The blissful multifunctional space in Quarry Bay offers healthful comfort food for all ages and satisfying weekday lunch sets for locals in search of respite from the crowds.
Hong Kong — Jello & Mellow, now open in Quarry Bay, presents gourmet family dining, interactive indoor play, and interesting workshops for the broader community, all inside a brilliant, attractive 5,700-sq.-ft sanctuary.
Named to reflect the innocence, imagination, and unlimited potential of childhood – soft, sweet, diversely shaped ‘Jello’ teamed with a warm-hearted ‘Mellow’ spirit – the immersive playhouse restaurant also symbolizes motherly love; J and M are the first-name initials of founder Vivien Lau’s twin boys.
Positioned just a brief walk from Taikoo MTR station in a recent Ginza-style business constructing overlooking Quarry Bay Park and promenade, it spans 5 themed sections, including dining rooms seating as much as 90 people and an indoor playground where little ones can safely work up an appetite. Open from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. every day, it entices families for breakfast through lunch and onto teatime and early evening bites.
Built upon simplicity and functionality, natural tones and lighting, and a palette of whites and pastels, its airy, uncluttered Nordic-inspired ambiance begins on the inviting entrance. A funhouse mirror, distorting images into a bunch of playful reflections, leads into the 5 creative spaces. The open Jello Kitchen serves 2 dining areas – the serene Foremost Dining Room and The Mello Dining Room overlooking the play area (admission fee required; see Appendix I). The Secret Garden is a flower-festooned outdoor terrace perfect for photos with family and friends, while the Positivi-TEA Room welcomes workshops and personal events.
Heralding comfort food with creative twists, the a la carte menu features fresh ingredients while limiting salt, sugar, and oil to present healthy, tempting dishes designed to maintain kids engaged and adults satisfied. Other menus and specialties of the home will probably be added following the soft-opening period.
Pizzas are a Jello & Mellow signature; handmade with Italian flour, their crispy yet the soft-centered base is spread with luscious homemade tomato sauce, layered with taste-bud igniting ingredients, and sprinkled with homegrown herbs. Family-favorite classics include Margherita (small HK$88; large HK$108) and Mediterranean (small HK$98; large HK$118). The culinary team’s modern spirit is realized within the Osaka savory street pancake-inspired pizza, Octopus Okonomiyaki (small HK$128; large HK$148). An assured ‘Insta’ highlight is the eel-starring ‘Claypot’ Flaming Pizza (HK$188). Inspired by classic Hong Kong clay pot rice, the eel meat is flamed on the table for an fragrant charcoal-like flavor and texture.
The sharing spirit continues in a pleasant range of snacks, where crispy Korean Style Fish & Chips (HK$98) shines. The all-time British standard is upgraded by East Asian invention – the batter coating Latest Zealand cod tastes of fluffy tempura and crunchy spring-roll pastry. At the identical time, Popcorn Chicken (HK$78) reimagines Hong Kong-style beef balls into tender, handmade chicken balls. Mini Angus Beef Burger (HK$88) is a trio of American dining heroes scaled down in size but ramped up in flavor: succulent USDA Angus beef is topped with Australian cheddar and garnished by grilled onion, beetroot, and homemade tomato sauce.
Sumptuous sauces smother seafood and other fresh produce in hearty plates of pasta, including Carbonara (HK$98), Prawn Linguine (HK$138), and Creamy Mentaiko Spaghetti (HK$128). For smaller stomachs, kids’ meals are artistically presented on partitioned picket boards stuffed with colourful, healthy seasonal treats – pasta, vegetables, fruit, jelly, cheese, and more. The Wheels on the Bus platter (HK$168) are shaped like a faculty bus, while the oval cloud-like segments of the Over the Rainbow spread (HK$148) help young minds soar.
All ages will find the desserts irresistible. Jello & Mellow Sundae (HK$78) leads the way in which, a delightfully light ice-cream sundae of Hokkaido milk soft serve studded with sweet pieces of homemade marshmallow and jelly. Sliced Cake of the Day (from HK$68) is a must. Continuing the tradition of Jello & Mellow’s sister artisanal cakery, Vive Cake Boutique, such delights as Carrot Cake, Red Velvet Cake, and Be Zesty, a lemon chiffon cake, await the sweet of tooth.
Specialty drinks are likewise beautifully crafted and aesthetically served. Echoing a beloved VIVE motif, the pink Uni-Cone (HK$78) is a strawberry, raspberry, and banana smoothie crowned by a whimsical, upside-down ice cream cone. With a whipped cream head and ornamental dots for eyes, the Avocado Monster smoothie (HK$78) – mixing mango, cucumber, and banana with everybody’s favorite green fruit – appeals to the young at heart. Purple Breeze (HK$58) is a thirst-quenching, eye-catching dual-colored soda cooler of butterfly pea flower tea and apple, while Creamy Road (HK$65) combines comforting milky Horlicks and cheese foam with a crumble of Biscoff biscuits on top. Babycino is a kid-friendly addition to the coffee and tea menu (HK$30).
Jello & Mellow lures the office and shopping crowds from Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) for lunch in spacious surroundings. Served from 12 noon to three p.m. and priced at HK$128 per person, the lunch set encompasses every day soup or salad and a drink together with a signature principal resembling Margherita or Mediterranean pizza or one in every of the pasta trios, Carbonara, Prawn Linguine or Creamy Mentaiko Spaghetti.
Further reaching into the community, this merry space is right for holding children’s parties and personal events. The whole venue or the important thing entertainment areas of The Mello Dining Room and the Secret Garden will be booked for 4 hours for an exclusive celebration. (see Appendix II for prices and available timeslots.)
A daily program of artistic workshops and other fun activities also draws enthusiasts from Eastern District and beyond. In July 2023, Jello & Mellow joins hands with Flower Child Studio for a Family or Friends Bonding Floral Workshop (details to be announced). The upcoming Wafer Paper Flower Workshops to be held in collaboration with Ciao Sugar Art are also highly anticipated. Ciao Sugar Art founder Joyce Chiu shares her skills in crafting edible flower sculptures from wafer paper in two workshops from 15-17 September 2023 (HK$3,500 for the 1-day workshop; HK$6,300 for the 2-day workshop). Budding sugar-art sculptors will learn the right way to craft a coral sunset peony and sweet pea within the 1-day session, while a quartet of everlasting wafer-paper flowers – the English rose, dahlia, hydrangea, and butterfly ranunculus – will probably be taught over 2 days.
“I’m thrilled to understand my dream of launching a dining concept that celebrates family life, a comfortable place where children have the liberty to precise themselves through imaginative play, and adults can calm down over fresh, nourishing meals,” says founder Vivien Lau. “Jello & Mellow is ideal for casual family meals and special celebrations and caters to all ages. It’s for everybody who cherishes togetherness and seeks inspiration through creative and interesting activities.”
Magical to the young at heart and cleverly multifunctional, this Quarry Bay dining and the recreational sanctuary is one other charming string to the bow of the dining entrepreneur. Vivien Lau began her creative journey with celebrity-loved Vive Cake Boutique and recently opened chic café VIVE on Gough Street. Her fast-growing restaurant group is fastidiously designed to focus on the community’s varied needs. A hideaway from the hustle and bustle of the rejuvenated Quarry Bay district, this latest addition – and the largest enterprise up to now – seamlessly integrates healthful food and play to forge lasting family memories.
Jello & Mellow is situated at 9/F, 1001 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong, and opens every day from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. For reservations or inquiries, please call (852) 5111-4895, email [email protected], or visit https://inline.app/booking/Jello/andMellow.
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