Restaurants & Cafés

When it comes to rooftop spaces in this city, the widely accepted rule is if you've got it, flaunt it. That’s what The Murray hotel does with Popinjays, the crowning gem of its F&B portfolio. Accessible by a private elevator, the penthouse venue has a bar on one side and the restaurant on the other. It's encased in floor-to-ceiling windows with a wraparound terrace that looks out in all directions to surrounding high-rises. While the acoustics could use some improvement – right now, it's difficult to hear the staff, even if they’re standing tableside – the space is a stunner, a cool blend of class and playfulness, with plenty of Kaws artwork to embellish the walls. This showiness is apt for a restaurant that derives its name from the old-fashioned term for a parrot. Expect plenty of fowl language here, beginning with the 'aviary' cocktail selection where the Pecking Order ($130) roosts. Made with tom yum-infused Nusa Caña rum with yuzu, elderflower, lime and mint soda, it's extremely drinkable with its candy-like sourness and just a slight touch of heat. In terms of food, there's the Birds of a Feather sharing menu ($990 per person) served on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as a four or six-course degustation option ($980-$1,280) on Tuesdays to Thursdays. Deciding to fly in a different direction, we order à la carte, starting with the Hokkaido scallop and sea urchin carpaccio ($260). It's a disappointing opener, the mollusc being thick and creamy but lacking any sweetness. M

Since opening to the public at the end of last month, Tai Kwun has been hailed as a major success for Hong Kong’s art and culture community. But aside from the exhibitions, film screenings and theatre performances hosted within its historic walls, the former Central Police Station compound has also given us something else: a score of hip and sophisticated restaurants, among which stands Old Bailey.The latest restaurant by JIA Group (also responsible for the likes of Rhoda, Duddell’s and Tai Kwun's jail-cell watering hole, Behind Bars, among others), Old Bailey boasts the kind of bright and airy roominess and stunning skyscraper views elusive to many space-starved, ground-level eateries in Soho. The 3,000sq ft space is a polished, contemporary take on mid-century modern, punctuated in the right places with tasteful pieces of furniture inspired by the Ming Dynasty. In the bar and lounge area, guests can enjoy speciality brews and cakes by Teakha throughout the day, while the main dining room serves as the backdrop for Old Bailey’s Jiangnan menu.Dishes are based on traditional recipes, such as the homemade handkerchief pasta ($148), which is inspired by a rustic village dish. More like thin, floury pancakes, this ‘pasta’ is pan-fried until chewy, golden and blistered, and coarsely chopped and served with seasonal greens – brilliantly crisp, jade-green bok choy on the night that we visit. It’s surprisingly satisfying for something so simple. Another winner is the tea smoked pigeo

It’s been a busy few months for local restaurant group Global Link. After bringing Tokyo’s three-Michelin-starred Sushi Saito to our shores in March, the F&B team recently launched the first overseas outpost of Yakiniku Jumbo – a grilled meats institute with more than 30 years of history in Tokyo. Located in a prime spot close to the Central–Mid-Levels escalator, the Hong Kong venue is simple and sophisticated, dressed in blacks and natural woods in an understated manner. In this comfortable space, which seats about 50, guests can enjoy some of the finest grades of wagyu, sourced from all across Japan. The meat is flown in daily from Jumbo’s Tokyo store, chilled and never frozen, to ensure minimal changes to flavour, freshness and texture. During the early stages of its opening, Yakiniku Jumbo only offers omakase for dinner ($1,280). On the night of our visit, this nine-courser begins with a beef yukke. Made with raw meat from the inner thigh and dressed in tare, it’s a simple but thoroughly satisfying way to start the meal. We also try the wagyu nigiri, featuring a slice seared ever-so-slightly so that the fat melts into the rice below. Another highlight is the sextet of grilled wagyu rare cuts. They’re all hand-sliced by Jumbo’s experienced chefs, who ensure that every piece that makes it to the grill boasts just the right amount of marbling without being too fatty or sinewy. Every cut boasts its own distinct texture and flavour profile. The kalbi is rich while the zabuto

Since its establishment in 2003 by a group of female entrepreneurs, Nara Thai has grown into a popular brand that operates six outlets in Bangkok alone. Last month, it added Hong Kong to its list of locations with an outpost in Sha Tin’s New Town Plaza. The menu is almost identical to the Bangkok locations and focuses on authentic Thai recipes that are designed to comfort. Among these is the Ayuthaya boat noodles ($98) which Nara is well-known for. This comes with an impressive array of meaty trimmings – including sliced beef, beef balls and braised beef shin, as well as deep-fried pork skin to add a welcome crunch – but the broth, which should be the soul of the dish, sadly falls flat. The broth of the tom yum glass noodles ($78) is similarly lacklustre, a tepid affair that’s neither spicy nor sweet. The soup is just as middling when ordered as a standalone tom yum kung ($108) and proves to be a disappointing backdrop to the sweet and succulent shrimp it’s served with. Of all the broth-centric dishes we try, only the rainbow soup rice noodles with fish fillet ($78) passes the grade, featuring a bright and balanced pink-coloured base that’s made by slow-cooking fish bones with red vinegar.Moving away from the brothier side of things, other offerings at Nara fare much better. We try the carpaccio-style prawns ($118), which are firm-fleshed and served with a sweet and spicy dressing that packs plenty of heat. We also recommend the soft shell crab with yellow curry ($188), which