The best things to eat this summer

There are plenty of reasons to go meat-free in the summer, whether it’s to sculpt the ultimate beach bod or to avoid feeling like a bloated whale in the sweltering heat. Another great reason is the increasing availability of delicious plant-based products, including those by Impossible Foods, which makes a burger patty that looks, tastes and even bleeds like beef, despite containing zero meat. Don’t believe us? Try it for yourself at Beef & Liberty, where it’s served as the Impossible Thai Burger ($135) between two toasted buns with a smear of soy mayo, herbs and crispy shallots. It's incredibly delicious, which is why we're happy to see Impossible Foods being offered at more restaurants here, including at Jinjuu and Dear Lilly.

Plant-based diets are more accessible than ever, but if you’re still an old-fashioned carnivore at heart, you’ll know that summer is synonymous with meats sizzling on a barbecue. If you’re partial to smoky, beefy cuts, head over to the recently reopened Mercedes Me, where they’re serving the burnt ends – aka the best bits – of a tri-tip steak ($65). Seasoned with a zippy chipotle coffee rub overnight, the beef is slow-cooked for eight hours before it’s tossed onto the grill and served with jalapeño aioli.

Summer bears some of the sweetest fruits. While we like our seasonal berries and stone fruits au naturel, we love them even more when they’re baked into a buttery, flaky pie crust and served à la mode. If you’re hungry for a slice, check out the oven-fresh, American-style pies at Burger Circus. Fillings change every month with custard for June, cherry for July and peach for August. If one single slice ($48) doesn’t satisfy your cravings, you can order a whole nine-inch pie ($258) to enjoy at home.

There’s something super summery – and Instagrammable – about eating out of a tropical fruit. Get in on this trend with the superfood edition smoothie bowls ($89 for two-person portion) at Flamingo Bloom. There are two flavours on offer: the matcha melon is served in a hollowed-out honeydew melon, while the virgin pineapple piña colada (left) is held in its namesake’s spiky fruit. Both feature a sweet and tangy blend of tropical fruits and almond milk, and are topped with other antioxidant-rich ingredients such as goji berries, rolled oats and chia seeds. Another place that offers containers crafted from fruit, Supabowl. As the name suggests, the signature Cocobowl ($80) is served in a mature coconut shell, which holds a base of acai and coconut water, followed by bananas, strawberries, blueberries, granola, pumpkin seeds and coconut chips. It’s good for you, so eat up.

Scandinavia is known for an aesthetic that’s as cool as its climate. This is especially true in the realm of dining, where the new Nordic food movement has become a global phenomenon, thanks to an understated seasonal, ingredients-led approach. With this in mind, The Flying Elk makes a welcome addition to the dining scene this summer. The restaurant is the second Hong Kong venture for Swedish chef Björn Frantzén, who opened Frantzén’s Kitchen in 2016, and comes hot on the heels of the chef’s third Michelin star for his Stockholm restaurant, Frantzén. Look out for a finessed take on rustic, gastropub fare with dishes such as grilled beef short ribs and ox heart with horseradish, celeriac remoulade and pickled mustard seeds, as well as the marängsviss – a summery, Swedish take on an Eton Mess that features blueberries and lemon thyme.