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Maison Eight's lamb rack
© Calvin Sit

Hong Kong restaurant reviews

The newest restaurants and cafés reviewed anonymously by our critics

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  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Japanese
  • Wan Chai

Who would have thought that a shop bearing the name ‘electric company’ (路易奇電力公司) would actually be a yakiniku restaurant from Taiwan? Yakiniku Luigi is one of Taiwan’s top 10 Japanese yakiniku restaurants. It was established by Leo Wu Jun-jie, founder of hospitality group Luigi Restaurant Company, known for eateries such as The Other Floor by Luigi and Luigi’s Laundry Company. Currently, the yakiniku restaurant boasts more than 10 branches across Taiwan, each venue renowned for its high quality Japanese A5 wagyu offerings. Luigi’s first overseas branch is located in Wan Chai along Lockhart Road. The restaurant features a minimalist industrial design with a grey and white colour scheme.. With seating for just 28 diners, the venue provides ample space, including an open kitchen where diners can observe Luigi’s skilled staff expertly slicing cuts of meat by hand. We visited Luigi for dinner on a weekday, and there weren’t many guests dining at the restaurant, so we were able to comfortably enjoy our meal on a spacious table. Luigi’s menu is spread across two pages, offering diners a choice of three yakiniku sets, with over 80 percent of the selections featuring premium cuts of A5 Wagyu beef directly imported from Japan. The restaurant’s yakiniku sets consist of 10 to 12 courses priced at $958, $1,278, and $1,758, respectively; and Luigi’s adept staff skillfully grill your dishes right at your table. Customers who prefer to enjoy their items without assistance from the staff can

  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Japanese
  • Central

Japan’s curry specialist Caligari has opened their first overseas location in Hong Kong. This Tokyo-based restaurant boasts accolades such as nabbing first place in 2019 and 2023 at the Kanda Curry Grand Prix, an annual event held in Japan to crown the country’s best curry. Currently, the restaurant ranks as one of Japan’s 100 best curry restaurants on Tabelog, one of the country’s most popular restaurant apps.  Caligari’s Hong Kong outpost is located in a bustling area in Central but the restaurant is tucked away in an inconspicuous corner of the Entertainment Building, creating a comforting environment to enjoy your food. The restaurant has an understated white interior, complemented by accents from dark wooden furniture and fixtures. I visited Caligari at noon on a Saturday and to my surprise, there were only a few customers dining at the restaurant. Differentiating itself from other curry restaurants in Japan, Caligari uses a unique blend of spices like fennel, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, as well as mustard seeds to add depth in their curries. By simmering their curries at high pressure and temperatures for eight to 12 hours, the restaurant achieves distinctly rich flavours. Customers can opt for rice sets served with Caligari’s signature curry – a harmonious blend of chicken and pork cooked down with coconut milk to render subtle flavours – or the premium spices curry – a velvety sauce that contains a dash of coconut milk and the natural essences of the

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  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Korean
  • Tsim Sha Tsui

Popular Incheon-based cafe, Sips;;lban, has opened its first location in Hong Kong at Harbour City. Pronounced as sip-sil-bahn, the cafe gets its name from the Korean idiom which literally translates to ‘ten spoons, one rice’. Referring to how ten spoons of rice make up a whole bowl of rice, the idiom alludes to how every bit of effort counts to get something done. The cafe’s venue is decorated with retro-inspired furniture and incorporates beachy elements to create a relaxing atmosphere, making it an ideal spot to kick back and grab a meal with your friends. We visited Sips;;lban at noon on a weekend, which to our surprise wasn’t completely full, and we were able to get a table in a photogenic corner. This Korean cafe is well known for their cakes and bingsu (Korean shaved ice), but their menu also offers a variety of savoury dishes too. We begin with a range of appetisers and entrees, such as the sous-vide chicken thigh salad ($92) which came in a generous portion. The whole chicken thigh was tender and flavourful, and the salad came mixed beforehand in a vinaigrette, making for fuss-free eating. Sips;;lban has four gimbap (rice with various ingredients, wrapped in dried seaweed) variations on their menu, and we opt for the recommended option which was the beef gimbap ($88). Aside from being filled to the brim with eight kinds of ingredients like carrots, pickled radish, as well as beef; we like how delicate these gimbap tasted. For more filling options, be sure to try out

