Dorothy So

Pancakes are no longer confined to the breakfast table. These batter-made rounds have received a boost in popularity in recent years with fluffy, souffle stacks being especially trendy. Originally from Japan but now just as big in Hong Kong, these airy pancakes range from the oh-so-fluffy variety to denser, tight-crumbed types that are more like cake. Just like regular pancakes, you can enjoy them with a simple drizzle of syrup and pat of butter, or you can load them up with everything from fresh fruits to chocolate sauce and homemade granola. If all this talk of pancakes has got you craving some, here are the best places to get your fix.RECOMMENDED: Indulge your sweet tooth on the best cookies in Hong Kong

Throwing a private dinner party is a great way to celebrate a special occasion or simply to enjoy some quality time with your loved ones over good food and drinks. It’s also a great way to avoid any rowdy crowds, especially during the holiday season. But if you don’t have the space to host the dinner party of your dreams at home, or if you lack the culinary prowess or the dedication to face the clean-up work afterwards, there are a lot of great restaurants in town that will happily take care of the heavy lifting for you. From a secret venue hidden inside a hotel kitchen to a Southside restaurant that serves wonderful homemade pastas and Italian fare, the places below are great choices for private dining functions that you and your guests are sure to remember.RECOMMENDED: Looking for even more great dining options? Check out the best restaurants in Hong Kong and also the best places for claypot rice.

Looking for a present for the foodie in your life? You’ve come to the right place. With the holidays just around the corner, show your love for your favourite epicurean with these delicious gifts, from a bottle of gin inspired by the flavours of Hong Kong to a box of hefty, chewy cookies that would make Santa Jolly. If you’re looking for even more gift-giving inspiration, be sure to scroll through our ultimate gift guide this year, as well as festive decorations that double as great presents.RECOMMENDED: Feeling hungry yourself? Then let the feasting begin at these awesome places for Christmas lunch or dinner.

After years of anticipation, the former Central Police Station Compound on Hollywood Road has reopened as Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Arts. Aside from getting history buffs and culture vultures excited, the complex has also garnered a lot of attention from foodie circles, thanks to its exciting line-up of F&B options. From stunningly gorgeous bars like Dragonfly Hong Kong and Behind Bars to top-notch fine dining joints like Sushi Zo and Aaharn as well as down to earth fusion eateries like Old Bailey, here are the best restaurants and bars to pay attention to when you visit Tai Kwun. By Dorothy So and Elaine LokRECOMMENDED: Want to do some shopping while you’re there? Check out our guide to the best stores in Tai Kwun.

提起印度菜，除了大家熟悉的南印度咖喱和菠菜芝士之外，還有一種印度鄰近地區的南亞風味你又認識嗎？這種結集來自不同南亞地域之氣候和文化所孕育出來的美食，從尼泊爾餃子到斯里蘭卡參巴醬，香料配搭百變多元化，為你帶來一場刺激的味覺之旅。鍾情日本菜的話，請看我們的最佳日本料理餐廳推介；如果想試新餐廳的話，一定不可錯過每月最佳新餐廳推介。

Hong Kong is no stranger to Indian cuisine but beyond vindaloos and saag paneers, there’s also a whole subcontinent of foods and flavours that deserve our attention. This vast expanse, also known as South Asia, encompasses a wide range of climates and cultures, and the food in one region can taste worlds apart from that in another. From momos from Nepal to spicy sambols from Sri Lanka, get a taste of the rich history, spices and dishes of the Indian subcontinent at these fine restaurants.

The best bars in Central may grab all the headlines and awards but that doesn’t mean you should neglect going to the other side of the harbour for a tipple or two. From basement bars like Time Park to sky-high venues like Ozone and Aqua Spirit, Tsim Sha Tsui has no shortage of truly great places to enjoy a drink. In this bustling district, you’re bound to find something to satisfy all sippers, whether it’s world-class cocktails at Butler, premium whiskies at Tiffany’s New York Bar or delicious craft beers at the likes of Kowloon Taproom or Zhang Men Brewing Company. Oh, and if you’re just in search for a really good time, there’s even a darts bar. RECOMMENDED: Be sure to check out our Tsim Sha Tsui neigbhourhood guide for the best things to see, eat and do while you’re here.

