Header photo: Moonlight hor fun by Singaporean eatery Keng Eng Kee (KEK) Seafood (guest of Auor this month)

Fabulous new restaurants & offers to try in Hong Kong in November

You’ll have a packed feasting calendar this month with these exciting newcomers, limited-time pop-ups and delicious menus – please keep checking back as we add more goodies to the list throughout the month!

---

Auor x Keng Eng Kee (KEK) Seafood (Singapore) – 4-hands dinners by Edward Voon + Wayne Liew

Fans of Singaporean cuisine with cash to spare should make a beeline for this exciting four-hands event at Auor, Chef Edward Voon’s Southeast-Asian-influenced fine-dining restaurant in Wanchai. For three nights only, Chef Voon will be teaming up with fellow Singaporean chef Wayne Liew of legendary Lion City eatery Keng Eng Kee (KEK) Seafood for a four-hands menu combining the best of both worlds – fine-dining sophistication and casual, family-style eats – to celebrate everything diners love about Singaporean gastronomy. Highlights of the 10-course tasting menu – Hail to the Flavours of Life – include the fermented shrimp chicken and Malabar black pepper lobster from Auor and KEK’s signature Sri Lankan crab with salted egg yolk and “moonlight” hor fun (topped with an egg yolk).

---

CACAOLAB – new multi-level chocolate shop in Causeway Bay

Local bean-to-bar sustainable cacao brand CACAOLAB has opened its first shop dedicated to chocolate in all its luscious glory. The three-storey space is a chocoholic’s dream come true, from the eye-catching chocolate wall, to the delectable chocolates, cacao-infused bakery treats and speciality cacao beverages on offer at the café, to Hong Kong’s one-and-only cacao museum. We can’t wait to immerse ourselves in this chocolate wonderland!

---

Cookie DPT Deli – pop-up at The Upper House

Home-grown cookie maker Cookie DPT is helping The Upper House to celebrate its recent ranking as the number 4 hotel in the world by The World’s 50 Best Hotels with this deli-inspired pop-up where their new layered and filled pastry buns include an exclusive Earl Grey flavour. Other items we can’t wait to sink our teeth into are the brand’s beloved cookies in weekly-changing flavours, brownies, burnt Basque cheesecake and even sarnies like French onion grilled cheese, tuna melt and Cubano.

---

Cucina at Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel – guest chef Igor Macchia of Italy’s Michelin-starred La Credenza returns with an innovative tasting menu

For just five days, diners at Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel’s acclaimed Italian restaurant Cucina can delight in the refined Michelin-starred Italian cuisine of Chef Igor Macchia of Piedmont’s La Credenza, with both à-la-carte dishes and a four-course dinner tasting menu showcasing the chef’s culinary innovation and expertise. The chef’s creative dishes uniquely fuse classic Piedmontese elements with Asian twists, most notably in the oyster risotto gilded with umami soy-sauce gelatine cubes. During his stint at Cucina, diners will also have the opportunity to experience Chef Macchia’s culinary creations alongside fine wines from Piedmont at a one-night-only wine-pairing dinner hosted by Pietro Viglino Oddero, the seventh-generation owner of the historic Oddero Poderi e Cantine winery in Piedmont.

Where: 6/F, Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel, Harbour City, 3–27 Canton Road, TST
When: 29 November–3 December 2023, lunch and dinner; 4-course wine-pairing dinner on 29 November
How much: 4-course dinner tasting menu – HK$888/person, with wine pairings priced at +HK$440; 4-course wine-pairing dinner – HK$1,450/person
For reservations: phone 2113 0808, email info@cucinahk.com or book online

---

Fall in Thai – Thai-style hotpot restaurant from Shanghai opens at New Town Plaza

A super-popular restaurant that originated in Shanghai in 2019, this location at New Town Plaza in Sha Tin marks the first HK branch for the Fall in Thai brand. Their signature slow-cooked Thai broths – in particular, the tangy and umami tom yum goong shrimp broth, pictured above – are the highlights, but the premium seafood “treasure chest”, handmade shrimp rolls and cuttlefish balls, Thai street food (like lemongrass chicken wings and grilled pork neck) and Insta-friendly desserts and drinks (whole coconut pudding, here we come) are also making waves with diners.

---

Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair 2023 – fine global beverage showcase organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC)

Now in its 15th year, the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair is the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC)’s annual showcase of a diverse range of premium wines, spirits and beers from around the world, as well as wine-related products and services. This year, the fair is set to host more than 500 exhibitors from 17 countries and regions including Old and New World wines, wines and liquor from Mainland China and Japan, as well as whisky and beer. Open to the public for just one day, guests can look forward to seminars, tasting sessions and masterclasses, plus snacks and nibbles in the Friends of Wine zone. This is a must-visit event for oenophiles!