  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Filipino
  • Sheung Wan

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Time Out Hong Kong (@timeouthk) Dara – meaning ‘auntie’ in Kapampangan (one of the eight major languages of the Philippines) and spoken primarily in the entire province of Pampanga – is a family-run business and is named after the restaurant’s executive chef and founder Imelda Bunoan, also known as Darang Mel (Auntie Mel). The modern Filipino restaurant originally opened in late 2022 within Art Lane in Sai Ying Pun; but has recently moved to a bigger location across the neighbourhood. The restaurant is tucked behind La Paloma and a stone’s throw from Call Me Al, so keep your eyes peeled if you’re trying to find their venue. The new venue buzzes with activity and exudes a lively atmosphere. Dara has kept the same colour scheme, furniture, and decor from its previous location; such as the arch design in their bar display, rattan and wooden fixtures, and hanging light bulbs. Aside from boasting a space that’s four times bigger than their previous venue, the new space features high ceilings, a large bar table that stretches as far as the eye can see, and a soon-to-open karaoke and billiards room that will be fully operational by January. It's an expansive space that's a rare find on this side of town.Since their move to the new location, Dara has expanded their menu to provide more affordable and filling Pinoy classics. Feeling hungry, we start off by tearing into a portion of homemade pandesal – a traditional bread roll – ($58) wh

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  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Contemporary Global
  • Sai Ying Pun

Click below for a sneak peek of their offerings:  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Time Out Hong Kong (@timeouthk) Despite the challenges of Hong Kong’s competitive dining scene, determined chefs continue to open new venues that sate the unwavering appetite of the city’s food lovers. Chefs like Gavin Chin exemplify the drive and courage to embrace the challenge of our city’s  ever-changing culinary landscape. Patrons may know this young chef from the neighbourhood French wine-bar Brut! His new restaurant, House of Culture, which has been almost a year in the making, is finally serving patrons in Sai Ying Pun, a good five minutes walk from his former kitchen. Despite being inconspicuously tucked among bamboo scaffolding, the space’s impression of unfinished construction does not deter patrons, as evidenced by occupied tables on a Saturday night.  The term ‘house of culture’ implies a space that highlights diverse cultural expressions. As you walk into the restaurant, the word ‘Culture’ debossed on the wall serves to reinforce this concept. If you are unaware of chef Gavin's Australian roots and his culinary experiences, it is hard to find the anchor of the concept just based on the restaurant’s interior – it’s not immediately apparent what culinary adventure awaits. The muted apricot and salmon colour palette may remind you of a Saharan desert-inspired setting. But, upon closer inspection, the textured wall with flickering light blue lights rese

  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Singaporean
  • Mong Kok

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Time Out Hong Kong (@timeouthk) Mong Kok is a bustling neighbourhood brimming with affordable dining options that will refuel your energy before you head back out to shop till you drop. Adding to the neighbourhood’s roster of restaurants is Singaporean-Malay restaurant Shiok Restaurant by Atum Group, proprietors of Japanese restaurant Hearth Yakiniku and hotpot venue Suppa. ​​The name ‘Shiok’ translates to ‘very enjoyable’ or ‘good’ in Singlish, which captures the vibe of this casual dining spot located in one of Mong Kok’s shopping malls, The Forest. We arrived at the restaurant on a Tuesday evening and the space was fairly empty. Unfortunately, despite being situated along Sneaker Street in Mong Kok, a popular area frequented by locals and tourists for sneakers and sportswear, the restaurant's inconspicuous location within the mall is not attracting a large crowd.The restaurant’s retro-inspired interior is inviting and features eye-catching decor, which includes colourful posters, decorative displays, as well as bright neon signs. Since it was partially open to the mall, our dining experience was slightly disrupted by the overlapping music from both the mall and the restaurant. Shiok’s menu provides a decent selection of Southeast Asian dishes at affordable prices. We start with a portion of the coffee pork ribs ($98) which are caramelised and sticky, but the meat is slightly dry. We also order the fried chicken skin rolls ($

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  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Vietnamese
  • Soho

If you’ve ever been on Peel Street, chances are you’ve most likely passed by Chôm Chôm. Like most venues on this dynamic street, you’ll most likely find a crowd of people at Chôm Chôm spilt out onto the pavement as they sip on cocktails and Vietnamese beer. This resto-bar has been an integral part of Soho’s bustling neighbourhood since 2013, but briefly closed its doors during the summer. After their short break, the Vietnamese eatery is back and ready to host diners and drinkers alike. Previous patrons of Chôm Chôm are familiar with the outdoor seating area, where you’ll find drink crates turned into makeshift stools and tables, as well as plastic chairs that would fill up their front entrance. While it isn’t the most glamorous seating arrangement, it added to Chôm Chôm’s character and paid homage to casual streetside eateries that you would see in Vietnam. Following their summer break, the restaurant has renovated its outdoor space to have two large benches built into the front entrance, but we suspect Chôm Chôm will bust out the plastic chairs once again when the time comes. Chôm Chôm doesn’t offer reservations, so be sure to arrive early, as this spot fills up quickly. Despite visiting on a busy Thursday evening, we were able to grab our seats right by the bar, which provided us with a clear view of Chôm Chôm’s kitchen. Chôm Chôm’s atmosphere was lively and full of energy, but the raucousness made it difficult to have a conversation at a normal volume. Nevertheless, the s

