, dill and mash potato.
For the SoHo crowd: Maison Libanaise
Lebanese eatery Maison Libanaise has become a a hit since opening earlier this year, with its ground-level Le Comptoir takeaway section becoming a particular fave. So SoHo lunchers will welcome the Maison’s Clockendebut, where you’ll be able to snap up fresh pita wraps – house-made pita bread filled with Syrian salad and either grilled halloumi or chicken, for the perfect midday Middle Eastern fix.
For the kids: Soft Creme
It’s tough when pretty much everyone else is swilling pint after pint of beer, but kids and the abstemious can pack in those calories another way: with Soft Creme’s signature soft-serve. The Tai Hang ice cream parlour is known for unusual flavours, with past hits including Moët & Chandon soft-serve. There are six ice cream flavours on offer at Clockenflap, including ice cream topped with a chunk of Australian honeycomb, and soft-serve made with cereal-flavoured milk and topped with flamed bacon. Cool off with one of these, and all the beer drinkers will be envying your cup for a change.
For the veggie hipster: Mana
Mana was one of the first outlets to bring truly conscious, organic eating to Hong Kong. On its Clockenflap menu are veggie crisps and fries, as well as Mana’s signature “flat” flatbreads – including one created especially for the festival. The “Clockenflat” will be topped with kale, cucumber, avocado and Manouri cheese, which Mana says it’s introducing to Hong Kong for the first time. The fresh Greek goat’s or sheep’s cheese is like a creamier feta, with a subtle nuttiness. Order the cheese no one else has heard of before, and you’re bound to be the hippest diner at Clockenflap.
For the skewer lovers: Coedo Taproom
Japanese brewery Coedo’s first overseas venture was Coedo Taproom, a friendly venue in Causeway Bay serving up draft pours alongside robatayaki grilled favourites. At the Flap you can expect fried noodles, crispy fried chicken, and three types of skewers: bacon-rolled peppers, lamb meatballs with perilla leaves, and beef-wrapped garlic. Meat on a stick, music in the air: what more could you wish for?
