https://www.scmp.com/rss/514840/feed Wilson Fok is a bilingual freelance food writer with extensive editorial experience in the Hong Kong dining scene, driven by a strong sense of curiosity and an ever-growing appetite for food and the stories behind them. He is also a keen jam maker in his free time. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Wilson Fok Wilson Fok In 2024, the inaugural Chinese Wine Awards took place in Macau. The event was the first of its kind in the city, showcasing wines produced in China judged by a panel of international experts and critics. The awards have since expanded in scale, featuring a larger panel of judges, and this year included activation events in Beijing leading up to the judging sessions and award ceremony. Macau is the ideal spot for such an event: not only famous as a Unesco City of Gastronomy, but also for its... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3348625/chinese-wine-awards-elevate-ao-yun-and-other-labels-world-stage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3348625/chinese-wine-awards-elevate-ao-yun-and-other-labels-world-stage?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Wilson Fok Wilson Fok Upon opening in Shanghai in 2011, Yong Fu quickly became a mainstay in the city’s fine dining scene. Eight years later, the restaurant expanded with a discreet venue in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai district. Despite sharing the same name and culinary roots, the two branches have developed distinct identities, adapting the savoury and umami core of Ningbo cuisine to their respective regional palates. Their shared foundational philosophy, as explained by Shanghai’s chef Xu Kun-lei, involves honouring... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3337999/local-approaches-ningbo-cuisine-yong-fu-hong-kong-and-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3337999/local-approaches-ningbo-cuisine-yong-fu-hong-kong-and-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 05:00:08 +0000 Wilson Fok Wilson Fok While Shanghainese and Sichuan cuisines have long been staples of Hong Kong’s dining scene, an unheralded underdog is finally catching the attention of the city’s adventurous eaters. Hunan (or Xiang) cuisine is a vibrant, chilli-laden style of cooking often mistaken for its spicy sibling from Sichuan. But as Hong Kong continues to navigate the numbing fire of mala, the distinct heat of Hunan is carving out its own devoted following. Landlocked in south-central China and bordering Guangdong,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3326382/hong-kongs-furong-shows-hunan-fare-not-just-other-spicy-cuisine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3326382/hong-kongs-furong-shows-hunan-fare-not-just-other-spicy-cuisine?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 10:15:09 +0000 Wilson Fok Wilson Fok Mountains of fiery red chillies, sizzling oil cascading into pots of simmering fish, and that signature tingling numbness that dances on the tongue – Sichuan cooking thrills diners, leaving them flushed and exhilarated with every bite. Regarded as one of the “four great traditions of Chinese food”, Sichuan cuisine has a rich history. Its magnetic allure captivates food lovers, both local and international, drawing them into a world of bold, unforgettable flavours. In fact, the first Chinese city... https://www.scmp.com/specialist-publications/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3320770/chengdu-tempers-fire-other-flavours-its-refined-sichuan-cuisine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/specialist-publications/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3320770/chengdu-tempers-fire-other-flavours-its-refined-sichuan-cuisine?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 02:00:09 +0000 Wilson Fok Wilson Fok When China Tang originally opened in Hong Kong in 2013, it came in the wake of two other restaurants by celebrated bon vivant Sir David Tang. Despite its late arrival, China Tang has survived both Island Tang and Kowloon Tang, proving to be the most enduring of its late founder’s concepts here (if one excludes the members-only China Club). The restaurant even survived the HK$3.1 billion makeover at The Landmark that has claimed both MO Bar and Please Don’t Tell. Having closed for a brief... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3312729/hong-kong-restaurant-china-tang-returns-and-its-new-menu-inspired?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3312729/hong-kong-restaurant-china-tang-returns-and-its-new-menu-inspired?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Jun 2025 10:00:18 +0000 Wilson Fok Wilson Fok Upon entering a restaurant, the way you are greeted and seen to your table provides that vital first impression. But come the end of a meal, it is up to dessert to ensure diners leave on a high note, no matter what came before. “It’s the finale … a bad dessert can ruin the meal,” insisted Anne McManus, then executive pastry chef at Manhattan’s Maloney & Porcelli, in an interview in 2000. Since the pandemic, as Hong Kong’s F&B industry deals with a labour shortage and a change in dining habits,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3311204/3-new-pastry-chefs-hong-kong-who-are-redefining-desserts-innovative-twists-classics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3311204/3-new-pastry-chefs-hong-kong-who-are-redefining-desserts-innovative-twists-classics?