It’s no secret that we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to food choices in this city. But with so many options, it can be difficult to tell the good from the bad and the ugly. Fortunately, our team of taste-testers here at Time Out Hong Kong are happy to do the leg and stomach work for you. Whether it’s dishes from new restaurants or revamped menus or simply golden oldies that we’ve fallen in love with again, here’s our regularly updated hit list of the best things to chow down on right now. RECOMMENDED: Check out our guide to the best restaurants in Hong Kong for even more delicious eats.

"I love London and I love the views, but this has to be one of the most spectacular views anywhere," Gordon Ramsay says of Hong Kong's skyline. The chef and television personality was in town earlier this week for the grand opening of Maze Grill, his third venture here, after Bread Street Kitchen (which recently closed for relocation) and London House. To celebrate the new opening, we sat with the famously fiery chef for a quick round of 'Would you rather'. Watch the video above to see him answer some of life's toughest questions involving pineapple pizzas, beef wellingtons and the big bad F-word. Ramsay also talked about the new restaurant, which is mirrored after the popular Maze Grill in Mayfair, London, best known for its steaks and sushi – an uncanny combination that somehow works. There are no nigiri and rolls at the Hong Kong venue but, according to the chef, the menu is still about 80 percent identical to the Mayfair location, especially when it comes to its high-quality cuts of beef, which are cooked in the restaurant's Josper grill. The chef also praised the team at the new restaurant. "The chefs here in Hong Kong are bloody good. They’re dedicated, focused and, more importantly, they’re so keen. 80 percent of my brigade here are locals," Ramsay says, adding that the talent here is part of the reason he keeps coming back. Having just launched Maze Grill in Hong Kong, Ramsay is already eyeing his next project, which will open in Macau. Stay tuned for more details.

Hungry for a good deal? Then check out the new elevated set lunch menu at La Table French Brasserie. Available Mondays to Saturdays, the menu features a wide range of classic French dishes, including the all-you-can-eat "The Table" starter option with daily specials such as smoked scallop with caviar and cheese and charcuterie. The set lunch is priced at only $268 for two courses, or $318 for three courses, all inclusive of coffee or tea. What’s more, if you’re already a member of New World Millennium’s Epicure membership programme, you’ll get to enjoy 25 percent off your total lunch bill. If you haven't signed up for this programme yet, you can do so for free here (allow at least a week for your application to be processed). In the meantime, here's a taste of the not-to-be-missed highlights from the new menu.

Being green should be on everyone’s mind, given the lasting impact it has on our planet and future generations. But if going zero-waste sounds like a daunting task, don’t worry because it’s not supposed to be a feat that can be achieved overnight. Instead, look to incorporate simple sustainable habits into your daily routine, the way Malcolm Wood and Xuan Mu have done. Co-founders of Maximal Concepts, the pair recently opened John Anthony, a 7,000 sq ft restaurant that serves contemporary Chinese fare and an impressive selection of gins. More importantly, it's the city's most ambitious sustainably designed restaurant to date. According to Wood and Mu, the basic principles that make their latest opening green are things that can be easily done at home as well. So from using energy-efficient lightbulbs to cutting down on food waste, here are their tips on how to incorporate Earth-saving habits into your everyday lives.

Time Out’s 2018 Chef Showdown served its final course last week at Blue · Butcher & Meat Specialist. Following the inaugural cook-off between chefs Sebastian Comerso and Esther Sham, the second night of the sold-out event saw Mercato By Jean-Georges’ Anthony Burd pitching his seasonal Italian fare against the heritage-inspired, multicultural cuisine of Okra’s Max Levy. Anthony Burd's foie gras croccantino with apple, ginger and pistachio Burd kicked off the dinner with a clean and brightly flavoured starter of foie gras croccantino with apple, ginger and pistachio. Levy followed up with an incredibly umami la rou and dashi matzoh ball soup – a dish inspired by the Jewish cuisine he grew up eating. Both dishes were paired with an Americano cocktail, prepared with Campari. Max Levy's la rou and dashi matzoh ball soup Moving onto main courses, Burd’s herb-crusted monkfish on a delicious four-grain risotto adorned with spring herbs and vegetables won him plenty of votes from the diners. Levy, meanwhile, opted for beef tongue as his main and served the dry-aged cut with fermented daikon and ume mustard. A special negroni prepared by Okra’s bar manager, Sven Selbak, acted as the final element to the dish. Rounding off the meal was a delicious, layered dessert of salted toffee foam atop caramelised banana and a pecan nut cookie. After this five-course tasting menu, the diners made their final decision and selected Anthony Burd as the winning chef. The Mercato chef joins Maison Es

