Glancing at Red SoHo’s (update: now Pure Bar + Restaurant) carb- and calorie-heavy menu, you wouldn’t guess that the restaurant is the brainchild of the Pure Group, which operates a string of Hong Kong fitness centers. Occupying a long perch above Hollywood Road, the breezy, semi-open eatery prides itself on serving hearty, New York–style cuisine—definitely not the kind of food that fitness gurus endorse. The Reuben sandwich is a prime example: thick layers of corned beef, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut between slices of homemade rye bread slathered with mayo. And then there’s the sublime mac and cheese, topped with a generous shaving of black truffle. Visit for brunch on the weekend when board games are pulled out and the aroma of pecan pie and strawberry shortcake fills the air. And if you do happen to feel guilty after your meal, there’s a Pure Fitness gym conveniently located next door (2/F, Kinwick Centre, 32 Hollywood Rd., Central; 852-8199/8189).—Petrina Price
Originally appeared in the October/November 2009 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Red Soho”)
