Bibo
Street art meets French fine dining at Bibo. This pioneering project sees installations and collections from the likes of renowned contemporary and street artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and Damien Hirst. Chef Mutaro Balde reimagines classic French dishes, whilst master mixologist Alexandre Chatté shakes up vintage tipples behind the bar. Part restaurant, part bohemian bar, part contemporary gallery space – expect to dine and drink in style in a bohemian bistro setting. Read our full review in next month’s issue.
163 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, 2956 3188
Fu Lu Shou
This hip little restaurant and bar, hidden on the rooftop of an old building on Hollywood Road, serves up delicious western chinese dishes and cocktails. The funky furnishings include a ‘mahjong’ covered bar, street art on the walls and mis-matched Chinese crockery. It’s the perfect setting for a casual and fun dinner or even just for drinks while lounging outside on the roof-top terrace. The bar snacks are pretty good too! Read our full review in next month’s issue.
7/F, 31 Hollywood Road, Central, 2336 8812
Nur
A modern dream of a restaurant that incorporates lush flavours with a nutritious ideology. The food is well thought out and exquisitely executed. A 30-ingredient salad, 8-day fermented jasmine kombucha, slow poached Taiyorun eggs, home grown Hong Kong heirloom tomatoes and home cultured cream atop fresh salmon, the Nordic-inspired flavours offer proper fuel for the body and a complete delight for the tongue. An open and interactive kitchen, large balcony and light airy space with a mixture of nutritional science, impressive culinary techniques and a love of great food puts Nur in our top list.
3/F, 1 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, 2871 9993
Mama San
Set in the heart of central and brought to you by award-winning chef and street food enthusiast chef Will Meyrick, the restaurant, like its older sister in Bali, offers an impressive menu of South East Asian dishes and a whole host of delicious cocktails at reasonable prices. The colonial-esque, Balinese inspired décor creates a relaxed atmosphere and is ideal for a meal for two or more. Stay tuned for a full review.
1/F, 46 Wyndham Street, Central, 2881 8901
Ping Pong 129 Gintonería
This gin joint is hidden behind an innocuous red door on a silent street in Sai Ying Pun and is where you’ll find all the trilby wearing cool cats sipping their spirits and oozing with in-the-knowness. The drinks menu is heavy with gin-based cocktails, hand chiselled ice cubes and various edible accoutrements. The former ping pong club is blessed with mercifully high ceilings and plenty of nooks and crannies that provide pockets of space even when it’s packed to the rafters with Hong Kong hipsters.
129 Second Street, Nam Cheong Hse, Sai Ying Pun, 9158 1584
Thirty Eight
Traditional Kyoto kaiseki. One of the most difficult cuisines to replicate in the world, and as far as we know, the new and very exclusive Thirty Eight hidden away in The Gramercy, is the only place doing it authentically outside of Japan. And they do it very well. With only three rooms (and a total capacity for only 20 guests), a meal here doesn’t come cheap, nor should it with their level of consideration to authenticity. Read our full review in next month’s issue.
Cocotte
Opened by two French brothers, Cocotte is an elegant and sophisticated neighbourhood French restaurant set in a quiet location in Sheung Wan. Lavish wallpaper adorns the walls, while luxurious velvet banquette-style seats provide very comfortable seating. With its delicious food, quaint setting and modern French feel, it’s an ideal spot if you want to escape the crowds in Soho. Read our full review in next month’s issue.
9 Shin Hing St, Central, 2568 8857
Missy Ho
Hidden behind a big black door on a tiny road in Kennedy Town, when entering Missy Ho’s, you get the feeling that you’re being let in on a little secret, although probably not for long knowing Hong Kong. The décor is an eclectic mix between old and new elements such as traditional chinese pottery, floral wallpaper, graffiti and birdcages. But the best part – the dress up box and the industrial style swing. Need we say more? Ok, we hear the food is great too.
Shop G9, G/F, Sincere Western House, 48 Forbes Street, Kennedy Town, 2817 3808
Sushi To
Harlan Goldstein’s first contemporary Japanese restaurant promises Harlan’s signature creativity and flair, with dishes on offer such as funky maki rolls and creative nigiri sushi. With breath-taking harbour views from the 29th floor of the Soundwill Plaza II Midtown, Harlan G’s unusual flavours and playful take on a favourite Hong Kong cuisine guarantees that this will be one of the new ‘it’ restaurants in town. Stay tuned for a full review.
29/F, Soundwill Plaza II Midtown, 1-29 Tung Lung Street, Causeway Bay
Aberdeen Street Social
Jason Atherton and Yenn Wong have teamed up once again to open a restaurant in the newly rejuvenated PMQ cultural building. With the success behind each of their individual ventures (think 208 Duecento Otto, 22 Ships, Duddell’s, Ham & Sherry and CHACHAWAN), we have high expectations. Due to open on 22 May, expect true-to Jason-Atherton-style modern British cuisine in a very social setting. Stay tuned for a full review.
PMQ, 35 Aberdeen Street, Central
Check-In Taipei
Some of us here at Foodie get a weird thrill from poking Onsen eggs just to watch the yoke lava burst from the thin pocket and crawl into every crevice of the layer beneath. If this sounds like you, then Check-In Taipei is the restaurant for you with signature dishes ranging from Mushroom Forest (a panoply of four types of mushrooms capped with an Onsen egg) to C.I.T. (short for the restaurant name) Noodles, which is a pasta-form of the traditional Taiwanese braised pork rice with, you guessed it, an Onsen egg. Stay tuned for a full review.
27 Hollywood Road, Central, 2351 2622
Ho Lee Fook
Ho lee what?! Chef Jowett Yu, of Sydney’s uber-cool restaurants Mr. Wong and Ms. G’s, is opening his first Asian venture in Soho this month The restaurant, named Ho Lee Fook, meaning “good fortune for your mouth,”will feature Yu’s reinterpretation of classic Chinese flavours served in a funky and modern setting. His menu will include Yunnan-style steak tartare with hot and sour sauce, fried Brussels sprouts with cauliflower and bacon chili jam, raw Hokkaido scallop with snow peas, pickled enoki and fish fragrant dressing and clams cooked in pork broth with fennel. Due to open later this month. Stay tuned for a full review.
1 Elgin Street, Soho, 2810 0860
The Penthouse
Harlan G has been busy! This is his second restaurant to open in Causeway Bay’s Soundwill Plaza II Midtown this month.The New York loft-style restaurant, The Penthouse, is the fourth restaurant in Harlan G’s growing culinary empire and sounds impressive in every way. From its size (6,800 sq ft interior plus 5,000 sq ft rooftop) to its capacity (100 for lunch or dinner, and 180 for cocktails), from the stylish urban-rustic interior design to its panoramic harbour views, from its extensive menu of contemporary Western cuisine to its wine and cocktail menu – we certainly have high hopes. Due to open on 22 May. Stay tuned for a full review.
30/F, Soundwill Plaza II Midtown, 1-29 Tung Lung Street, Causeway Bay, 2970 0828