This city’s always had a serious shortage of proper, American-style pies. Fortunately, RJ Asher is ready to rectify this situation. The New York native who moved to Hong Kong three years ago proudly calls himself “the ultimate pie guy” and it’s no lofty claim. His online shop Tai Tai Pie Pies peddles hefty handcrafted pastries the way mama (his, probably not yours) used to make, with deliciously buttery crusts, generously heaped ingredients and – cheesy as it sounds – plenty of love. While Tai Tai Pie Pie's online shop offers well over a dozen sweet and savoury pies, quiches, cakes and cookies, it’s his All-American Apple Pie that deserves extra special mention. Plumped with a whopping ten cups of apples and a delicious five-spice mix, this monster packs enough goodness to fill an entire room with that delectable freshly baked fragrance. Granny Smith is the mainstay in the pie (for that special crunch and tart flavour, Asher explains), but he also blends in four other fruits, including sweet Fuji apples. The nine-inch pie comes in a glass dish, baked fresh on the delivery day with a perfectly crumbly, sweet butter crust. No preservatives, additives or pre-mixes are used anywhere during the entire baking process. Beyond the apple, Tai Tai Pie Pies also do a mean chocolate pecan pie filled and topped with a healthy dose of chopped and whole nuts. The Tai Tai Lime Pie is another popular choice made with sweet graham crust and a tart, citrus-tinged custard filling. On the cake fr

Chullschick 牆身上的壁畫是我們近幾個月在蘇豪區看到最好的一幅。這不僅僅是因為它夠熱鬧──其中一部分畫有戴着黑超和假髮的草泥馬，也正代表着身兼廚師和老闆 Abel Ortiz Alvarez 對其家鄉秘魯的熱愛之情。晚上走進中環嘉咸街上的 Chullschick，小店內的電視熒幕正播放着世界旅遊節目──先是連綿起伏的山丘，然後就是美食，其中包括秘魯最受歡迎的一些菜餚。 這裏主打 pollo a la brasa，源自50年代瑞士商人在利馬販賣的一種烤雞，後來輾轉傳到秘魯，將它發揚光大。Pollo a la brasa 的傳統做法是用鹽水醃泡；但老闆 Abel 會先以黑啤酒、迷迭香、小茴香等香料醃製兩日，再放進大型烤爐烤至外皮焦香，肉質仍然嫩滑多汁，雞肉剛好熟透，好輕易便能將它起骨拆肉。美中不足的是，啤酒醃料略嫌醃得不夠入味，若能塗上一層秘魯辣椒醬來增添風味，應更美味。Pollo a la brasa 可選1/4隻（$88）、半隻（$138）及全隻（$268），提供多款配菜選擇，例如清新沙律或滋味的椰菜絲沙律。 當然，這裏還提供其他秘魯菜式，如秘魯名物酸汁生漬魚（$78），鮮美的海鱸魚肉粒混合了青檸汁、鹽和秘魯粟米粒等，清新開胃，味道極佳。又如 salchipapa （$68）源自哥倫比亞的街頭小食香腸薯條，但在利馬和其他南美城市都非常受歡迎。儘管這只是一碟其貌不揚的香腸和炸薯條，淋上番茄醬和松露蛋黃醬（後者是Alvarez 的版本），卻是一種奇妙得不能言喻的 comfort food。跟城中的某些裝潢華麗的拉丁美洲餐廳不同，來 Chullschic 你會感受到一種家的感覺，輕鬆格局、友善熱情的服務。雖然某些地方仍有侍改進，如我們在點菜時需要多番重覆，店員才能正確下單，但整體的用餐氛圍還是不錯呢！

The artwork that adorns the walls of Chullschick is some of the best we’ve seen in Soho in recent months. It’s not just because it’s hilarious (one part features a llama sporting a wig and sunglasses), but because it literally illustrates chef-owner Abel Ortiz Alvarez’s love for his home country of Peru. On the night we visit the restaurant, a small outfit on the upper stretch of Graham Street, the television is tuned into a travel doc featuring the rolling hills of the country. And then there’s the food, which includes some of the most popular dishes eaten in Peru. The main sell here is the pollo a la brasa, a style of rotisserie chicken that was created by a Swiss businessman in Lima in the 1950s and has since become so popular in Peru, it even has a day named after it. The original recipe uses a saltwater marinade known as salamuera. At Chullschick, Alvera puts his own spin on the bird by bathing it for two days in a mix of dark beer, herbs and spices. The chicken is then cooked in a custom rotisserie until the skin crisps up and blackens in parts. The meat, meanwhile, remains luscious and tender and pulls clean off the bone in the manner that only really well-cooked meat can accomplish. It’s a shame then that the flavours from the beer-based marinade don’t penetrate deep enough into the flesh, although the disappointment is easily rectified with a smear of aji amarillo sauce. The portion you order – quarter for $88, half for $138 or whole for $268 – dictates the number