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 May 2025 12:00:14 +0000 As Hong Kong’s F&B industry looks to lower its food miles and adopt more sustainable practices, the city’s fine dining establishments are increasingly exploring their options when it comes to sourcing ingredients locally. That has meant adapting to ocean harvests from nearby waters or exploring the fertile terroirs of the New Territories. In Hong Kong, the most eco-conscious restaurants aren’t just using local ingredients, they’re using hyperlocal ingredients. Opened in January 2022, Mora is... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3300313/inside-hyperlocal-transformation-hong-kongs-fine-dining-scene-restaurants-go-green-moras-soy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3300313/inside-hyperlocal-transformation-hong-kongs-fine-dining-scene-restaurants-go-green-moras-soy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Feb 2025 04:45:13 +0000 In many countries, Christmas isn’t Christmas without a large roast bird at the centre of the culinary celebrations. These days, turkey is the bird of choice, but goose used to be the preferred, more affordable option – until Scrooge barges in with a turkey as a treat, the Cratchits are planning to eat a goose in A Christmas Carol. Here in Hong Kong, meanwhile, roast goose has never fallen from favour, irrespective of the time of year. Whether hung on display at barbecue shops or simmered in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3290476/tired-turkey-best-roast-goose-hong-kong-christmas-season-restaurants-kamcentre-and-man-ho-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3290476/tired-turkey-best-roast-goose-hong-kong-christmas-season-restaurants-kamcentre-and-man-ho-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Dec 2024 23:00:11 +0000 Chilli oil took the heat early this year when David Chang, of Momofuku fame, sent a cease-and-desist Dto two brands of chilli oil producers as he attempted to trademark his “chilli crunch” product. The trademark request quickly turned sour, burnt out, and eventually Chang walked back his trademark attempt and apologised. But what makes such a humble condiment – found on tables everywhere in Hong Kong, from Michelin-starred venues to cha chaan tengs – so important that an American food mogul... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3278815/over-momofuku-how-make-spicy-chilli-oil-home-according-2-hong-kong-chefs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3278815/over-momofuku-how-make-spicy-chilli-oil-home-according-2-hong-kong-chefs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Sep 2024 03:00:08 +0000 The kumquat, the smallest fruit in the citrus family, is a common sight during Lunar New Year, thanks in part to its resemblance to a small gold nugget. The word “kumquat” is loosely based on the Cantonese characters for gum (“gold”) and gat (“orange” – the fruit, rather than the colour). These tiny “golden oranges” have thin, edible skin and a higher proportion of membrane and pulp than other citrus fruits. When ripe, the kumquat is generally sweet, but there are tart varieties. While kumquats... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3250718/what-kumquat-seen-everywhere-lunar-new-year-citrus-fruit-tiny-orange-and-favourite-ingredient-fine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3250718/what-kumquat-seen-everywhere-lunar-new-year-citrus-fruit-tiny-orange-and-favourite-ingredient-fine?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Feb 2024 04:45:16 +0000 Glossy pages of evocative writing, highly styled photographs of ingredients and dishes, and mouthwatering recipes are only part of the allure of cookbooks. They can also document history and the stories of the people behind it. But what role does a physical cookbook play today, when recipes are merely a click away? And how do these culinary volumes help us to understand more about food, and ourselves? At restaurants, food books are often on display, reflecting both the personality and discipline... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3213078/it-isnt-only-about-cooking-why-cookbooks-are-still-being-devoured-readers-digital-age-when-recipes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3213078/it-isnt-only-about-cooking-why-cookbooks-are-still-being-devoured-readers-digital-age-when-recipes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Mar 2023 05:15:13 +0000 A lunch crowd gathers at a cha chaan teng, the Hong Kong equivalent of a greasy spoon. Staff brush past carrying scalding milk teas, scrambled eggs on toast and instant noodles. But every so often, a show-stopper enters the fray: you’ll spot its toasty leopard spots of caramelised cheese crust atop a matt blanket of red sauce, coating seasoned pork chops draped across a bed of fried rice. Everything about the guk ju pa fan – baked pork chop rice – feels right, and it is one of the defining... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3209325/baked-pork-chop-rice-history-defining-hong-kong-comfort-food-its-humble-roots-and-fine-dining?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/food-drink/article/3209325/baked-pork-chop-rice-history-defining-hong-kong-comfort-food-its-humble-roots-and-fine-dining?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Feb 2023 04:45:54 +0000