With the easing of most social restrictions in Hong Kong, things are almost back to normal for the F&B scene. That makes June the perfect time to check out the city’s new restaurants or to revisit old favourites that have recently updated their menus in anticipation of full houses yet again. Happily there are many new dining concepts worth trying out this month. Agora and Cantina are open in Tai Kwun, promising excellent Spanish and Italian fare, respectively. Elsewhere, Heimat is delivering something truly original for Hong Kong – contemporary fine dining German cuisine – and new Japanese options come in the shape of Kicho, Ushidoki and Koi. New openings 1. Agora Two years after taking over at 22 Ships, chef Antonio Oviedo is finally helming his own concept in Hong Kong, while also continuing to oversee the Wan Chai neighbourhood favourite. Opening on the ground floor of D Hall inside Tai Kwun, new effort Agora offers contemporary Spanish fine dining through seasonal tasting menus. As much as possible, the menus aim to highlight premium seasonal ingredients sourced from the greater area of Spain, whether Verdial extra virgin olive oil cultivated from centenary olive trees in Málaga, choricero dried chilli peppers from the Basque country, or Gamoneu, a fatty, lightly smoked Spanish cheese made in parts of the Asturias using goat, cow and sheep’s milk. Shop 14, G/F, D Hall, Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central The secret to a succulent steak tartare – according to top Hong Kong chefs 2. Kicho The first of two new concepts from AP Place Hong Kong Co. Limited opening in Manning House is an omakase-style chicken ( tori kappo ) specialist, serving renowned free-range Kuro Satsuma chicken from Kagoshima. Overseen by veteran head chef Chikashi Yoshida, the Kicho signature is a 16-course dining ritual, spanning starters, soup, yakitori, slow-cooked chicken, vegetables, a main dish and dessert. Seasonal ingredients will provide freshness and an authentic taste of Japan, say staff, while other fare will be low-fat, low-calorie and both light and plentiful. 2A, 1/F, Manning House, 38-48 Queen’s Road Central, Central 3. NEZ Wine Bistro A new arrival at H Code in Central, NEZ Wine Bistro has taken inspiration from the bistros of Paris and offers diners honest, refined French cooking paired with an impressive selection of boutique and hard-to-source wines. The wine programme is curated by award-winning French-born sommelier Victor Petiot, who has extensive experience as a sommelier working at the Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris and Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong. In the kitchen, the culinary programme is being executed by chef de cuisine Don Wong, who has over 25 years of experience working in some of Hong Kong’s leading kitchens and hotels, including The Langham Hotel, Pierre at the Mandarin Oriental and Seasons by Olivier, among others. 2/F, The Steps, H Code, 45 Pottinger Street, Central 4. The Food is Gorgeous A newcomer to The Langham’s all-day dining restaurant The Food Gallery, The Food is Gorgeous offers various healthy and nutritious bowls that won’t skimp on flavour. Take your pick from the likes of the Australian bowl, with pan-fried Tasmanian salmon, avocado, egg, mango, kale, quinoa and brown rice; Chengdunese Bowl, with poached chicken, cucumber, mushroom, peanuts, brown rice and Sichuan chilli dressing; or the Korean Bowl, with kimchi, gochujang, peppers, vegetables, glass noodles, spring onion and a soy sesame dressing. Also available are salads, hot soups and 10 different types of nourishing poke bowls. The Food Gallery, The Langham Hong Kong, 8 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui Inside Hong Kong’s new, modern wave of Chinese fine dining restaurants 5. Ramato Taking over the old 208 space on Hollywood Road is Ramato, a causal Italian restaurant by Jia Group. The menu comes care of Italian chef Antimo Maria Merone of Estro, and focuses on traditional southern Italian fare replete with “family-style charm” and casual touches. The dishes on offer include an array of Italian classics, from bruschetta to sautéed clams and home-made pappardelle ragu, to baked sea bass and