We’ve made it to the end of 2021. It’s December! Christmastime! The New Year! Parties and get-togethers and feasts. Between back-to-back turkey meals and trying to get as much “holiday” as possible while stuck in Hong Kong, sample some of the city’s latest openings with the list below. Spoilers: There’s a selection of new Chinese restos for family dinners this holiday!
All the new restaurants opening in Hong Kong this month:
Ship Kee
We can’t get enough of Chinese food here in Hong Kong, which, fair. There’s never refusing a plate of sweet-and-sticky char siu rice. And in Wan Chai, a new spot joins the fold: Ship Kee. It’s the latest opening by Epicurean Group and serves a familiar selection of Chinese cuisine comforts ranging from freshly steamed dim sum to Cantonese barbecue roasts and a selection of premium seafood, stews and broths. Helmed by executive chef Dee Lui, who holds over 27 years of experience in notable traditional Chinese kitchens, including Fu Sing Shark Fin Seafood Restaurant in the same neighbourhood, each of his dishes are inspired by local wet markets and fresh ingredients. On the team is also chef Yeung Siu Wo, previously of Lei Garden, who will head up roast barbecue and chef Tang, with 30 years of dim sum making experience, to curate the dim sum selection.
Together, the team has put together a formidable Chinese menu that honours tradition. Apart from the barbecue and dim sum, signatures include salt-baked chicken, where Hong Kong yellow chicken is wrapped in parchment and baked in coarse salt for over an hour; diced lobster tossed in Sichuan dried chilli and streamed fresh prawns served over a bed of Inaniwa udon soaked in aged Shaoxing wine.
Ship Kee, G/F Pao Yup Building, 7 Ship Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, +852 2893 9688
1111 Ones Restaurant & Lounge
Just as we proclaimed our love for Chinese cuisine, 1111 Ones Restaurant & Lounge arrives with a similar dedication; this time, to elevated Chinese fine-dining with an art director’s touch. Ideated by Hong Kong-native chef Will Leung, the menu at 1111 Ones take inspiration from award-winning landscape photographer Kelvin Yuen’s extensive portfolio: desert canyons spotlighted by diffused sunlight; a birds-eye landscape of mountainous ridges in Hong Kong’s own High Land Reservoir. Each ingredient upon the tasting menu, available in either six- or eight-course seating, is elegantly distilled into photogenic platings. The “King Crab” is a stacked creation of bamboo shoots, kristal caviar, black fungus and Hua Diao wine, replicated after the “Magical Night” shot in Norway; “Croquette”, made with a inspired take on Indonesia’s beef rendang with chilli, potatoes and prawn crackers, similarly influenced by “Burst”, taken in Indonesia; and “Black Angus Beef”, served with American carrots and poached in Hong Kong-style milk tea, inspired by USA’s “1111” — a stunning shot of Arizona’s Antelope Canyon, also physically replicated in the restaurant’s earth-toned, organic interiors.
1111 Ones, 11/F, 18 On Lan Street, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2910 1128
YUÈ
And from Lubuds Group, a bespoke Cantonese dining experience. One that stays true to tradition. YUÈ is led by experienced cuisine masters chef Au-Yeung Chung Kei, previously head chef at Fook Lam Moon for 20 years with 40 years of experience, and chef Andy Chan, also a veteran chef of 40 years, previously at Jade Dragon and Wing Lei Palace in Macau. The menu, then, is an expert showcase of the honest pushes the boundaries of Cantonese cuisine without losing touch of traditional recipes and preparation methods. Dim sum is set to be a signature, as is the steamed shrimp dumplings in pepper broth, deep-fried crispy chicken, sweet and sour pork in aged vinegar and stir-fry mud crab.
YUÈ, Shop 1301, 13/F, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, +852 2838 3968
The Next Chapter
The Next Chapter, or TNC, located on the brand new Tung Chung waterfront, is exactly as its namesake intends: A revolving concept that continually switches up the offering. It’s a one-stop destination for all your dining needs. But if we had to be specific, TNC is a café, a restaurant, an alfresco diner and a sports bar, serving a seasonal ingredients-first menu that hinges on being a community-first, convivial experience. The menu is set to rotate monthly, for now there’s a fresh selection of seafood and sashimi along with calayu skewers with beef, quail, pineapple and pork ribs, salt-seared ox tongue, lobster bisque risotto, seafood pizza and a TNC special Duck Trilogy, a triple-offering of duck confit, pan-fried duck breast and duck foie gras served with tangy orange plum sauce.
