Rech

Rech, a seafood concept by Alain Ducasse, opens early March in the same space where the renowned chef’s contemporary French eatery, Spoon, stood. The first Rech was originally opened in Paris in 1925 by Adrien Rech, and grew from being a grocery store to become a stylish cafe-restaurant famed for its oysters. In 2007, Alain Ducasse revitalised this well-loved restaurant, and has now brought the concept to Hong Kong.

The menu offers the freshest oysters and fish from France, with appetisers that include quick-sautéed baby squid with sea-scented herbs, blue lobster, “courgettes and currants”, and thinly sliced sea bream, cucumber & ginger. Entrées highlights include pan-seared line-caught sole, new potatoes (a Rech signature dish), baked John Dory, baby Swiss chard and confit lemon, and oven-baked gilt-head bream, tomatoes with pesto. The signature dessert is XL éclair, chocolate or coffee.

Open Tues-Sun 6pm – 11pm. Where: Lobby Level, InterContinental Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui.

Dynasty Garden

Although slightly off the beaten track – a 15-minute walk from Kowloon Bay MTR station, or a short shuttle bus ride from exit A (of the same station) in the evening – the restaurant is helmed by Michelin two-star chef Tsang Chiu-king, so it is worth the trip. Tsang, previously with Ming Court, where he held on to his two Michelin stars for four consecutive years, is known for his creative take on Chinese cuisine.

Tsang’s years abroad seep into signatures, such as sautéed Australian wagyu beef cubes with pumpkin and wild mushrooms in a black truffle sauce; chilled bean curd layers with black truffle paste and gold leaf; and flame-broiled Ibérico pork belly with black peppercorn and wild mushrooms in red wine sauce. New dishes include scrambled egg white with shrimps and perilla leaf crisp; and braised pomelo peel and dried shrimp roe in supreme abalone sauce.

Open daily 11am – 10pm. Where: Level 1, Goldin Financial Global Centre, 17 Kai Cheung Road, Kowloon Bay.

Hoshino Yatai Japanese Restaurant

Offering authentic Kyushu cuisine, Hoshino Yatai Japanese Restaurant is Greater China Club’s third eatery – joining Man Hing and Cadenza – at its Lai Chi Kok site. Hoshino is the first of its kind in Hong Kong to offer Kyushu cuisine, and is inspired by “Yatai”, a food cart concept popular in Fukuoka. The rooftop restaurant is decked in red and white traditional lanterns with Kanji characters lining the ceiling; wooden benches and tables under the open skies and food stalls serve to enhance the authentic feel and taste of Japan’s charcoal grilling method.

At the helm, Okinawan-born chef Shimoji Atsushi, previously at Inakaya in Hong Kong, offers a menu of Kushiyaki (grilled items), teppanyaki oden and Kamameshi. His signatures include on the Kushiyaki menu such treats as, wagyu beef with sukiyaki rolls and egg dipping, Kyushu mentaiko spicy cod roe pork belly skewer and awaodori chicken wings.

Teppanyaki items offer a heartier style of Japanese cuisine, such as grilled Osaka style seafood okonomiyaki and fried noodles with pork soup and pork slices, which can be savoured with various ingredients cooked on an iron plate. Kamameshi, a traditional Japanese rice dish cooked in a “kama” (iron pot), is also highlighted in Hoshino with a selection of fresh vegetables, eel, and clams.

Open Mon-Thurs, Sun & PH, noon to midnight, and Fri-Sat, noon to 1:00 am. Where: 10/F, D2 Place One, 9 Cheung Yee Street, Lai Chi Kok

Carnival

For a fun night out with friends, newly opened Carnival – a beer-pong bar in Tsim Sha Tsui – offers cocktails, shots and canapés in a funfair atmosphere. Opened by Vivien Shek, founder of Sonrisa Concept – the group behind The Drunken Pot and Lai Bun Fu – Carnival serves cocktails, handcrafted beers and international wines with canapés, and sharing the spotlight are the bar games. Drinks include insta-worthy cocktails curated to enhance the funfair ambience, such as My Little Pony (with sake, crème de framboise, Monin rose, half and half, yuzu mix and cotton candy), and Carnival Spritzer (with gin, fig syrup, lemon juice, grenadine and soda water).

Games include dart machines, beer pong tables, craps, and slap cup tables complete with colourful LED lighting – and which can also be converted into a rainbow coin toss game. For the hungry, canapés are prepared at the group’s The Drunken Pot upstairs.

Open daily 6pm – 6am. Where: Restaurant 1, 6/F, No. 8 Observatory Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

The Conservatory

Newly opened, The Conservatory is a must-visit when in Sai Kung. Located in the square, it offers Mediterranean fare which is tasty and healthy. Plates are made for sharing and include tapas-style dishes such as goats cheese stuffed piquillo peppers, snapper chunks in coconut milk with cilantro and lime juice, and chicken strips with peri peri sauce.

The salads are deliciously healthy, such as Moroccan lentils and grilled pumpkin with goats cheese and pine nuts, and avocado with minted quinoa, manchego pine nuts and sherry vinegar.