Keeping up with new restaurants in Hong Kong, let alone new chefs and new menus, can be tricky. Our restaurant news round-up will keep you in the loop about the city’s ever-evolving dining scene. From the latest eatery to open its doors to celebrity chefs to Hong Kong brunches and bars, it’s all here!
Say hi to vegan cheese!
The plant-based food juggernaut continues, this time in the form of Le Fromage by Ma, which has opened at K11 MUSEA. The concept? To be Hong Kong’s first and only vegan “cheeze” shop. On offer are more than 20 different cheeses packed with nutritious ingredients yet made without any suffering to any living being. You can try the creamy truffle-flavoured “Shamembert”, for instance, or a smoked cheddar, brie studded with pink peppercorns, or the Gorgonzola-inspired “North Pole Star”. All the cheeses are locally hand made in small batches from natural raw materials.
Unit 21, B201, K11 MUSEA, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
6019 5889 | lefromage.com.hk
Three in one
Inspired by Japanese izakayas, new three-bar concept The Aubrey by Maximal Concepts has opened on the 25th floor of the Mandarin Oriental. The Ma in Bar features a signature cocktail menu inspired by chess (try the amazing Two Bishops!), plus seasonal cocktails using Japanese ingredients; meanwhile, the four-person Omakase Cocktail Bar takes guests on a journey across Japanese spirits and flavours; and The Champagne and Sake Bar does exactly what it says on the lid. Dining is in the hands of Michelin-starred Chef Yukihito Tomiyama, and includes raw, tempura and robata menus, with world-class sushi and sashimi skills.
5 Connaught Road Central. facebook.com/theaubreyhk | @theaubrey.hk
Tea, toast & treats
Opened in late 2020, modern speciality tea café The Tea Academïcs has introduced some wholesome new seasonal menus. All-day breakfast items (from 8am weekdays and 10am on weekends) include Spiced French Toast (HK$78) with blueberries, hibiscus yoghurt and manuka honey, and a Paratha Omelette (HK$88) with halloumi, organic eggs and chilli. Mains (from 11am) include an Impossible Mince Pie (HK$128) and handmade Vegetarian Dumplings in Hot and Sour Soup (HK$108). Wash it all down with fine hand-brewed teas from around the world.
1/F, LHT Tower, 31 Queen’s Road, Central. 3187 7303 | the-academicsgroup.com
Alpine vibes
If you’re missing your annual Japan ski trip, head to THE ALP, a new lodgestyle café that’s opened as an adjunct to Lounge Hakuba in Causeway Bay. Here you’ll find brunch, light eats and artisanal coffee, all featuring Japanese ingredients, and put together by a young, dynamic and multicultural crew. While we love the sound of signature dishes Scattered Soba Bowl (HK$118) and Beef Mountain Donburi (HK$118), the Crispy Buttermilk Drumsticks (pictured, HK$128) are really taking our fancy. Don’t miss the great coffees, too, with a house-roasted blend of beans from Guatemala and Brazil.
Tower 535, Causeway Bay. 2111 1707 | @the.alp.hk
Down on the corner
While we’d love to actually be sitting at a bia hoi (“beer corner”) in Vietnam, watching the motor bikes buzz by, we’re happy to be able to do the next best thing: head to modern Vietnamese eatery XUÂN, where a bucket of six Saigon Beers is available for just HK$138, or six artisanal Hong Kong-brewed Moonzen Beers for HK$198. And don’t miss Chef John Nguyen’s new drinking snacks; we love the sound of the Vietnamese Buttery Corn (HK$88), the signature herb-laced Cha Gio Spring Rolls (HK$128) and more.
G/F, 12-24 Lun Fat Street, Wan Chai. 2891 1177 | info@xuan.com.hk
Seoul food
The Farmhouse at Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour is saying “Annyeonghaseyo!” to spring, with a themed buffet called A Taste of Korea. K-Food lovers will love the spicy Korean fried chicken, bungeoppang (fish-shaped pastry), pork and kimchi bao, the live barbecue station, and the Korean noodle station. There’s an ample stock of banchan (side dishes), too. Free-flow soju and beer are available, or try a special cocktail like the Soju Popper (from $28). The buffet is available all week for lunch and dinner, until 15 April.
3896 9896 | hkgct.thefarmhouse@hyatt.com
An Impossible arrival
There hasn’t been much coming or going to Hong Kong – or anywhere! – lately, but one particular item of arriving cargo will be welcome news for many. Impossible Foods, the award-winning, plant-based meat that we’ve already been loving in various incarnations in the city’s restaurants, has now hit Hong Kong stores. This is the first time the product has been made available outside the US! From late October, Impossible Beef will roll out at nearly 100 ParknShop banner stores across Hong Kong, including ParknShop, Fusion, Taste, Food Le Parc and Great Food Hall. It’s also available for delivery through parknshop.com. Expect to pay around HK$90 for a 340g retail pack.