中環古蹟活化項目大館自上月落成，已成為本地文化藝術的新焦點，遊人除了可在法定古蹟──前中區警署索本地歷史，欣賞多姿多采的文藝展覽活動之外，當中的餐飲食事也不少，奧卑利是其中之一。奧卑利是JIA Group 旗下最新的餐廳（集團餐廳包括 Rhoda、都爹利會館以及以昔日囚室為主題的酒吧 Behind Bars）。餐廳佔地3000平方呎，設計開揚簡潔，富現代氣息，配上訂製的仿明大椅，予人雅致閒逸之感。相比蘇豪同區的地下食肆，這裏能飽覽大館庭院的別致景色，景觀迷人。進入餐廳前是小小的舒適酒廊區，食客可整天在這裏享用由茶・家特別炮製的飲品和蛋糕，而主餐廳則只提供江南菜式。 食物方面，以江南傳統菜式為主，如家鄉有機時菜炒麵皮（$148），一道老江南人的地道家常菜，與其說是「麵」，它比較像薄薄的班戟，師傅將自家製的麵皮煎得焦香柔韌，再跟切段的有機小棠菜兜炒，簡單而美味，令人一試難忘。另一道必試的是龍井茶皇燻乳鴿 （$188 ），上桌時有雀籠蓋着，打開即有散發撲鼻杭州龍井茶香；這款頂鴿味道濃郁，鴿肉柔嫩，煙燻過後，味道更滋味。此外，大家也可以試試這裏的慢煮安格斯牛方（$298），用上美國頂級安格斯牛肉，牛肉以檸檬葉醃製，再慢煮三小時，牛味香濃、入口鬆軟，伴以自家製的蝴蝶餅，蘸上肉汁，味道更顯不同。 餐廳行政總廚黃君民師傅不斷跟團隊重新演繹傳統的江南菜，像麻辣黑豚肉小籠包（$98/4個）是師傅的另一傑作，也是整晚的亮點。紅彤彤的外表，內餡是用香料醃味的日本黑豚肉，加入四川花椒，咬下又香又麻，湯汁豐盈，十分過癮。至於蜜汁烤雙方，師傅嚴選36個月的金華火腿，切片並加入桂花糖蜜蒸煮，再與香脆的腐皮一同夾入蒸包，鹹中有甜，好吃是好吃，但細細一口大小的「DIY三文治」，卻盛惠$68/件（兩件起）。接着也嚐了獅子頭，這裏有兩個做法，一是紅燒，二是清燉，兩者也是用法國有機豬肉及肥肉剁成肉泥；師傅推介清燉版，加入了鮮拆蟹粉再搓成肉丸──一顆只比哥爾夫球大一點點的獅子頭，肉質雖然細嫩，但口感單調，味道欠層次， 以$198 的價錢來說，實在有點失望。 餐牌上有近百道菜式，有驚喜、有失望，叫人難以預計。幸好最後一道蟹粉拌麵（$138）也不俗，一人份的手打麵，份量足夠兩人吃，麵條口感煙韌，充分吸收葱油香味，拌以豐腴的蟹粉享用，滋味滿滿。                                                    

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

Offering the kind of fare seen on the streets of Penang or Malacca, Rempah Noodles is a noodle bar with plenty of taste. Fronted by full-length windows, the stark white space boasts only a handful of black stools, some clustered around a central marble table while others are designed as counter seating around the room and its open kitchen. Gorgeous fresh flowers grace the dining surfaces, which are also stacked with coffee table tomes penned by Southeast Asian authors. Among Kevin Kwan’s Rich People Problems and Sharon Wee’s Nonyan cookbook, you’ll find the restaurant’s menu – a single sheet of paper listing a scant few items. Named after the Malay word for spice, Rempah Noodles touts bold punches of flavour in all its dishes. The laksa lemak ($98), for example, arrives in a gravy-like soup fragranced with lemongrass, garlic and chilli, among other herbs and spices. It’s a heady concoction, rounded out slightly with the addition of coconut milk. Everything served in this soup is designed to support it – from the thick and al dente rice vermicelli to the shredded chicken and beancurd puffs that sop up the flavours. Similar to the laksa, the broth for the premium prawn noodles ($98) is the soul of the dish. The soup gets its deep-brown hue and near-smoky savouriness from simmering pork bones with prawn heads and shells. Garnished with deep-fried pork lard and caramelised onions, the soup is impressively intense at first but overwhelming after a few more sips, especially if pair

