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Lisa Cam

Hong Kong has long been a food mecca, known both for its humble milk tea and fish balls and its numerous Michelin-star restaurants.
The city naturally has a reputation for Cantonese food, from dim sum and roast meats to more refined dishes made with luxurious ingredients such as fish maw and abalone.
Hong Kong restaurants that serve creative interpretations of Cantonese cuisine, such as The Chairman, Bo Innovation and Wing, have long been on diners’ radars. But chefs who present unique concepts between traditional Cantonese and contemporary Western cuisine can also thrive.
Here are five chefs to watch, who are putting their own spin on Hong Kong cuisine and taking it to another level. They tell us what Hong Kong flavours mean to them.
1. Thomas Tam

After working at top restaurants such as Petrus and Sushiyoshi, Thomas Tam opened Thomas & T’s in Hong Kong’s Central neighbourhood in April. Tam presents Japanese-French fusion cuisine with a Hong Kong twist.
Asked what Hong Kong flavour means to him, he says: “It is the flavours of yesteryear such as the wok hei from a dai pai dong, tastes from my childhood, but also embodying the Lion Rock spirit.”
Wok hei, which translates as “breath of the wok”, refers to the smoky flavour that stir-frying imparts on food; dai pai dong are Hong Kong open-air street-food stalls; and the Lion Rock spirit refers to the can-do spirit of Hongkongers embodied in the long-running television series Below the Lion Rock – Lion Rock being a mountain that overlooks East KowloonOPTIONAL CUT END.

One of Tam’s dishes that represents Hong Kong flavour features salted fish and bok choy and is inspired by Hong Kong singer George Lam’s Need You Every Minute.
In the 1980 Cantopop hit, Lam sings about how a cheap dish made with these ingredients can still taste delicious if enjoyed with a loved one.
For the dish, Tam pan-sears horse mackerel until the outside is crisp, then places it on a bed of onion and salted horse mackerel jus before topping it with deep-fried bok choy leaves.

Thomas & T’s, 22/F, Foco, 46-48 Cochrane Street, Central
2. Sandy Keung
Sandy Keung is a self-taught chef with more than 10 years’ experience in hospitality.
A former accountant, hedge fund manager and chief financial officer of a listed company, she made a splash in March with the reopening of her restaurant Table by Sandy Keung in a new location.

For Keung, Hong Kong identity is fluid.
“Given our historical background, East meets West is not merely a simple meet-up,” she says. “I think for many people like me, we are so used to weaving in and out of Eastern and Western culture the combination becomes our own, third culture.”
The seasonal menus at Table feature updated versions of classic Hong Kong dishes such as black pork char siu rice and baked Iberico pork chop rice made with meat from Hong Kong-raised pigs.

Keung’s favourite dish is her typhoon shelter crab angel hair pasta, for which she experimented painstakingly to get her recipe for chilli oil just right.
“Typhoon shelter crab is a traditional dish of boatpeople in Hong Kong and is a dish we’ve all grown to love,” Keung says. “To turn this into a pasta is only natural for someone who grew up like me.”
Table by Sandy Keung, 23/F, H Queen’s, 80 Queen’s Road Central, Central
3. Frankie Wong

Having worked with Maxime Gilbert at now-closed Ecriture, Frankie Wong has long been a rising star in Hong Kong’s dining scene.
Ankoma, his intimate counter restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui, is a Michelin Guide selected restaurant – one not deemed worthy of stars or other awards but nevertheless recommended. Wong won the Michelin Guide Hong Kong and Macau 2025’s young chef award.
His signature dish, butter-aged lobster seared on lava stones dotted with house-made chilli oil, is popular with his guests.


To Wong, the taste of Hong Kong is the flavours of street food and traditional Hong Kong-style cha chaan teng cafes.
“Satay beef noodles – a breakfast staple – represents how Hong Kong cuisine has evolved through influences from Southeast Asia,” he says.
“Curry fish balls has a similar story. When Indian curry culture was introduced to the city, over time Hong Kong absorbed these flavours and, by combining Teochew (Chiu Chow) fish ball-making techniques with Indian spices, transformed them into a now-classic street food.”
The baked pork chop rice with sauce vadouvan and cheese, on Ankoma’s terrace set menu, reflects this evolution.

