Hong Kong’s new offerings for food connoisseurs
We all have our favorite restaurant or fast food joint in Hong Kong. For a quick fix, Café de Coral never fails. For truly local fare, there’s old faithful Peking Garden and its duck and beggar’s chicken. Hoi On Café’s tarts are timeless. Afternoon tea at The Peninsula or at The Four Seasons will always be a classic, a throwback from British rule.
For frequent travelers to HK, the opening of our favorite destination means a chance to feast on the tables of our old haunts, but the better news is that Hong Kong has newish treasures to discover.
Here are a few to visit the next time you go.
Barkada
Yes, it’s a Filipino restaurant—and before you go and say, “Fly to HK to eat at a Filipino restaurant?” please know that Barkada’s helmed by Jen Balisi of Indulgent Eats. She’s teamed up with Singular Concepts, a restaurant and bar group led by HK restaurateurs who’ve worked with local greats who have run The Daily Tot, Barcode, and Entourage. Barkada is set to open later this month at the ground floor of the newly launched lifestyle destination Foco in Soho.
Balisi calls the restaurant a “tropical urban retro paradise that’s loud and proud to be Filipino.”
FAM
A new dining destination in Kowloon that fuses contemporary Chinese cuisine, art, and music under one roof. Don’t miss crowd favorites shrimp dumplings, savory abalone, and wild mushrooms in puff pastry. The Art Deco-inspired open layout interior is beautiful, but nothing tops the breathtaking view of the Victoria Harbour from the restaurant. The restaurant is located at the Art Park of the West Kowloon Cultural District.
Kushitei
A well-loved Japanese kushiyaki restaurant is opening its first branch outside Japan in Hong Kong, set to start operations this month. Kushitei in HK, much like its branch in Ebisu, will be decked in wood-clad design, and a counter where diners can watch the chefs prep an omakase selection of deep-fried dishes in the famous Kushitei batter. The HK branch of Kushitei will be at the ground floor of Grand Centre, 8 Humphreys Avenue, in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Before you go and say, ‘Fly to HK to eat at a Filipino restaurant?’ please know that Barkada’s helmed by Jen Balisi of Indulgent Eats.
Dara
Yes, another Filipino restaurant—this time from Pampanga. Chef Imelda Santos Bunoan is serving up her home province’s best dishes in The Artisan House, at Sai Ying Pun. The Pinay chef—“Dara Mel” (Kapampangan for auntie)—serves up pork kare kare, kinilaw, lumpia laing, and many other well-loved dishes that will not only get the Filipino market hankering for a taste of home, but also, with hope, get an international crowd to fall in love with our dishes. Her son Jon is the head mixologist and will be mixing up signature and Filipino drinks.
Artisan Lounge
The all-day dining café, bar, and bespoke boutique was inspired by the elegant, sophisticated “manor-like” concept of K11 MUSEA, a top-tier shopping mall in the city.
The lounge also offers a great view of the Gold Ball, the multi-cultural exhibition space of K11 MUSEA, which adds to the overall ambiance of the place. Try the cotton candy hot chocolate for a special, Instagrammable experience.