The 6 most difficult tables to book in Hong Kong, from No 1 on Asia’s Best 50 Restaurants, The Chairman, to VEA chef Vicky Cheng’s newest venture, Wing

Aug 30 , 2021

As pandemic travel restrictions have made eating out more popular among Hongkongers than ever, The Chairman has become one of the most difficult restaurants to book in the city. Photo: The Chairman

It’s no secret that Hong Kong is home to some of the best restaurants in the world. And the city’s locals have been fortunate in that, for the most part, restaurants have remained open in at least some capacity during the pandemic. Although we’ve had to bid farewell to many favourite eateries in the last two years, many fantastic new spots have opened during this time as well.

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So with travel restrictions still being a thing, eating out has become even more of an obsession than normal. It’s become almost impossible to go on a night out without reservations in advance, and for the hottest restaurants the bookings date all the way into 2022 – and that is only on the back of domestic demand!

Here are the six hardest tables to book in Hong Kong right now.

Chaat

Chaat opened in June 2020, right at the crest of the pandemic’s first wave in the city. Chef Manav Tuli brought his brand of elevated Indian street food to the sophisticated palates of Hong Kong. It’s the combination of innovative touches, like baked jackfruit samosas, to excelling in classics like tandoori, that has charmed the pants off the town’s foodies. The restaurant takes reservations online through the Sevenrooms system … and is chock full until November.

5/F, Rosewood Hong Kong, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

The Chairman

The Chairman was popular with the well-heeled crowd in Hong Kong even before it received its many accolades. The modern Chinese restaurant uses traditional ingredients and methods in brand new combinations, making it a winner for both classicists as well as more adventurous diners. It wasn’t an easy restaurant at which to get a table at the best of times, especially around red-letter days such as Lunar New Year or Mid-Autumn Festival, but since it grabbed the top spot on the Asia’s Best 50 Restaurants list the bookings have already gone beyond 2021, and they aren’t taking reservations for 2022 yet.

18 Kau U Fong, Central

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Batard

Tucked away inside the Fine Wine Experience cellar in Sai Ying Pun, Batard was a hot destination as soon as it opened. Among its contemporary cuisine made with exquisite ingredients, the roast chicken with rice became the must-try item among foodie circles right off the bat. The eatery takes bookings at the beginning of each month for that month, but word is that they’re already fully booked until November.

Shop E, Viking Court, Connaught Road West, Sai Ying Pun

Ando

With only 30 seats, Ando is one of the hardest places to get a table at. Chef Agustin Balbi combines ingredients from Japanese and Spanish cuisine in some of the most creative ways, making Ando one of the most avant-garde restaurants in town. The tables are released a month in advance at midnight, and savvy diners have found themselves sitting up night after night to make a booking. Speed typing has never been a more valued skill.

1/F, Somptueux Central, 52 Wellington St, Central

Sushi Mamoru

This quintessential omakase establishment is already booked out until January 2022! The fact that it only has eight seats has a lot to do with the exclusivity, but foodies around town are definitely willing to wait. Behind the counter is chef Hirofumi Chiba, a third-generation sushi chef who pledges to safeguard Edomae sushi traditions by executing his craft with the utmost of integrity.

32 Oi Kwan Road, Wan Chai

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Wing

With his contemporary Chinese concept VEA proving itself a success story in Hong Kong, chef and owner Vicky Cheng took on the challenge of opening a traditional Chinese restaurant – and it’s getting much praise. So much so that it’s been an online feeding frenzy to book a table, that can only be done up to a month in advance.

29/F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central

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Food and Drinks

Good luck tasting chef Manav Tuli’s elevated Indian street food at Chaat, or Batard’s comfort food with fine wine – both are fully booked through November 2021
Sushi Mamoru (full up until January 2022) offers Japanese Edomae omakase, while foodies stay up until midnight to book Spanish fusion restaurant Ando online