“Our French-style baked pork chop rice pays tribute to the Hong Kong-style cha chaan teng. Baked rice is one of the most iconic local casual dishes, and for this version we use a French-Indian vadouvan curry sauce along with elements from French cuisine, like rich sauces and cheese.
“Combined with the cha chaan teng-style baked rice, it becomes something uniquely our own,” Wong says.
Ankoma, 5/F, Kam Lung Commercial Centre, 2 Hart Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui
4. Tony Mok
Tony Mok’s restaurant Path is another intimate counter space opened in Tsim Sha Tsui this year. The chef trained at Michelin-star restaurants including Amber, Mono, Ecriture and Singapore’s Zen.

At Path, Mok believes that heritage itself is a flavour.
“Heritage doesn’t just bring stories, it brings flavours and the culinary wisdom passed down by chefs before us, so I aim to blend Western techniques to recreate Hong Kong flavours,” he says.
One example of this is Mok’s reinterpretation of stir-fried scallops with broccoli – a classic banquet dish.
To recreate the dish in a single bite, he uses charred broccoli with brown butter to mimic the element of wok hei and house-made XO sauce to slowly fry the ingredients until caramelised. The broccoli is served with a scallop lightly torched, diced and seasoned into a tartare.
Path, Shop A, 1/F, 68 Kimberley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
5. Zinc Leung

Zinc Leung of Sushi Zinc chooses to showcase a different – but essential – side of Hong Kong cuisine.
“I believe the true essence lies in the abundant supply of fresh seafood that Hong Kong offers,” he says.
“Many places around the world boast rich and diverse seafood resources, but few can rival Hong Kong, where live fish and seafood are readily available across all 18 districts. This is a reflection of how deeply Hongkongers value freshness.”

At his counter restaurant in Shau Kei Wan, Leung serves Hong Kong-caught fish in refined Edomae-style sushi. This is no small feat, as there is no official road map for the treatment of and knife work for locally sourced fish. Leung often has to figure it out himself.
“Fan-bellied leatherjackets have recently come into season,” he says. “Although the fish is well known in Japan as kawahagi, it’s rarely served in Hong Kong because of the challenges of transport and preservation.
“While its liver is considered a delicacy, the freshness of the flesh is just as important. Because it takes over 12 hours to process and deliver the fish from Japan, the meat often softens during transit.

“In contrast, locally caught leatherjacket can be prepared and served within two hours, ensuring the texture remains at its best.”
The leatherjacket at Sushi Zinc is served as a nigiri – the most common kind of sushi with raw fish atop a bed of rice – with a layer of fish liver mixed with chopped scallions between the fish and rice. After a few bites, the flavours of the liver, fish flesh, rice and scallions meld in the mouth.
Sushi Zinc, Shop A1, G/F, Pak Ling Mansion, 5-11 Miu Tung Street, Shau Kei Wan


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Food and Drinks

The flavours of Hong Kong? 5 up-and-coming chefs redefining Cantonese cuisine weigh in

Butter-aged lobster at Hong Kong restaurant Ankoma. Photo: Ankoma

A riff on classic Cantonese stir-fried scallops and broccoli by Tony Mok of Path, one of the young chefs pushing the boundaries of Hong Kong cuisine. Photo: Path

Thomas Tam serves Japanese-French fusion food with a Hong Kong twist at Thomas & T’s in Central. Photo: Thomas & T’s

The interior of Thomas & T’s. Photo: Thomas & T’s

A salted fish and bok choy dish at Thomas & T’s inspired by George Lam’s Need You Every Minute. Photo: Thomas & T’s

Sandy Keung recently relocated her restaurant Table by Sandy Keung from Sheung Wan to Central. Photo: Table by Sandy Keung

The interiors of Table by Sandy Keung. Photo: Table by Sandy Keung

Frankie Wong, winner of the Michelin Guide Hong Kong and Macau 2025’s young chef award. Photo: Ankoma

Counter seating at Ankoma in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Ankoma

Ankoma’s butter-aged lobster seared on lava stones dotted with house-made chilli oil. Photo: Ankoma

Wong says Ankoma’s French-style baked pork chop rice is a dish “uniquely our own”. Photo: Ankoma

Tony Mok worked at Michelin-star restaurants in Hong Kong and Singapore before opening Path in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Path

Zinc Leung showcases Hong Kong seafood at Sushi Zinc in Shau Kei Wan. Photo: Sushi Zinc

Sushi made with locally caught fish at Sushi Zinc. Photo: Sushi Zinc

The counter at Sushi Zinc. Photo: Sushi Zinc

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Goose Island Taproom has opened in Central. Photo: Goose Island Taproom

Dishes at Chengdu Restaurant bring an authentic taste of Sichuan. Photo: Chengdu Restaurant

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The inside of Bacha Coffee’s flagship store in Harbour City.

