One year ago, we introduced our new early week dinner series PLATED, celebrating seasonal ingredients, special off-menu dishes and giving our line-up of all-star chefs the chance to flex their creative muscles, experiment with new ingredients and introduce off-menu dishes. This August, this much-loved series returns with a new rotation of value-driven menus available exclusively on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Here to perk up the start of your week, this series of suppers offered at unbeatable value are primed to let you ease back into the working week after languid weekends at the beach. Highlighting a new rotation of restaurants, the next series of PLATED officially kicked off on 15 August with all-new menus designed for two or more at Buenos Aires Polo Club, Hotal Colombo and Artemis & Apollo.

—

Clásicos de Argentina at Buenos Aires Polo Club

In Buenos Aires, evenings are best spent when savouring glasses of Malbec and jovial conversation with friends and family, tables overflowing with food and wine. Indulge in a true Argentinian feast with Clásicos de Argentina, a curated menu from Executive Chef Jack Carson, celebrating the breadth of culinary tradition across Argentina.

The feast begins with a selection of entradas, select between the Chorizo Sausage, the off menu Flor A La Plancha, or seasonal vegetables grilled on the plancha and served with a house-made Club rub and corn salsa, or your choice of signature Empanadas, a traditional item all across Argentina where every province has its own variety; in Buenos Aires they are traditionally filled with beef, chicken or cheese.

The jewel of every feast at Buenos Aires Polo Club is the main event, traditionally featuring a prime cut of meat or seafood. This curated PLATED menu offers a selection between the tender, lean General Pico Black Angus 12oz Ribeye, from cattle raised on the lush grass of the Pampas, or the newly added Mixed Seafood Grill, a generous platter brimming with Argentinian prawns, scallops, salmon and oysters finished with chorizo. Enjoy this robust feast alongside traditional sides like the Fries Provenzal, dipped in duck fat and dusted with garlic and parsley, and roasted garlic-Sautéed Broccoli.

In Argentina, no meal can end without something sweet, so the menu wraps with the showstopping signature Malvaviscos. Translating to ‘marshmallows’, this marshmallow is more than meets the eye. Filled with dulce de leche ice cream and toasted tableside on an open flame so for a moment you can imagine you are a gaucho, winding down after a long day on the Pampas.

Hikkaduwa’s Catch at Hotal Colombo

In Sri Lanka, the changing of the weather affects the tides and can sometimes be cause for celebration as clearer skies and calmer waters give way to a time where boats can once again safely hit the seas, reeling in plentiful catches of the island’s main star: crab. These meaty crustaceans are at the heart of every meal and are best enjoyed shared amongst friends, cracked open by hand and chased down by a cold beer.

For this series’ limited-time PLATED menu, Chef Gizzy introduces Hikkaduwa’s Catch, inspired by memories of the small town situated on the southern coast of the island whose seaside location welcomes the most mouth-watering catches around. This curated menu showcases the best seafood Sri Lanka has to offer, but the centrepiece of the feast is, of course, the crab. Prepared with a traditional recipe from the north, the Jaffna Crab Kari is slightly spicy, blending freshly ground tamarind with bird’s eye chillies and of course, the traditional ingredient found in many Sri Lankan karis: coconut milk. Newly added and full of robust flavour is the Stir-fried Beetroot, which sees the ruby-hued vegetable lightly tossed in mustard, fresh chillies and curry leaves.

These are matched with Hotal Colombo favourites, including the ever-popular Chilli Potato Fry, newly-introduced Mussels & Clams in Kiri Hodi, and coconut rice to pair. This celebratory crab feast is perfect for two or more and will only be around for twelve weeks.

Demeter’s Harvest at Artemis & Apollo

In Greece, the scorching summer sun ultimately will give way to breezier months that continue to hold the warmth of the season, where the sea stays cosy enough for swimming and the countryside becomes luminous, rich colours turning the landscape golden-hued. As the tavernas come alive all across Athen’s, bustling groups of friends and family share meals of mezze with hearth-baked pita, spit-roasted meats and stunning seafood plates over glasses of crisp, refreshing white wines and flowing sips of ouzo.

Chef Kevin Shawcross pulls out all the stops for his exclusive PLATED series menu, Demeter’s Harvest. The Herculean feast begins with a table spread of crisp, freshly-cut crudités paired with house-made dips including the signature Tzatziki Theodoros and Roasted Eggplant alongside the newly-added Roasted Feta, all perfectly scooped up with warm pita.

As the evening kicks into full swing, the new off-menu spiced Spetsofai hits the table, this traditional Greek sausage is served with peppers and a smooth roasted tomato sauce, pairing perfectly with a glass of red. Next up, another off menu highlight is showcased, the Spanikorizo is an Athenian favourite which harmoniously blends rice with spinach and Greek herbs, sprinkled with feta cheese and a squeeze of lemon. As the evening wanes into the night, the meal ends with a light, fresh dessert of seasonal mixed berries and fruits served over yoghurt and drizzled with Greek honey.

—

PLATED menus are available Mondays and Tuesdays for dinner only, from 15 August to 1 November. Book here.

Join The Herd for our latest news, weekly perks and exclusives. Sent directly to your inbox.