Ta Vie
Why it's the best: Previously chef de cuisine at Ryugin, chef Hideaki Sato brings his painstaking attention to detail and passion for his craft to Ta Vie, a restaurant that blends his classical French training with the Japanese ingredients he’s built his name on. With an eight-course degustation available at $1,880 a head, dinner here is a pricey treat, but it’s worth it from start to finish. Ingenious techniques combined with subtle flavorings and fresh, seasonal treats take you on a culinary journey—just make sure you’re strapped in for the ride.
On Dining Kitchen + Lounge
Why it's the best: Hot on the heels of his success at Upper Modern Bistro, Chef Philippe Orrico grabbed the attention of the Michelin man again with this sophisticated new venture. The appointment of the coveted star last month confirmed what we already knew—that chef Orrico can create that wow factor in the kitchen, marrying classic flavors in exciting combinations that are familiar yet new all at once. Don’t miss the amped-up beef and tuna tartare, or the flawless 63-degree egg with frog legs and pearl barley in a comté emulsion.
La Paloma
Why it's the best: We weren’t sure what to expect from chef Willy Trullas Moreno’s more casual, pigeon-bespattered successor to FoFo, but we were charmed right off the bat by the twinkling fairy lights and colorful setting that makes you want to stay the night for a glass of sangria or three. The menu may not break any new boundaries—one of the tastiest items is a variation on the original “explosive” smoked salmon bags at FoFo—but it’s consistently tasty, from the Valencian paella to the huevos rotos broken eggs which are some of the best we’ve had in Hong Kong.