tiramisu. All of this is topped off with a drinks menu provided by Mario Calderone of Duddell’s, who has prepared classic cocktails that should pair well with the fare. 208 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong 6. Ushidoki The second of AP Place’s new ventures is a Hong Kong outpost of the Singaporean restaurant of the same name, which serves a refined Wagyu kaiseki dining experience. Michelin-recommended back in the Lion City, Ushidoki uses beef from the Oda Chikusan ranch in Kagoshima, which is famed for the five-star treatment of its cows – they have a rice and barley-led diet and relax in comfy fir-and-cypress matting in lofty stalls. The highly marbled A4 beef is at the heart of a 10-course chef’s menu that features a hearty stewed dish, shabu-shabu, an obligatory sando and much more. Shop 2B, 1/F, Manning House, 38-48 Queen’s Road Central, Central 7. Benko by Nüte The latest addition to the BaseHall food market is Benko by Nüte. The wellness nutrition brand popped up at BaseHall last year and has opted to return for a more permanent residency. Their aim this time is to provide modern “Japaneasy deli” dishes, with a focus on serving a range of healthy and hearty Japanese-inspired bento bowls – the name being a portmanteau of the Japanese words for lunchbox (bento) and healthy ( kenko ). Diners looking to eat on the go can expect bento boxes that include wasabi soy seared cured mackerel, yuzu chicken and sencha market fish ochazuke . Other snackable options include vegan cheese and onion edamame, mixed veggie gyozas and the peculiar-sounding onigirazus (sushi sandwiches). BaseHall, LG/F, Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place, Central 4 new restaurants in Hong Kong to try now, reviewed 8. Cantina Local diners never seem to tire of Italian food, so Cantina is joining the ranks of Hong Kong’s many similar establishments. Situated in the old canteen space of Tai Kwun, hence the name, the restaurant promises dishes from the length and breadth of the Italian peninsula. Start with the modern cicchetti , small plates of Venetian-inspired bites, before moving onto Sicilian red prawn carpaccio or the gnocco fritto based on an Emilian recipe made with kneaded and fried dough. There’s plenty more from Italy including Milanese breaded veal cutlet and squid ink spaghetti featuring seafood from Lazio and southern Tuscany. 1/F, Police Headquarters, Block 01, Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central 9. Heimat If Italian concepts are dime-a-dozen in this town, the same cannot be said for German fine dining (sorry King Ludwig Beerhall, you don’t make the cut). The man seeking to improve our understanding and appreciation of his native cuisine is chef Peter Find, a native of Hesse, who has updated classic German dishes from different German regions with original tweaks. Don’t miss the Koenigsberger Klopse, a pork dumpling made from a mix of local Hong Kong Heritage Pork gherkins and capers nestled in a creamy sauce; Frühlings Erbsensuppe, a pure spring pea soup that uses no cream and gains flavour from trout that is smoked locally at Aberdeen’s Victoria Island Smokehouse; and Seebarsch, a perfectly crisp seared sea bass fillet paired with an unexpected take on cabbage rolls alongside the flavours of goulash introduced as a jus. Award-winning sommelier Wallace Lo is in charge of the wine list, which, naturally, leans heavily on German varietals. 8/F, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, Central 10. Koi Chef Mihara Terufumi, he of Teppanyaki Mihara, is opening Koi, a contemporary Japanese-fusion bistro, at The Parkside in Tseung Kwan O. A specialist in “ wa modern” cuisine, Mihara is bringing a personal touch to the tried-and-true Japanese dishes he grew up with, reimagining them for contemporary tastes. Signatures include spicy tuna crispy rice ball, with minced tuna, spicy Japanese mayo and jalapeño; Japanese A4 Miyazaki Waygu sando, seasoned with Awa miso and black pepper; and the painstakingly prepared yaki onigiri rice balls – steamed rice cooked in bonito and kombu dashi, delicately seasoned with house-made soy sauce and shiso, wrapped in seaweed and then grilled on a bamboo spear. Shop G07, The Parkside, 18 