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A dish from Sing Garden. Photo: Instagram/singgardenhk

Edward Voon’s well-loved laksa will be on the menu at Voon. Photo: Voon

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Hunanese restaurant chain Laomaque’s first branch outside mainland China has opened in Wan Chai. Photo: Handout 

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Morton’s The Steakhouse is offering two special steaks for Father’s Day 2025 in Hong Kong, including this 16oz dry-aged rib-eye, served with thick-cut onion rings and black truffle aioli. Photo: Morton’s The Steakhouse

Ruen’s Father’s Day menu comprises eight sharing dishes showcasing Thai flavours for HK$288 per person. Photo: Ruen

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Deep-fried shrimps with bell pepper, pineapple and black vinegar, part of Playt’s “Super Dad’s Nutritious Father’s Day Buffet”. Photo: Playt

Treat dad to a harbour cruise aboard the Aqualuna this Father’s Day. Photo: Aqualuna

Dubai chocolate cigars (HK$208/four pieces), created for Father’s Day by Butterfly Patisserie at the Rosewood Hong Kong. Photo: Butterfly Patisserie

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Sensation’s char siu marinated in a cognac sauce. Photo: Sensation

Hong Kong chef Samuel Lee Sum moved to Paris in 2014 and opened his fine-dining restaurant Sensation there in February 2025. Photo: Sensation

Sensation’s Cantonese char siu marinated and basted in a cognac sauce. Photo: Sensation

Sensation’s oysters, marinated in Chiu Chow sauce with garlic, chillies, cilantro and sesame oil. Photo: Sensation

Deep-fried spring rolls topped with Comte cheese at Sensation. Photo: Sensation

At Sensation, Lee’s Peking duck is marinated using ingredients typically used for Cantonese roast duck. He says the duck can be eaten as is, but is best wrapped in a pancake. Photo: Sensation

Pan-fried radish cakes with dried shrimp topped with cured Iberico ham (bottom) and shrimp croquettes with Sichuan peppercorn sauce at Sensation. Photo: Sensation

The interior of Sensation, where Lee wants to “to experiment and try new things”. Photo: Sensation

A selection of dishes at Sensation. Photo: Sensation

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Bartenders at Chandu create drinks with a narrative that are loosely based on history. Photo: The Robertson House by the Crest Collection

A bartender mixes a drink at Chandu, one of our picks of six of the best hidden speakeasy bars in Singapore. Photo: The Robertson House by the Crest Collection

The Mizuwari whisky highball at Live Twice uses Hokkaido soft water rather than soda to accentuate the malt notes of the Japanese Nikka whiskies. Photo: Instagram/@livetwicesg

Chandu is inspired by Singapore’s colonial era, when opium dens flourished in the city state. Photo: The Robertson House by The Crest Collection

Chandu’s Mata Hari cocktail is named after a Dutch dancer and courtesan. Photo: Facebook/Chandu

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Oriental Elixir’s Malabar Tamarind cocktail combines the sour ingredient with roasted cherry tomato gin, dry vermouth. Photo: Instagram/@oriental.elixir

Junior the Pocket Bar is a small, 25-seater speakeasy that tasks itself with changing the menu completely every few months. Photo: Philipp Meier

A cocktail titled Sesame from the Korea-inspired menu at Junior the Pocket Bar. Photo: Junior the Pocket Bar

Jade Harbour is part of The Bund menu currently offered at Junior the Pocket Bar, inspired by the Shanghai district. Credit: Junior the Pocket Bar

For its Korean Joseon dynasty-inspired menu, the interiors of Junior the Pocket Bar featured dragons. Photo: Philipp Meier

Roxy is a hip-hop-inspired speakeasy hidden inside the Miss Fitz restaurant in Singapore’s Marina Bay. Photo: Facebook/Roxy

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Last Word has finessed tipples that were invented in the 1920s. Photo: Philipp Meier

Last Word’s eponymous cocktail is a classic, blending gin, maraschino liqueur, green chartreuse and lime. Photo: Instagram/@lastwordsg

Lifestyle

Food & Drink

Inspired variously by street food, Cantopop and locally caught fish, chefs put new and flavourful spins on familiar Hong Kong dishes


Inspired variously by street food, Cantopop and locally caught fish, chefs put new and flavourful spins on familiar Hong Kong dishes.
