https://www.scmp.com/rss/523428/feed Pull up a chair and listen in as Hong Kong’s top F&B insiders share candid stories, expert insights and industry secrets. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Grace Brewer,Josiah Ng Grace Brewer,Josiah Ng Hong Kong’s F&B world is relentless, where late nights and high stakes become all-consuming for those who work in the industry. Some power couples though are quietly rewriting the rules of love and ambition behind closed doors. These chef, front-of-house and founder duos don’t just share a workplace – they share a vision, balancing kitchen fires with home stress through trust, clear roles and hard-won rituals. Here’s how six restaurant and bar partnerships make it work. Ludovic Chafer and Lara... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3343441/word-streat-6-fb-power-couples-what-love-looks-after-service?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3343441/word-streat-6-fb-power-couples-what-love-looks-after-service?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 04:30:10 +0000 Grace Brewer,Josiah Ng Grace Brewer,Josiah Ng It’s been a banner year for the city’s restaurants and bars. Not only did Hong Kong host the World’s 50 Best Bars for the first time (Macau having hosted Asia’s 50 Best Bars earlier in the year as well), 2025 also marked the first time that an Asian bar earned the top spot with Bar Leone taking home the honour. But it wasn’t all good news. There were high-profile closures, from Sushiyoshi to Castellana to Stockton, and a pervading sense that the city’s F&B is still adjusting to new realities... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3335988/word-streat-hong-kongs-fb-scene-2025-highs-and-lows-according-its-gurus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3335988/word-streat-hong-kongs-fb-scene-2025-highs-and-lows-according-its-gurus?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 04:45:07 +0000 Salomé Grouard Salomé Grouard In Hong Kong’s social scene, few moments are as thrilling as the first date – and the silent third guest is the venue, setting the stage for connection or complication. Who better to decode the perfect meeting place than the experts in social chemistry: bartenders? We asked the city’s masters of mood what transforms a simple bar into an ideal first date spot. They revealed the keys to atmosphere, essential etiquette and their top venue picks for that crucial first impression. Beckaly Franks “We... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3331293/word-streat-bartenders-guide-acing-first-dates-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3331293/word-streat-bartenders-guide-acing-first-dates-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 10:00:14 +0000 Tessa Yau,Douglas Parkes Tessa Yau,Douglas Parkes If you still haven’t recovered from the hectic flurry of activities that swept Hong Kong in March, the long Easter weekend is your chance. While traditional celebrations like painting eggs and eating hot cross buns are all well and good, Easter is also historically tied to a theme of revival. On Hong Kong’s ever-changing dining scene, new names continually pop up, bringing novel flavours and bold concepts. Exciting as each new restaurant or bar is, it’s hard not to feel a sense of nostalgia for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3306964/word-streat-9-restaurants-and-bars-left-their-mark-hong-kongs-dining-scene?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3306964/word-streat-9-restaurants-and-bars-left-their-mark-hong-kongs-dining-scene?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Apr 2025 04:00:20 +0000 Grace Brewer Grace Brewer The F&B industry has long been a male-dominated environment. With unsociable hours, physically demanding workloads and an often intense work culture filled with male bravado, kitchens and bars still see more men than women work their way up the ranks. However, there’s no denying that an increasing number of women are leaving their mark on the industry in Hong Kong. This International Women’s Day, 100 Top Tables spoke to female chefs, mixologists and culinary experts about their journeys,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3301455/word-streat-7-trailblazing-women-reshaping-hong-kongs-fb-scene?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3301455/word-streat-7-trailblazing-women-reshaping-hong-kongs-fb-scene?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Mar 2025 00:00:09 +0000 Grace Brewer,Josiah Ng Grace Brewer,Josiah Ng A family member, a partner … even a fellow chef. Many people have influenced the love stories behind our city’s drinks and dining scene. Ahead of Valentine’s Day, we infiltrated the bars and kitchens of Hong Kong to hear first hand how these chefs and mixologists fell in love with their craft. Alessandro Angelini, head chef at LucAle “Food has always been at the heart of my life. Growing up in Rimini, a seaside town in Italy, food wasn’t just about eating – it was about family, tradition and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3298353/word-streat-how-hong-kongs-top-chefs-and-mixologists-fell-love-their-craft?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3298353/word-streat-how-hong-kongs-top-chefs-and-mixologists-fell-love-their-craft?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Feb 2025 22:15:12 +0000 Grace Brewer,Josiah Ng Grace Brewer,Josiah Ng The new year is well and truly underway – gyms are fuller and streets are quieter after holiday revels (well, at least, until Lunar New Year) and the 100 Top Tables team hopes your resolutions are off to a great start. But what of the excellent, driven and goal-oriented leaders of our dining and drinks scenes? We recently chatted with several of them about their resolutions, how they’re looking to take this year by the reins, and whether they can lend us a little wisdom for the rest of us who... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3295060/word-streat-hong-kongs-fb-experts-their-2025-new-year-resolutions-expanding-culinary-horizons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3295060/word-streat-hong-kongs-fb-experts-their-2025-new-year-resolutions-expanding-culinary-horizons?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jan 2025 11:00:20 +0000 Douglas Parkes Douglas Parkes We’ve all been there. We’ve all burnt some toast, overcooked a steak or steamed a fish too long – and ended up with disappointing meals. It happens to the best of us – even the pros at Hong Kong’s best restaurants. The coming holidays – and the chaos that is sure to follow – prompted Hong Kong’s top chefs to take stock of their kitchen nightmares. Here, they recount some of their own worst kitchen nightmares, so cheer up, you’re not the only one. Adam Catterall, head chef, Roganic Hong... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3291647/word-streat-kitchen-nightmares-power-outages-clogged-pipes-and-exploding-siphons-hong-kongs-top?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3291647/word-streat-kitchen-nightmares-power-outages-clogged-pipes-and-exploding-siphons-hong-kongs-top?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Dec 2024 09:00:08 +0000