Like all restaurants in 1957 & Co’s collection (Gonpachi, Mango Tree and An Nam, to name a few), 10 Shanghai boasts an impeccable sense of style. Paying homage to 1930s Shanghainese glamour, the restaurant is dressed in a rich palette of royal blues and emerald greens. Art deco embellishments abound, as well as a smooth, circular motif inspired by the moon gates of traditional Chinese architecture.In this setting, 10 Shanghai serves a long list of Huaiyang dishes. At least that’s what’s supposed to happen if the restaurant can better manage its inventory. On the night we visit, almost half of the items we ordered were already sold out by 8.30pm. Fortunately, of the dishes that were still available, most were well executed.The drunken chicken ($88) is meaty and tender, perfumed but not overpowered by aged Shaoxing huadiao wine. We also love the soft-boiled eggs ($48), which arrive in a bell jar under a mist of longjing-infused smoke. The molten yolks are so rich on their own, they don’t need the black truffle pearls that adorn them. In fact, luxury ingredients are superfluous whenever they’re used here, added more for gimmick than taste. Take the mushroom-filled crispy bean curd rolls ($98), for example. These are delicious, even though we can’t taste any of the black truffle it’s supposed to have. The same is true for 10 Shanghai’s take on the traditional turnip pastry ($168). Served on fine bone chinaware with a lobster head and tail, these flaky cocoons are filled with juli

Despite being housed in the relaxed locale of Ovolo Southside hotel, Komune is a restaurant that pays serious attention to detail. Take the fluid layout for example, which transitions seamlessly from loungey laid-back terrace to casual-chic dining room to intimate sequestered dining area. There’s nothing flippant about the playful vibe either. Everything is the result of meticulous planning, from the designed-for-Instagram wall mural all the way down to the beautiful, paint-splattered vessels that hold the bar’s range of signature cocktails.

The brick-and-mortar incarnation of online deli Three Butchers, Feather & Bone started off as a gourmet grocer that peddled fresh meats and produce from Australia, Europe and America. The brand has since expanded with a sit-down restaurant in Happy Valley, which made a name for itself for its fuss-free food and cosy neighbourhood charm. Building on that success, Feather & Bone has opened a second restaurant, this time in uber cool Sai Ying Pun.Unlike the dim digs on Wong Nai Chung Road, this new outpost channels modern bistro vibes with full-length windows and reimagined black-and-white floor tiles. There’s also a retail section, which sells wines, fresh and packaged foods, as well as fancy kitchenware. We love the bright and open layout – our only complaint would be the takeaway coffee bar that sits awkwardly in the centre of the dining room.The food, like the space, is clean and simple with a menu comprising only a few pages on a wooden clipboard. Diners are encouraged to peruse the butcher’s counter, which boasts a fine selection of premium meats that can be cooked à la minute in the restaurant’s open kitchen. Hardcore carnivores should consider the butcher’s choice – an omakase-like selection of meats cooked to your preferred doneness. Everything impresses on the night of our visit, including the succulent, expertly seasoned chicken skewers and the tender lamb loin that’s flavourful without being overly gamey. Seared to a perfect medium-rare, the grain-fed ribeye is also

If you fancy being shot up to the 101st floor for a dim sum meal or a piece of roast pork, then add Dragon Seal to your list of places to go eat. Located at the recently unveiled ICC tower (a proud and protruding 118-stories tall), this obscenely high-end Chinese restaurant is the latest project by local chef and food show presenter Wong Wing-chee. Having already established his name with a successful chain of eateries under the Dragon King brand, this lofty new enterprise is Wong’s attempt to zero in on the big money-making crowd from the offices of the neighbouring investment banks. Inside, the main dining room is wrapped in full-length windows specially designed to exploit the jaw-dropping view. The space also boasts a long, marble-topped bar, tailored for pre-dinner drinks selected from an expensive wine list. Glass tube chandeliers hang from the ceiling and tabletops are outfitted with white linens and polished silverware. The set-up actually looks more fitting for a French fine dining establishment than your classic Cantonese restaurant – and it’s exactly the effect Wong was going for. Parts of the menu have also been noticeably fusion-ised. For example, taking a cue from western dining tradition, dishes culled from the set dinner menus are served as individually portioned courses as opposed to larger sharing plates. But despite these internationally inspired tweaks, it’s still when it comes to the classic Cantonese dishes that Dragon Seal shines. We started the meal wi

