5 OF THE BEST DELICIOUS USA GOURMET AMERICAN FOOD FESTIVAL RESTAURANT SPECIALS AS EVENT RETURNS TO HONG KONG AND MACAU FOR 5TH TIME

Think gourmet American food and USDA beef may be the first item that comes to mind, but there's a lot more featured in Delicious USA in Hong Kong and Macau
Poultry, seafood, nuts, and fruit are among the ingredients that show up in special dishes created by 44 restaurants. We've picked five of the best to visit

Marking its fifth anniversary this year, Delicious USA, the gourmet food festival that celebrates the best of US ingredients, is back in Hong Kong and Macau.

The festival, which runs until the end of November, has partnered with 44 restaurants, with each one presenting one or more dishes that highlight the versatility and quality of US ingredients.

Participating restaurants run the gamut of cuisines, from Spanish and French to Filipino, Thai and Chinese, and the range of US ingredients represented is equally diverse.

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As to be expected, plenty are showcasing USDA beef - there are more than 800,000 cattle operations across the United States - but plenty have also incorporated American seafood in their menus, with Boston lobster and Alaskan cod being prime examples.

Other premium American ingredients featured in the festival include US-raised Cornish hens; nuts; and apples (fun fact: Washington state grows more than 30 apple varieties).

And while cheese may be more commonly associated with Europe, the United States is the world's largest cheese-producing country, with over 600 varieties, so a number of restaurants have incorporated artisanal cheeses into their dishes.

Looking to sample these ingredients yourself? Here's our round-up of some of the best Delicious USA offerings available this year.

1. Barkada

Barkada, the modern Filipino restaurant in Central headed up by Instagram influencer Jen Balisi and hospitality group Singular Concepts, is serving up two dishes for Delicious USA.

The first is the longganisa and cheese slider (HK$65), which features ground US pork, American cheese, and banana ketchup chilli crisp mayo in a house-baked pandesal roll.

The second is the kamote cue cheesecake with a brUleed top (HK$110), which uses American sweet potatoes, cream cheese and graham crackers in a dessert inspired by a popular Filipino snack.

UG/F, 46-48 Cochrane Street, Central

2. Grand Hyatt Steakhouse

The Grand Hyatt Steakhouse, one of the few partner restaurants that has prepared a dedicated menu for Delicious USA, is offering a four-course meal (HK$1,380) that highlights the best of American beef and seafood.

Diners can choose between two appetisers: the Boston lobster salad is served with a zingy orange dressing, fennel, orange segments, avocado and a scoop of Oscietra caviar; the bison tartare is served with a quail egg and toasted sourdough.

The appetiser is followed by the Maryland crab and sweet corn chowder, and then the main course, which features a choice between a 250g wagyu sirloin steak sourced from Snake River Farms or Alaskan applewood-smoked black cod marinated with a light barbecue sauce. For dessert, the steakhouse is serving a nostalgic seasonal dessert - pecan pie with caramel sauce and ice cream.

Lobby Level, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai

3. La Paloma

Regulars of chef-owner Alex Fargas' Spanish restaurant in Sai Ying Pun will know that the salmon "TNT" (HK$35) and lobster paella (HK$598) are staples on his menu. This month, these two beloved dishes receive the Delicious USA treatment - the salmon "TNT" features US smoked salmon, chipotle cream and marinated salmon roe, while the paella is prepared with Boston lobster, as well as mussels and green beans.

1/F, SoHo 189, 189 Queen's Road West, Sai Ying Pun

4. The Enclave

The Silveri Hong Kong - MGallery's modern bistro, The Enclave, is serving five dishes that highlight American ingredients while retaining a local touch. The Boston lobster roll (HK$268), for one, is flavoured with a house-made XO sauce, while the pan-roasted Alaskan cod (HK$298) is prepared with shrimp paste sourced from Tai O, as a nod to the hotel's location on Lantau Island.

The steak tartare (HK$198) features US prime beef tenderloin, while the flank steak (HK$348) is served with roasted potatoes, asparagus and an Argentinian-style chimichurri sauce.

Cap off the meal with the restaurant's apple pie (HK$128), an ever-popular American dessert that has been given a healthier spin with low-fat ice cream and the use of a sugar substitute in its crust and filling.

9/F, The Silveri Hong Kong - MGallery, 16 Tat Tung Road, Tung Chung

5. L'Altro Italian Restaurant Macao

Over in Macau, L'Altro Italian Restaurant in Taipa Village has prepared four dishes for the festival. The first is creamy roasted squash soup (88 patacas) topped with pistachio and Grana Padano cheese; for mains, there's a black Angus burger with fries (188 patacas), as well as a mushroom risotto topped with a cabbage and celeriac foam (198 patacas).

Rounding out the offerings is the New York-style cheesecake (98 patacas), which is served with seasonal pears and caramelised almonds sourced from California.

Kin Wai Garden, 26 R. Direita Carlos Eugenio, Taipa, Macau

Other highlights

Chubby Papa's Deli in Kennedy Town is serving a hot Philly cheese steak (HK$148) with thin-sliced beef rib-eye, Sriracha aioli and pepperjack cheese; Indian restaurant Gaylord, in Tsim Sha Tsui, spotlights US poultry with its tandoor Cornish hen in spiced yogurt (HK$178 for half and HK$278 for full).