Deli dreams by the harbour

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There’s something faintly rebellious about eating a pastrami sandwich slowly. In New York, it belongs to the rush of the deli counter, stacked high, wrapped in paper, dealt with between appointments or after midnight. At Regent Hong Kong’s The Lobby Lounge, the same idea has been given much more room to breathe. The rye is toasted, the harbour light becomes part of the pleasure, and the familiar comfort of a generous sandwich is drawn into a more polished afternoon indulgence. 

This season, The Lobby Lounge turns to New York comfort food with a Hong Kong hotel accent. Pastrami, burgers, lobster buns, wraps and club sandwiches arrive against the sweep of Victoria Harbour, where the mood is less downtown rush than long lunch, late-afternoon pause and appetite with a view. 

The setting has its own recent backstory. Regent Hong Kong officially returned to Victoria Harbour in November 2023 after a major transformation, with Hong Kong-born designer Chi Wing Lo brought in to give the hotel a calmer, more contemporary character. The return has been noticed. In 2026, Regent Hong Kong was recognised for the third consecutive year as the No 1 hotel in Hong Kong at the Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards Asia Pacific. It has also been ranked among the top five hotels in the Top 15 Asia City Hotels category of Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards readers’ survey. 

The gastronomic journey begins with the Mayura Wagyu Pastrami Sandwich. Pastrami on rye carries the memory of New York’s immigrant deli culture, from its late 19th-century roots to institutions such as Katz’s Delicatessen. Here, that memory is handled with a lighter hand. Mayura Wagyu is slow-cured, gently smoked and hand-sliced, then layered into toasted rye with sauerkraut and melted Swiss cheese. It keeps the peppery heft of the original, while the finish feels softer, richer and more refined. 

The Regent Beef Burger is the more indulgent proposition. Australian Wagyu is matched with black truffle, foie gras and port wine onion compote, while lettuce, tomato and Pommery mustard cut through the richness. It carries the appetite of an American diner classic, then arrives with the manners of a posh hotel lunch. 

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For a softer summer note, the Lobster Bun brings Canadian lobster together with green apple and celery. The Crab Club Sandwich layers snow crab, avocado, bacon and lime mayonnaise, while the Tortilla Wrap folds Parma ham and mozzarella into the line-up. Read together, the dishes move through deli nostalgia, burger indulgence, seafood freshness and the ease of a light lunch by the harbour. 

The milkshakes give the menu its playful turn. From 1 July to 31 August, limited-edition Venchi Signature Shakes are being served at The Lobby Lounge, each priced at HK$168 plus service charge. The Dark Silk Shake leads the range with reduced sugar and a deep cocoa profile. Sunset Affogato draws on caramel and coffee, Harbour Crunch brings cookies and cream, Cloudy Forest blends pistachio with vanilla, and Lychee Summer Breeze adds a local summer note through fruit, citrus and restrained sweetness. 

Milkshakes can easily belong to childhood memory, with paper straws, chrome counters and a glass too tall to finish. Here, that diner idea has been dressed for a hotel lounge. Cocoa is given depth, caramel is tempered by coffee, pistachio brings a nutty softness, and lychee lends a breezy Hong Kong summer feel. 

The pairings change by month. In July, Regent Beef Burger is served with Dark Silk Shake, Lobster Bun with Harbour Crunch, and Mayura Wagyu Pastrami Sandwich with Sunset Affogato. In August, Regent Beef Burger returns with Dark Silk Shake, while Crab Club Sandwich is paired with Lychee Summer Breeze and Tortilla Wrap with Cloudy Forest. 

The pleasure is partly in the contrast of pace. New York gives the menu its appetite. Hong Kong gives it the view. The Lobby Lounge takes the grab-and-go codes of the deli and diner, then slows them down into a summer meal to linger over, with a sandwich cut cleanly, a burger rich enough to require a pause, a milkshake beading cold on the table, and the harbour doing what it always does best.

Need to know 

Where 
The Lobby Lounge, Regent Hong Kong 

Dates 
New York-inspired sandwiches and burgers are served as regular menu items at The Lobby Lounge. Seasonal milkshake pairings are available from 1 July to 31 August. 

Menu 
Mayura Wagyu Pastrami Sandwich, Regent Beef Burger, Lobster Bun, Crab Club Sandwich, Tortilla Wrap and Venchi Signature Shakes 

Prices 
Milkshakes HK$168. Selected food-and-shake pairings from HK$466 to HK$576. All prices are subject to 10% service charge.