Fiery finger food
Bringing back that much-needed bar vibe, the Fagara Aperitivo offering from Chilli Fagara allows diners to get their hands (or chopsticks) into their favourite spicy comfort foods, followed by a cold one or two – either at home or in the restaurant. The set of three appetisers and a chilled six-pack of Peroni beer costs HK$388, and you can choose from the likes of the restaurant’s famed chilli-oil-dunked Pork & Vegetable Dumplings, Ma La-style Hot Wings, golden-fried Crispy Calamari, tangy Pork Riblets, and Vegetable Spring Rolls. Available from 5 to 7pm daily at Chilli Fagara (7 Old Bailey Street) or via Deliveroo.
FAM is back
FAM at Art Park, West Kowloon Cultural District, has reopened again and is making great use of the beautiful big green patch right outside the restaurant (and the accompanying 180-degree Victoria Harbour view!) through its “Picnic Set Takeaway for 2”. The set of signature dim sum delights – the likes of roasted pork buns with buttered charcoal-crust tops, and fried mixed wild rice with seafood and egg – comes with roll-out mats or beach chairs to use in the aforementioned green space. The à la carte menu is also available for takeaway, and delivery is also available via Deliveroo and UberEats.
2866 3667 | fampark.com
Drinks at Duddell’s
Popular venue Duddell’s has appointed a new Salon Manager, Mario Calderone, who has loads of experience at big-name bars in the UK, Australia and here in HK; Mario recently helmed the award-winning Honi Honi Tiki Cocktail Lounge (#29 in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2016). At Duddell’s, his new cocktail menu is based on the bygone principles of quality, seasonality and ingenuity, with a range to suit every fancy. Start with Mario’s own signature drink for the venue, the frothy, thirst-quenching Duddell’s Sour (HK$140). There’s also a new daily happy hour from 3pm to 8pm. Level 3, Shanghai Tang Mansion, 1 Duddell Street, Central.
2525 9191 | duddells.co
17 different dim sum dishes
The talented chefs at Hong Kong restaurant The Legacy House recently debuted a selection of 17 lunchtime dim sum delicacies. Time-honoured recipes are given a modern spin in the likes of Fish Dumplings with Fungus and Tangerine Peel, which are shaped like swimming koi and have hand-dotted scales, and the juicy Lobster Dumpling, elegantly crowned with glistening caviar and gold leaf. The always-impressive Cantonese à la carte menu is also available. (Don’t miss the roast goose!) 5/F, Rosewood Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
3891 8732 | Instagram @thelegacyhousehk
Churro champions
Love a churro? Then try Hong Kong’s first authentic churro shop, Twist & Buckle, on Chatham Road in TST. The brainchild of a pair of South Americans with a passion for sharing authentic churros like those they enjoyed from local bakeries as kids, the churrería dishes out soft, crispy, handcrafted churros with a “twist”. Try the classic El Churro Original (HK$25), dusted with cinnamon and served with a choice of dipping sauces including traditional dulce de leche. Or go for a Glazed option or something from the Chilled selection (warm churros served with vanilla ice cream). There’s a range of freshly squeezed lemonades to wash everything down, too. Open seven days, 12pm to 11pm.
Hitting it out of the park
BaseHall is a multi-concept food hall featuring eight eating spots and two bars. Highlights include: Roti Tori, a Japanese-style rotisserie chicken joint; Pub 1842 from Young Master; tacos by Esdras Ochoa at Westside Taqueria; and contemporary nasi lemak at Return of Lemak. You’ll also find gourmet burgers, Korean delights and authentic Vietnamese dishes; plus, plant-based fans can grab a wrap or salad at Treehouse. basehall.hk
Great brunch options…
#1 Ying Jee Club free-flow brunch
Head to two Michelin star Cantonese restaurant Ying Jee Club between 11.30am and 3pm every Saturday and Sunday for a weekend brunch with free-flow. Pair your favourite Cantonese dishes with two hours of free-flow Delamotte Brut Champagne, white or red wine (sommelier’s choice) and soft drinks. HK$388 per head. yingjeeclub.hk
#2 AQUA
Aqua has a great weekend brunch featuring free-flow Rosé and champagne, oysters, sushi and sashimi platters. Prices start from HK$688. aqua.com.hk
#3 Écriture
This two-Michelin-starred Hong Kong restaurant has refreshed its weekend lunch menu with a more casual vibe. It’s now offering a six-course lunch that stars French seasonal produce; it costs HK$780, and you can also get a wine pairing option for HK$280. ecriture.hk
#4 The Pizza Project
The Pizza Project on Peel Street has a brunch on weekends and during public holidays from 12 to 4pm. The menu is priced at HK$158 and includes antipasti, Pizza Al Metro and a dessert. For the Pizza Al Metro (pizza served by the metre), guests can choose three toppings from a list including Carbonara, Truffle, Pesto and more. thepizzaproject.hk
See more in our Wine & Dine section:
Best brunch spots in the city
10 affordable eats in Hong Kong
