Steak, sushi, pasta: 12 new Hong Kong restaurants to try in February 2023 for French-Japanese-style cuisine, hearty Mediterranean fare and more
- From sushi omakase to a Mediterranean restaurant and an Italian steakhouse, here are a dozen restaurants for diners in Hong Kong eager to try something new
- A Causeway Bay restaurant is all white, a spot in Tsim Sha Tsui serves deep-fried meats and vegetables, and a place in Central is both coffee house and wine bar
The Lunar New Year is a herald of blessings and beginnings – and what better way to celebrate that than to visit some new restaurants in Hong Kong?
Japanese restaurants dominate, with seven newly opened or opening in February offering everything from sushi omakase to French-Japanese-style cuisine.
Meanwhile, a Mediterranean restaurant and an Italian steakhouse – both on Hong Kong Island – have also newly opened.
With such exciting offerings this month, you will not start off the Year of the Rabbit wanting for a better bite to eat.
1. Hiru Omakase
On the menu are speciality items beyond sushi, such as maitake chicken claypot rice – mushroom and chicken submerged in rice – and flounder fin in a fish and chicken broth, made with high-grade dashi with chicken and ham stock.
21 Lan Fong Road, Causeway Bay
2. Mato
Mato, a “coffee house by day, wine bar by night” institution, has an extensive wine list and friendly, knowledgeable staff.
Shop G02, G/F, Nan Fung Place, 173 Des Voeux Road Central, Central
3. Yoru Teppanyaki
The same group that has brought you Hiru Omakase has also opened Yoru Teppanyaki in Tsim Sha Tsui, in Kowloon.
Enjoy A4 Miyazaki Wagyu beef with garlic slices from Aomori or a crispy amadai (red tilefish) with a white fish cream sauce, and more.
17-19 Forest Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
4. Iza-bis
Iza-bis, in Times Square, Causeway Bay, is a cross between a Japanese izakaya and a French bistro and is next to a branch of upmarket supermarket chain City’super.
Basement 1, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay
5. Artifact
Caviar is the name of the game here and Artifact, which has 14 counter seats, plays it well. Its dishes use Japanese ingredients – carabineros prawn with smoked miso cream and baerii caviar, and kinmedai fish with kabu and yuzu shine on the seasonal set menu.
No 1 and 2, Shop 5 and 7, LG/F, Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place, Central
6. Calle Ocho
The food and cheerful decor at Spanish tapas bar Calle Ocho in Causeway Bay’s Fashion Walk will transport you to the streets of Madrid in Spain.
Signature dishes include croquetas, Iberico crispy pig ear with pickled green chillies and kimchi aioli, traditional charcuterie, Spanish tortillas with prawns and sweet piquillo peppers, and tender grilled cuttlefish.
Fashion Walk, 8 Cleveland St, Causeway Bay
7. Akanoshou
A new teppanyaki and omakase has taken up a huge 3,000 sq ft (279 square metre) space in Causeway Bay’s HDH Centre. High, wood-panelled walls and marble worktops welcome diners to a teppanyaki featuring teppan-grilled Wagyu sandos, Wagyu yakisuki – a new twist on the sweet-sauce stew, sukiyaki and crispy toro with a seaweed crust.
For the omakase menu, chef Okura Masataka serves sushi that uses vinegar marinades on seafood flown in by premium suppliers from Japan.
6/F, HDH Centre, 8 Pennington Street, Causeway Bay
8. Figs Bistro
Figs stands for France, Italy, Greece and Spain – countries along the Mediterranean seaboard – and this all-day-dining restaurant serves up hearty dishes for appetites big and small.
Shop 601, 6/F, 1111 King’s Road, Cityplaza One, Taikoo Shing, Quarry Bay
9. Macelle Italian Steakhouse
Macelle Italian Steakhouse – inspired by the word macelleria, the Italian word for a butcher’s shop – promises to serve up good-value fresh meat from its counters.
Meat lovers can enjoy a 1kg (2.2 pound) Angus Fiorentina steak that serves up to four people or pick from a menu that includes Iberico pork chops, marinated lamb chops, free-range chicken and seasonal sausages.
LG Sharma Soho, 9-11 Staunton Street, Central
10. Yurakucho
Taking up space on the ground floor of Yu Yuet Lai Building on Central’s Wyndham Street is Yurakucho. It is named after a popular happy hour district in Tokyo known for its many gado-shita – spaces, below an overhead railway, that house small izakaya where Japanese salarymen often hang out after work.
Be prepared for an array of yakitori items and crunchy karaage, washed down with beer and cocktails.
G/F, Yu Yuet Lai Building, 43-55 Wyndham Street, Central
11. Kushitei
A set-menu kushiage has opened its doors in Tsim Sha Tsui. An import from the streets of Tokyo, Kushitei serves up a selection of fresh meat and vegetables, deep-fried in its signature batter and served on skewers. The counter seats only nine patrons at a time, so make sure to book.
Shop G04-05, G/F, Grand Centre, 8 Humphreys Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui
12. The Seafood
As the name suggests, this new restaurant in Harbour City brings you the best that the sea has to offer. From Alaskan crab and snow crab to lobster, chef Francis Chong prepares them all.
For those with a penchant for the meat of land animals, try the 48-hour smoked duck – which is also a signature dish.
Shop 4101, Level 4, Gateway Arcade, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui
