Lai Bun Fu, Crafty Cow, Steak Frites by Butchers Club and Le Table de Patrick Open in Hong Kong

LBF at LKF

On Lan Street is on fire, and fancy Chinese is making a comeback. Enter Lai Bun Fu (5/F, 18 On Lan St., Central, 2564-3868). I guess master Chung Kin-leung, who used to work as Government House’s executive chef, decided that cooking for the likes of US presidents (George Bush) and UK prime ministers (the late Margaret Thatcher) isn’t nearly as exciting as running his own restaurant. Well, lucky us. Expect fancified versions of prawn toast (with foie gras!), minced chicken soup with bird’s nest, and all sorts of classic Cantonese delicacies.   

I Got Beef

Don’t try to order anything other than beef at Crafty Cow (3-3A Upper Station St., Sheung Wan, 2915-8988), Upper Station’s latest offering—and where the short-lived Antipodean used to
be. The craft beer slash Japanese wagyu gastropub is headed by chef Basil Yu, who boasts of being a former sous-chef at Amber. Besides the usual suspect (beef), exotic items like cow testes and Sichuan-spiced bone marrow also make an appearance on the menu. The beef itself will also be served in updated formats, for example being wrapped up in sleek bao buns.

I Got More Beef

Not content with just being known for burgers and steaks, the Butchers Club group has launched Steak Frites by Butchers Club (UG/F, 52-56 Staunton St., Central, 2915-8988). Now, they’re doing it like the French: serving a salad first before moving to a rib-eye cut with fries on the side. The Butchers Club being the Butchers Club, there will also be a secret menu accessible by QR code, filled with options other than beef.