New to the Wan Chai dining scene is Dumpling Pro, a Chinese joint peddling the sort of meat and carb-heavy menu meant for hulking labourers in China’s cold northeastern stretches. In an effort to create a pastoral Chinese environment, the small shop is furnished with long wooden benches and low tables. Trays of condiments sit at every table, propping up a single sheet copy of the restaurant’s menu. One side of the menu is dedicated to noodles and homemade dumplings while the other side lists hearty meat dishes such as kung pao chicken and beef or mutton stir-fried with onion and leeks. For a touch of traditional aesthetic authenticity, the names of their best-selling items are also carved on small wooden plaques and displayed around the restaurant walls. As the name suggests, the restaurant’s fresh dumplings are the biggest draw. These two-bite parcels are made fresh to order, wrapped and steamed in an impressively glossy, thin skin with a light floury fragrance and slight chewiness. We ordered our first round of hand-kneaded dumplings filled with the standard combination of minced pork and Chinese celery and served in soup with noodles ($34/eight dumplings). The wrapper-to-filling ratio was spot on, allowing the subtle sweetness of the fresh pork to shine through in every bite. Second up were vegetarian dumplings filled with diced vermicelli, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots ($32/ten). The crunchy combination made for an interesting parcel that was surprisingly filling fo

Not that this should come as a huge surprise but according to our recent Time Out Index, which surveyed more than 34,000 readers from around the globe, Hong Kong has officially ranked as the most food-crazy city in the world. When asked about their eating habits, a whopping 92 percent of Hongkongers have said that they ate out at a restaurant in the last week. That puts us above all the other well-known food capitals, including Tokyo and even New York. But it’s not just the quantity that matters – almost all Hong Kong respondents praised the Hong Kong food scene with one person noting that “there’s a seemingly endless choice of places to eat.” Whether it’s traditional dim sum, Michelin-starred dining or even cheap eats like a humble egg sandwich, this city has it all. Hongkongers also know how to kick back with a good drink: nearly all of us praise the local bar scene. After all, we’re home to award-winning places like The Old Man, Quinary, Bar De Luxe and many other great bars. Still, don’t let all the dining and boozing fool you – we’re apparently also fitness freaks, with two-thirds of respondents claiming they work out regularly. So, there you go, it’s time to brag to your non-HK friends that you live in the best food city in the world. Let’s drink to that.

Hong Kong has its fair share of weird and wonderful eats. Joining the ranks of pork-floss eggettes and satay-beef French toast is Chinese ginger vinegar ice cream ($48) topped with crunchy pork crackling. The frozen treat is just one of the many funky creations served at Causeway Bay newcomer Eat Darling Eat, and is inspired by the pig’s trotters and ginger stew typically eaten during the postpartum period (don’t worry, it’s not just for new mothers). Other scoops on offer include soy milk ($38), double-strength milk with rice wine ($48) and Sichuan pepper topped with a shard of candied bacon ($48).  Aside from quirky ice cream flavours, Eat Darling Eat also serves up modern and highly Instagrammable takes on traditional Chinese sweet soups. A fun riff on the double-boiled papaya soup ($68), for example, sees candied papaya plated with mascarpone cheese in fine-dining fashion. There’s also the sweet potato soup ($68), served with chocolate cake and taro ice cream. If you want to satisfy more than your sweet tooth while you’re there, Eat Darling Eat does equally fun takes on savoury dishes too like sweet n’ sour pork nachos ($58) and chicken tail claypot rice with crispy chicken skin ($98). Eat up, darling.

It’s turning out to be an awesome month for food deals. Following Blue’s cheap-as-chips steak and frites promotion, restaurant brand Master Kama has announced a buy-one-get-one-free special on its signature lobster rolls starting from tomorrow (Feb 16). The offer runs until the end of March and is available at all three of Master Kama’s outlets, including Day and Nite in Mong Kok and Girlboss in Tsuen Wan and Tuen Mun. One of the most popular items at Master Kama’s restaurants, the decadent sandwich ($188) comprises of a golden-brown and pillowy soft roll that’s smeared with butter and herb-lemon mayo before being loaded with 150g of succulent Boston lobster. The two-for-one offer is available all day, every day (until stocks last) for both dine-in and takeaway. And if you really want to indulge, you can also tack on an extra $15 to enjoy free-flow fries with your lobster rolls. Go get it.