The Next Chapter, Shop R&S, G/F, Seaview Crescent, 8 Tung Chung Waterfront Road, Tung Chung, Lantau Island, Hong Kong, +852 2907 6808
Anne
A visit to Tsueng Kwan O’s Anne may almost feel like a trip to the French coastline; the interiors are awash in dark wood furnitures paired with copper-gold fixtures to thoughtfully replicate a classic Brittany French Bistro. The menu, too, echos a similar ambience, with a selection of dainty, delicate crêpes of both sweet and savoury creation. To show that crepes are not just a sweet dessert, Anne sections the menu with seven Classic crêpes and six Signatures. Gluten-free buckwheat base makes up the former with creations like The Truffle — scrambled eggs, black truffle paste, ham and Emmental — and The Complete, a combination of cooked ham, Emmental cheese, a sunny side-up egg. While the latter comprises of recipes inspired by global cuisines, with the likes of The American, with bolognese minced beef; The Thai, with spicy shrimp, lemongrass and Thai basil; and The Beijing, topped with a classic combo of Peking duck, spring onion, cucumber and Hoisin sauce. Interestingly, the menu is also comes with drinks pairing, if you so please, serving French Apple Cider and an extensive wine list with over 80% of of French wines.
Anne, Shop G05, G/F, Monterey, 23 Tong Chun Street, Tseung Kwan O, Kowloon, Hong Kong, +852 6722 2293
Auntie ĀYI
There’s a story behind Auntie ĀYI, which is more than just another Southern Chinese restaurant. There’s two, in fact. First, it’s part of the brand new wellwellwell culinary concept opened at Pacific Place, which plays on the Cantonese word “井” in three concepts — home well (鄉井), water well (水井) and city well (市井) — to portray the broad diversity of Chinese food culture. Another is that each of the concepts are all part of the larger story arch of a time-travelling spaceship with a nostalgic crew, invigorated to reimagine traditional dishes and age-old culinary techniques.
But for now, a return to Auntie ĀYI which is named after 1930s “majie” (馬姐), or house aunties that took care of everything, from to the kitchens to the housework of noble households. It shifts a spotlight on comforting serves of the region, like Sesame Candy Chicken, inspired by the Old Hong Kong Sesame Candy with crispy candied skin, and plated to imitate a flying Phoenix, a popular presentation style for fancy banquets in the 70s. Other icons include Two-Way Stuffed Crab Claws made with the age-old preparation technique, crépine, and deep-fried with breadcrumbs, and a “cheong fun” section where the silky rice rolls are prepared with the traditional “hand-pulling” technique through a steam-permeable cloth.
Auntie ĀYI, Shop 002, LG1, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong, +852 2803 7881
Maka Hiki
Finally, a tiny piece of the tropics in our busy city. Maka Hiki is the latest addition to Tai Hang’s trendy neighbourhood, hoping to bring a slice of island life from Polynesia and the Carribean islands to Hong Kong’s dining scene. The vibrant menu of refreshing barbecue meats and seafood is conceptualised by chef Russell Doctrove, with grilled Mahi Mahi, Hawaiian-style tuna poke and 48-hour slow cooked beef ribs slathered in sweet and smoky tamarind jaew barbecue sauce leading as signatures. The drinks selection, as expected, is a delightful collection of bright, rum-based cocktails and punch bowls that’s evocative of the beach-side holiday we wished we were having.
Maki Hiki, translating to “New Beginning” in Hawaiian, also doubles as a wellness haven during the day with details yet to be ironed out. Nonetheless, it’s the ideal space to kick-back, relax and tuck into some delicious food, and that’s enough wellness to get us through the month.
Maka Hiki, 2/F, 98 Tung Lo Wan Road, Tai Hang, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, +852 2155 1777
Jom
Named after the Malaysian expression for “Come, let’s go!”, rest assured Jom is a destination for great things. Great food, in fact. It’s the new location of founder and first-time restauranteur Jordan Lee’s intimate modern Singaporean eatery. Inspired by the unpretentious stalls of Singapore’s hawker centres that he would often frequent with this father, and their penchant for big, homey flavours, Jom brings Singaporean local comforts and traditional recipes to Hong Kong with a small menu of 30 familiar favourites including, chilli crab, Hainanese chicken rice and a laksa made from scratch. The dishes are all served with homemade sambal, also available for purchase.
