Beijing

Seafood, Venice style

Chef Diego Bugno is celebrating his native Venice with an ongoing food-festival menu reflecting two of the coastal city's most famous offerings. For a main course, don't miss the signature turbot, a fish Bugno calls the "Kobe beef of seafood". Arlecchino pizza (258 yuan), inspired by the colorful characters of an Italian comedy, boasts a pile of seafood that requires some deconstruction to eat, including in-shell clams and crab claws. The crust's crispy bottom nicely supports the load, and is tasty too. The festival ends on April 30, but the dishes will stay on the menu at dinner until the end of June.

Prego at the Westin Financial Center Beijing, 9B Financial Street, Xicheng district. 010-6606-8866.

Exploring 5 senses

Acclaimed chef Alan Hei has created five signature dishes for Mercedes Me with a theme of "The Five Senses" for the Sanlitun eatery's first anniversary. His creations draw upon southern Chinese flavors whilst employing modern techniques. Hei will be at the restaurant on Friday presenting the dishes personally, but they will stay on the menu through May. Celebrity cocktail guru Thibault Mequignon from Danico in Paris is also at Mercedes Me for the anniversary party, taking the "Five Senses" theme to his cocktail shaker. He's there on Friday, Tuesday and Wednesday; his creations will also stay on the menu at the restaurant's Lighthaus bar until the end of May.

Hong Kong

Madras and more

Chef Claudio Sadler celebrates the opening of Hong Kong's third Panino Giusto with two signature sandwiches. Try the rich Madras, with its pile of roast turkey breast, baby spinach, tomato, toasted almonds, black rice and Madras curry mayonnaise, all encased in a warm toasted ciabatta for HK$98 ($12.60). The Milano 2015, stuffed with 24-month Parma ham and other goodies, harkens back to the roots of the Milanese chain. Escape to the outdoor terrace with a sandwich and a glass of Italian organic wine.

Shop 204, Lee Garden One, 33 Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay; 852-2527-0222.

Aw, shucks!

Australia's Coffin Bay Oyster Festival may be a long way away, but Grand Central brings the famed mollusks to its roof restaurant in Elements shopping mall. Enticing baked options include oysters with chorizo and smoky bourbon barbecue sauce. Whether freshly shucked, baked or fried is your style of choice, the salty nibbles are on offer as low as HK$19 (about $2.50) each.

3/F and roof, Civic Square, Elements, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. 852-2736-4888.

China Daily