Last year, we asked 15,000 people from 32 cities across the globe to answer some important questions about the cities they lived in. Questions like, if money were no object, where would they like to call home? – to which most Hongkongers happily said that there was nowhere else they’d rather be than the good ol’ 852.Now, a year on, we want to find out if that is still true. With all the things that seemingly fill us with rage about this city – from PDA on the MTR to people who stand on the wrong side of the escalator – will the majority of us still say that we’re happy to stay put? Are we, for example, still as in love with the city’s dining scene as we were a year ago, when nine out of ten respondents claimed they’d eaten out in the last week? What else do we love about this magnificent concrete jungle and what are the things that drive us mad about it? We’re looking to get to the bottom of these questions and more – and we need your help.Take the Time Out Index 2019 now and tell us all about life in Hong Kong today. The survey is fun and anonymous, it takes about ten minutes, and when you’re done, we’ll reveal your soul city – the place that’s your best match, based on your survey answers. Let’s see if you get Hong Kong. Start the Time Out Index survey now!

If you’re looking to take advantage of the final day of the CNY public holiday, newcomer The ThirtySix Bar & Co has just launched an incredible happy hour deal that should do the trick. From Monday to Saturday, 5pm-8pm, the fancy watering hole is offering a selection of its highballs for just $36 a pop. If you’re not a cocktail kind-of sipper, don’t worry, because the bar’s also doing draught Asahi beers for the same price.  Opened just last month, The ThirtySix is an elegant cocktail den with a clear predilection for whisky (the name is a reference to the number of stills used in The Macallan’s new distillery). Its “vault” stores a neat variety of premium whiskies and other spirits, many of which can be used as a base for a highball – the bar’s signature libation. And with this $36 happy hour deal, there’s more than enough reason to check out The ThirtySix for a post-work tipple sooner rather than later.

Gourmet food store Yucinca Meat House has just opened its doors in Kowloon City. The store specialises in premium seafood and meats, with a particular focus on A4 grade wagyu from Satsuma Province in Japan. To celebrate its opening, Yucinca is offering guests a taste of this prized cattle by way of a truly exceptional deal. From now until Feb 10, drop by the store and you’ll get to try the 18-inch wagyu beef skewer for just $20 a pop. The skewers are sold from 7pm and are limited to just 50 servings a day, so be sure to get there early if you want to take advantage of this deal. While you’re there, be sure to check out Yucinca’s curated selection of high-end ingredients, from pork raised in Scotland’s Brydock Farms to succulent prawns from Madagascar. The store also has a small counter for ready-to-eat dishes including grilled scallops in butter and Korean-style beef bento.

Better known as the Mexican restaurant/bar for cool kids, Brickhouse has managed to make the Taco Tuesday tradition even better by bringing it forward to the beginning of the workweek. Available from 6pm-8pm every Monday and Tuesday, the restaurant’s all-new street taco platter includes 10 tacos for just $280, which is the same price – but double the value – as its regular five-taco platter. You can mix-and-match your tacos, choosing from Brickhouse favourites such as the Wagyu Lookin’ At (beef cheek, adobo, salsa ranchera, manchego and spicy sour cream), Piggie Smalls (pork belly, roasted pineapple, bacon aioli and salsa de pina picante) and In Cod We Trust (fish, guac, mango and spicy aioli). You can also go for the restaurant’s #TacoOfTheMonth, which, in case you’re wondering, is currently matcha soft shell crab. So, if you don’t have any other plans tonight, we say, head down to Brickhouse and gorge on tacos.

Calling all carnivores – Belgian beerhouse Frites has just launched an all-you-can-eat steak and fries deal for $270 per person. The offer is available at all four Frites outlets from 6pm every Saturday and Sunday, and includes limitless servings of grilled USDA black angus strip loin and the restaurant’s crispy namesake frites. The only catch is you’re not allowed to share, which in our opinion, is not necessarily a bad thing. via GIPHY In the unlikely event that endless beef isn’t enough to sate you, you can always tack on Frites’ famous mussel pots and one of the restaurant’s many Belgian beers. And if you have any little ones in tow, the restaurant also offers a kids’ menu, which includes dishes such as fish ’n’ chips and mini burgers. This all-you-can-eat promo is available until the end of February, so be sure to take advantage of this meaty offer while it lasts.