  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Bars and pubs
  • Central

Updated, October 27, 2023: Along with The Dispensary’s team, Aqua Restaurant Group’s beverage director, Lorenzo Coppola, has created a series of cocktails inspired by Eastern and Western natural remedies. The menu is presented in a reimagined apothecary box, and guests are invited to open each cabinet to find hand-drawn pictures of their desired cocktails. Aside from using ingredients inspired by natural remedies, The Dispensary’s latest drinks also incorporate presentation elements that pay tribute to the concept. For instance, the spicy chilli haw margarita ($148) is served in a can designed to resemble haw flakes, a nostalgic treat for many Hongkongers that is often enjoyed with bitter herbal medicine. Another notable creation is the eucalyptus martini ($128), which draws inspiration from Ricqules’ peppermint cure. This cocktail features Tanqueray No.10 Gin, grappa, Mancino Bianco, and lemon bitters, all mixed with fresh aromatic eucalyptus to recreate the refreshing sensation of peppermint.  Old review, November 22, 2018: Contrasting details are a deliberate feature of Tai Kwun. It’s why the Victorian era Barrack Block sits a stone’s throw from the 21st-century JC Contemporary building and stark colour schemes are employed to help guests navigate the different sections of the site. It’s a theme that extends to the various bars and restaurants operating there, too. Nowhere is this more apparent than at The Dispensary. Not only is it resolutely traditional in comparison to

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  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Restaurants
  • Italian
  • Taikoo Shing

Over the last few years, celebrity chef Ken Lau, from local food and beverage group Lubuds with over three decades of culinary experience, has consistently opened several restaurants. These include the French fusion venue Pano in West Kowloon, the Italian fine dining restaurant Palco Ristorante, and the Italian-Japanese fusion eatery Pleka. Joining this collection of sister restaurants is Penna, a homestyle Italian restaurant that offers a warm and comforting environment in Tai Koo's Cityplaza.We had made a reservation for an early dinner at Penna on a Sunday evening. Fortunately, there weren’t many customers, so we were able to enjoy our meal comfortably. Penna’s menu is concise and offers a decent selection of appetizers, snacks, side dishes, soups, pastas, risottos, meat and seafood dishes, desserts, and plenty of authentic Italian delicacies. Before placing our order, a waiter brought us a plate of Italian crispy flatbreads, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. For starters, we decided to try the deep-fried beef tripe ($118), which is braised before coated in an ultra-thin batter and fried until it turns golden brown. The fried tripe has a subtle aromatic flavour that pairs wonderfully with Penna’s homemade tartare sauce. After that, we ordered a portion of Italian escargot ($98 for six pieces), generously coated in garlic, onions, herbs, butter, and brandy before being baked. The escargots were delightfully chewy and full of flavour; we couldn’t help but order a portion of b

  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Bars and pubs
  • Cocktail bars
  • Central

Watch the video below for a sneak preview of the place: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Time Out Hong Kong (@timeouthk) Over the years, we’ve sadly witnessed many of our beloved watering holes shutting their doors. Blame it on the pesky pandemic and the struggles of being cut off from the rest of the world. For others, it’s the eternal battle with Hong Kong landlords. Even 001, Hong Kong’s very first hidden bar, serving the city’s thirsty souls since 2010, couldn’t escape this destiny. In 2022, it closed its inconspicuous Graham Street market location as they face the end of their lease.  A year after, the beloved speakeasy-style is back and better than ever. This time, they’ve ditched the underground scene and settled themselves above the historic Tai Kwun. Quite a fitting venue for such an iconic establishment. And just like its previous location, finding the entrance to the bar has always been a thrilling part of the drinking adventure. You’ll find yourself puzzled, scratching your head as you navigate the labyrinthine network of stairs and corridors within Tai Kwun in search of its elusive door. The doors have the exact same colour and composition as the old Tai Kwun prison. We were so perplexed that we even attempted to pull one of the original prison doors, mistakenly thinking it was entry to 001. The only distinguishing feature of their entrance is its distinctive vintage doorbell, similar to the one at the former Graham Street site. Simp

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