Jom, G/F, 7 Tai Wong Street East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, +852 6426 3084
BIFTECK
In BIFTECK’s iteration of French-Japanese, the focus is on a slab of steak. It brands itself as a steakhouse, but not like the ones you’ve frequented on Sundays. Sourcing premium cuts from around the globe, including Japan, the USA, Belgium and Australia, each dish is meticulously prepared to showcase the cuts in their best, most delicious form. It’s a menu designed by executive chef Ken Kwok, previously of Michelin-star VEA, Ciak, Beefbar and Wagyu Takumi, and extensively fluent in the nuances of Japanese, Italian and French fine-dining. On the menu designed especially to inspire and invigorate, chef Ken hopes that his dishes will “challenge pre-conceptions with interesting flavours never tasted before. That includes: a fine, limited-serve Japanese A5 Snow-Aged Wagyu Beef, aged in an icy 1-2 degrees with ancient “yukimuro” technique to elevate the rich and mellow profile; porcini-crusted Dry-Aged 35-Days Belgium Sirloin drizzled in chimichurri; and braised USDA Prime Short Rib with Japanese crispy rice in Mapo Tofu sauce.
BIFTECK, 23/F, QRE Plaza, 202 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, +852 2246 8805
Little Napoli
If the corner slice spot on your street is getting a little tired, we’ve got good news for you: There’s a new pizza place in town! Little Napoli, ideated and helmed by chef Gavino Pilo, tosses up authentic Neapolitan pies just like the ones in chef’s hometown. You know: soggy centre, airy, chewy bits, a pie that should only be sliced with scissors (that come with each order!) and enjoyed folded lengthwise to maintain the puff in the crust. Each pizza is hand-made and fired-up in a hand-built brick oven for 90 seconds before it emerges with a perfectly charred, beautifully spotted crust. There’s the classic Margherita and Diavola, topped with salami and chilli flakes, but for something special, go for the Vesuviana, named after the active volcano on the Campania plain, and made with Italian fennel sausage, turnip, Agerola mozzarella, Pecorino Romano and chilli flakes — a flavour “explosion”, as they describe it here.
Little Napoli, G/F, 8 King Kwong Street, Happy Valley, Hong Kong, +852 6882 1823
ToriHachi
Needless to say, most are probably familiar with the premise of traditional Japanese yakitori: rich saucy skewers flipped upon a charcoal grill, best enjoyed elbow-to-elbow with loud, raucous crowds at the open-plan bar. At ToriHachi, this scene runs a little differently with light-wood panelling and sleek grey interiors that feel more like a contemporary tatami room that soothes, relaxes and coaxes as you savour each mouthful. But, fortunately, the menu is a honest selection of yakitori favourites: Tsukune, a chicken meatball dressed in a tangy Hollandaise sauce; crunchy chicken skin topped with a crisp layer of Hokkaido Tokachi cheese; sweet corn tempura; and the authentic yakitori experience of chicken served from head to tail. Sure enough, the menu also features riffs on yakitori classics: The sea urchin French toast, is one, and the Tuna Mille-Feuille, a seven-layer salad with salmon roe, grapefruit soy, avocado, scallion mascarpone, spring onion, minced tuna and quinoa, is a delicious other.
ToriHachi, Shop G03, K11 Atelier, 728 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong, +852 3563 8532
New locations:
- city’super launches new grab-and-go brand city’super EKI with the first convenience store now open in Admiralty station. EKI, translating to “station” in Japanese, offers an easy selection of fresh produce, exclusive city’super takeaway meals, fresh-baked breads and variation of snacks and drinks.
- If you see snaking queues around Tsim Sha Tsui’s Hankow Road, you’re probably near the third location of Bakehouse, which has opened a new home to serve master baker Grégoire Michaud‘s iconic sourdough egg tarts and artisanal bread to the other side of the island.
Header image courtesy of Auntie AYĪ
Lorria Sahmet
Editor
After two years writing in luxury retail, Lorria now covers food and drink happenings in Hong Kong. When not taste-testing for the best fries in the city (shoestring, always!), find her at home obsessing over tableware and attempting a fruit garden on her tiny bay window. She is happiest by the ocean with a giant fishbowl-glass of Aperol Spritz.
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