The folks at Red Sauce Hospitality (Posto Pubblico, Fini’s, Frank’s) start the new year on a tasteful note with three pop-ups that celebrate the diverse cultures of its staff. Taking place at Stone Nullah Tavern, the Melting Pot dinner series kicks off with a Nepalese meal on from January 9-11, featuring four family-style dishes, including chicken syafale pastries and khasi ko ledo bedo – which translates into tender pieces of lamb with gravy, chickpeas, nutrela soya chunks and pink paneer gravy with cumin rice. On Jan 16-18, get ready for a seven-course Filipino-style feast-out with dishes such as pork belly lechon, bone marrow nilaga (cooked for 24 hours, no less) and wagyu beef tapa with quail egg. To round off the series, the Red Sauce team plates up a Pakistani menu from January 23-25 with dishes such as samosa chaat, chicken karahi and spiced lentils with boiled egg. Each of the three dinner menus is priced at $388 per person (minimum two people) and for an extra $188, you can enjoy two hours of free-flow beer, wine and spirits.Another reason to check out this pop-up series is that it’s one of the last chances to visit Stone Nullah Tavern. At the end of the month, the beloved restaurant and bar will make way for another outpost of Fini’s, the group’s casual eatery doling out NY-style pizzas, homemade pastas (all priced at $88) and Italian-influenced drinks. The space will still be run by Red Sauce – so rest assured the quality will remain the same – but it’s still worth

As our city lights up with festive displays for the holiday season, our dining scene is also all aglow, thanks to the announcement of the 2019 Michelin Guide for Hong Kong and Macau. The 11th edition of the gastro guide was revealed at the Grand Hyatt Macau this afternoon at an event honouring the biggest talents in the restaurant industry. New one-star additions include French restaurants Arbor and Belon, as well as New Punjab Club, the first Pakistani restaurant to win a star in Hong Kong. Newcomers Écriture and Sushi Saito both took home two stars for Hong Kong while Alain Ducasse at Morpheus did the same for Macau, despite opening for less than half a year, which might raise a few eyebrows. Meanwhile, on the three-star front, all previous eight restaurants retained their stars while Jade Dragon in Macau was promoted from two to three. The event was probably most significant for chef Guillaume Galliot and his team at Caprice, who managed to regain its three-star status after losing it when former executive chef Vincent Thierry departed in 2014. Scroll down for the full list of Michelin-starred restaurants. Michelin Guide Hong Kong 2019 Three stars (Seven restaurants)Bo InnovationCaprice – up from two starsL'Atelier de Joël RobuchonLung King Heen8½ Otto e Mezzo – BombanaSushi ShikonT'ang Court  Two stars (12 restaurants)AmberÉcriture – NEW ForumKashiwayaPierreSun Tung LokSushi Saito – NEW Ta VieTenku RyuGinTin Lung HeenYing Jee Club – up from one starYan Toh Heen One star

’Tis the season to be a total glutton because cult-favourite burger joint Shake Shack has just announced a new line of holiday shakes to guzzle down with your burgers and crinkle-cut fries. The frothy, cream-topped drinks come in three flavours (all $48). There’s Hazelnut – which has a base of vanilla and chocolate frozen custard blended with choco-hazelnut spread – and the refreshingly cool Chocolate Peppermint. We’re most excited about the Christmas Cookie though, which sees sugar cookie-flavoured custard topped with cream, crumbled shortbread and festive sprinkles. The launch of these holiday shakes coincide with the opening of Shake Shack’s second location at Pacific Place on November 21. The new outlet will serve all the classics (think Shackburgers and hotdogs) but will also offer exclusive Hong Kong-inspired items such as the Open Sesame and coffee-caramel Queensway Crunch frozen custard ‘concretes’.

Mark your calendars, America’s favourite burger chain Five Guys has finally revealed the opening details for its very first store in Hong Kong. Occupying a large, diner-esque space on the ground floor of Wan Chai’s J Senses complex, the venue will open its doors to the hungry public on Monday, November 19. Claiming to bring the perfect burger to our shores, Five Guys will griddle up its signature fuss-free, two-patty creations, which you can then load up with any combo of toppings, from the standard lettuce and tomatoes to jalapeños and mayo. Of course, you’ll also get to order the chain’s famously generous portions of hand-cut fries.Wash everything down with a milkshake and you have yourself a well-balanced meal.