Tong Chun Street, Tseung Kwan O Where to eat in Hong Kong in May, from Wagyu and wine to Parisian bread 11. Le Méridien Hong Kong, Cyberport Opening not one but three new concepts is Le Méridien in Cyberport. First up is Nam Fong, which is serving creative Cantonese cuisine reinterpreting traditional flavours and presented with creativity courtesy of award-winning chef Bosco Li. Signature specialities include the restaurant’s dim sum menu, maple wood smoked soy sauce yellow chicken, and poached spotted grouper in pickled mustard green soup. Southside Bistro is a contemporary all-day-dining restaurant fusing classic European, modern pan-Asian and international favourites ranging from sustainable seafood and premium steaks, to pasta and pizza, and a variety of vegan and vegetarian options. Joining Hong Kong’s izakaya trend, Umami offers guests traditional Japanese favourites, with jet-fresh seafood imported from Japan, as well as the likes of Japanese Kagoshima Wagyu sukiyaki. The restaurant also has two sake sommeliers to provide expert guidance and a pet-friendly outdoor garden for those with dogs. 100 Cyberport Road, Telegraph Bay New menus and locations 1. Yat Tung Heen Just in time for summer, Michelin-starred Yat Tung Heen, at Eaton HK, has prepared a cooling menu of authentic Cantonese fare. There are eight new dishes to look forward to including, among others, braised hairy gourd stuffed with scallops in crab roe sauce; simmered Sabah grouper with hairy gourd in supreme soup; double-boiled winter melon soup with assorted seafood, chicken, yellow fungus and lotus seed; chilled pigeon with Chinese yellow wine; and sautéed osmanthus clams and bitter melon with black beans and garlic. 2. Obihiro Hageten Hokkaido is one of the most active agricultural areas in Japan. With its origins on the island, Obihiro Hageten is showing the abundance of its home with a new menu. Highlights include simple dishes such as sweetcorn tempura, Danshaku potato with butter, and mouth-watering meat and seafood options including grilled pork loin with miso and hoba, grilled live scallop with butter, Akkeshi oyster tempura, and Hokkaido-style grilled lamb and vegetables. This is one new menu with something for everyone. 6 Hong Kong celebrity restaurateurs who lost millions due to Covid-19 3. Musubi Hiro Central’s cosy musubi-focused Musubi Hiro (the hint was in the name) is rolling out a new à la carte menu (as well as a free-flow drinks package for HK$248 (US$30) per person that comes with unlimited sake and craft beer). Highlights among the new seafood and meat dishes include 30-days snow-aged Wagyu beef that comes with fresh-grated wasabi for a kick; miso marinated duck breast with creamy black garlic mayo and Thai asparagus; and Japanese mackerel served with roasted cabbage, edamame purée and a tangy bell pepper sauce. 4. Locanda Dell’Angelo Popular Happy Valley neighbourhood restaurant Locanda Dell’Angelo is shaking things up as executive chef Steve Chiu has re-envisioned the future and direction of the restaurant. That starts with a six-course chef’s tasting menu featuring a new “Hong Kong-inspired approach to traditional Italian cuisine”. The new menu includes gambero rosso (Italian red prawn) served with sea urchin, local tofu sauce and a hazelnut emulsion; seasonal white asparagus with stem lettuce, espelette and Hong Kong soy milk mayonnaise; locally caught silver pomfret with lardo ham, onion, white fish soup and dill oil; Challans duck with aubergine, shallot and hua mei plum sauce; and pan-fried brioche with red bean cream and mascarpone ice-cream. 5. Aqua After 21 years, Aqua has moved to new digs on the 17th floor of the H Zentre on Middle Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. Fans of the restaurant’s stunning harbour view need not worry though, as the new and improved Aqua has two outdoor terraces to go alongside its restaurant and bar areas, all of which overlook Victoria Harbour. Chef Iwahashi Tatsuya continues to oversee the kitchen and its mix of Japanese and Italian cuisine, while Lorenzo Coppola, as Creative Bar Director for Aqua Restaurant Group, looks after the bar. Want more stories like this? 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