With more 11,000 restaurants offering everything from Michelin-starred fine dining and pioneering farm-to-table menus, to traditional Cantonese dishes and authentic time-honoured family recipes, Hong Kong’s culinary scene is booming.
This year, the city has welcomed new restaurant openings, tours and trends, further cementing Hong Kong’s status as a culinary hot spot.
Here are just some of Hong Kong’s latest culinary developments:
New Food Tours and Markets
New self-guided food tour of Hong Kong’s West Kowloon neighbourhood – launched autumn 2021
The Hong Kong Tourism Board has released a new self-guided tour encouraging visitors to discover West Kowloon’s must-visit eateries and local food markets.
West Kowloon is abuzz with eateries and local food markets such as the Yau Ma Tei fruit market, above
The vibrant neighbourhood is home to family-run establishments that have played a part in shaping Hong Kong’s culinary landscape, as well as characterful architecture, quirky vintage emporiums and new world-class museums.
Highlights of the nine-stop tour include the bustling streets of Ferry Point and the newly renovated Woosung Street Temporary Cooked Food Hawker Bazaar, which offers more than 20 food stalls with casual outside seating.
Newly renovated Central Market – opened summer 2021
In summer 2021, Hong Kong’s historic Central Market reopened its doors after four years of renovation works. The 1939-listed building, known for its avant-garde design, is where visitors will find an eclectic variety of family-run eateries, artisan cafes, high-end grocery stores, restaurants and event spaces.
The market combines tradition with modernity to inspire the community with cultural performances, exhibitions and mouth-watering meals from local businesses and creative start-ups.
New Food Trends
Michelin-starred collaborations
Chef Eric Räty of two-Michelin-starred Arbor has joined Christopher Ho, a local self-taught chef, in creating a distinctive tasting menu fusing local culture with Finnish cuisine.
Spring Moon, above, and Gaddi’s, below, are Michelin-starred restaurants to be found at the Peninsula Hotel
Meanwhile, the Michelin- starred restaurants Spring Moon and Gaddi’s, at the Peninsula Hotel, came together to offer a split tasting menu with a walk in between the venues for diners to experience two of Hong Kong’s highly regarded restaurants in one night.
Sustainable Dining: Hong Kong’s first Michelin Green Star
Establishments from luxury restaurants to independent coffee houses are on a mission to help reduce their carbon footprint.
Michelin-starred Roganic is committed to provenance of ingredients from local farms which creates dishes inspired by the city. Owner and chef Simon Rogan’s efforts have earnted Hong Kong its first Michelin Green Star.
Zero Foodprints Asia
Renowned Hong Kong native, chef and entrepreneur, Peggy Chan has founded a sustainable food consultancy, Grassroots Initiatives, which aims to do more than just remove plastic straws from restaurants with its Zero Foodprint Asia programme.
Restaurants that enrol pay 1% of each order to finance regenerative agriculture, reducing carbon emissions, contributing to a greener culinary industry.
Restaurant News
Fireside – opened September 2021
The first restaurant of its kind in Hong Kong, Fireside, pictured top of page, offers a unique back to basics open-fire grilling dining experience.
The kitchen, which is free from any modern cooking utilities, features only an open-fire grill fuelled by a curation of exotic firewood embers.
In a bid to showcase the naked complexity of each and every ingredient, from butchery, to smoking and aging, grilling and presenting, the entire cooking process takes place fireside, where Executive Chef Miguel Gallo transforms fresh seafood, meats, and locally-grown vegetables into refined, signature dishes.
Wa-En Kappo – opened August 2021
With its spectacular 270-degree view of Victoria Harbour, Wa-En Kappo, below, is the newest addition to Sheung Wan’s dining scene.
The chic Japanese restaurant does not offer a menu, as guests are simply treated to an exclusive selection of up to 11 courses, discovering dishes such as fresh seasonal sashimi to sea urchin pasta.
Head chef Kris, a tempura master with more than 20 years experience. seamlessly blends ancient techniques and modern flavours, taking guests on a unique culinary journey.
The Chairman Restaurant
Cantonese restaurant The Chairman, in Central Hong Kong, has just been awarded the number 10 spot in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2021.
An esteemed group of food writers, critics, chefs, restaurateurs and international culinary experts voted for the authentic, ingredient-driven restaurant to be the only offering of Chinese cuisine on the list.
The Chairman has previously been awarded The Best Restaurant in Asia and The Best Restaurant in China in the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards.
Upcoming…
Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival, November 2021
The festival will take place from 1 to 30 November as a hybrid event. New for this year, viewers will be able to raise a glass and join in with the ‘Tasting on Air’ series, featuring expert-led masterclasses and wine tastings from the comfort of their own homes.
Hoping to whet the appetites of international travellers, the Hong Kong Tourism Board will also share top chef interviews and exclusive online content highlighting the city’s most exciting food trends, neighbourhoods and dining locations.
HotelView’s editor David Simpson says: Check out the Mandarin Oriental’s Michelin-starred Man Wah restaurant for the finest Chinese cuisine, and possibly the finest location