---

Hypebeans – standalone café opens in Causeway Bay

This uber-cool HK/Tokyo coffee concept is debuting its first standalone café in the Kong, a cosy spot inspired by the newsstands of the Big Apple offering a niche selection of magazines, limited-edition merch and renowned barista Sawada Hiroshi’s range of HK- and Tokyo-style tea and coffee drinks. Home-grown F&B brands also make an appearance at Hypebeans – this month, we can anticipate Dough Beings’ matcha brûlée and satay beef bomboloni (available 16–18 and 20–25 November).

---

JUNO – new Italian-Mediterranean restaurant in Sheung Wan

From early November, JUNO is set to take diners on a playful culinary journey across the southern coast of Europe. The restaurant’s kitchen is led by Chef Jordi Vallés Claverol, most recently of tapas hotspot Chueca. The chef’s menu presents authentic Italian and Mediterranean-inspired signature dishes such as this lobster Acquerello risotto, a seafood noodle-style paella known as fideos and Provençal milk-fed lamb ballotine. This casual-chic eatery with its wine list of hand-picked bottles from Italy, France and Spain is an ode to the charms of the Med.

---

LANDMARK Tasting Mastery Season – art-meets-cuisine gastronomic collaborations

LANDMARK’s Tasting Mastery Season, partnering with a line-up of acclaimed restaurants to offer exclusive tasting menus, continues this month, this time with an art focus. Three renowned international contemporary artists – street artist James Jarvis from London, French illustrator Jean Jullien and South Korean, NYC-based landscape painter Yoon Hyup – have designed limited-edition collectible crockery to be featured alongside special dinner tasting menus at eight fine-dining establishments at LANDMARK, and diners will get to take home one of these special plates as a memento of their artful gastronomic experience. Be sure to register online for the Tasting Mastery Season before making a booking at your preferred restaurant.

---

La Suite at Clarence – new French speakeasy in Central by Chef Olivier Elzer

This chic speakeasy (with outdoor lounge) is nestled within Michelin-starred chef Olivier Elzer’s contemporary French restaurant Clarence. La Suite makes for its own destination, offering the sophisticated, intimate feel of a private hotel suite. Overseeing the French-influenced beverage programme is French native Max Traverse, a well-known figure in the HK mixology scene, who presents guests with inventive cocktails showcasing French herbs and spices. Chef Elzer’s ”Yakifrenchy” skewers are a fitting complement to the drinks.

---

Leela – new modern Indian restaurant in Causeway Bay by Chef Manav Tuli

When Chef Manav Tuli departed Michelin-starred CHAAT at Rosewood Hong Kong earlier this year, we wondered with bated breath where the renowned Indian chef would turn up next, either in the 852 or beyond. Now, the wait is over, and lucky for us, the chef is headlining his very own eatery – Leela – at Lee Garden Three in Causeway Bay, a partnership with JIA Group. At Leela, guests can expect a whimsical culinary journey that pays homage to India’s most influential empires, with a particular focus on the Maurya Empire of around 300 BCE. Sustainability is also a key feature of the restaurant, even in terms of the menu itself, which is made from recycled corn. Local pork, seafood and vegetables are used whenever possible, and the spices, lentils and millets are sourced from a trusted organic and GMO-free Indian supplier. Open for dinner from Tuesday the 7th.

---

Liberty Exchange x Patois (Toronto) – Me, Myself & I 6-hands dinners by Christopher Tuthill, Yong Soo Doo + Craig Wong

There will be lots of culinary collaborating this month over at Liberty Exchange. Caribbean-Chinese cuisine meets Korean and American fare with an eight-course six-hands tasting menu by Executive Chef Christopher Tuthill, Liberty Group Chef Yong Soo Do and guest Chinese-Jamaican chef Craig Wong of Patois in Toronto. Coconut ceviche, Jamaican beef patties, jerk chicken, oxtail ravioli and oolong-rum ice cream are just some of the drool-worthy highlights.

---

Liberty Group – Forbidden Duck, Cloud Nine Hotpot & Qi – House of Sichuan open in Quarry Bay

Hot on the heels of Liberty’s Group’s six-hands dinners (see above), the F&B group is greatly expanding its portfolio with the opening of three restaurants at Taikoo Place’s Berkshire House in Quarry Bay, taking up the entire second floor of the newly refurbished building. First up, we have another outpost of Michelin-starred “Demon Chef” Alvin Leung’s Forbidden Duck, well loved for its top-notch Peking duck, dim sum and innovative Cantonese cuisine. This branch is helmed by Executive Chinese Chef Hsu Ping Chiu, who previously led the kitchen at three-starred T’ang Court.

Moving from China to Southeast Asia, there’s a spot for Cloud Nine Hotpot, which showcases seven signature Southeast Asian-inspired hotpot broths (shout-out to the Thai tom yum goong, Nyonya laksa and Vietnamese beef bone). Finally, refined Sichuan specialist Qi – House of Sichuan is set to join its neighbours later in the month.

In celebration of the opening of the newest branches of this trio of culinary hotspots, Liberty Group are offering diners a 20% discount (dinnertime only) at Forbidden Duck and Cloud Nine Hotpot until the end of November. In addition, for every HK$500 spent at any of the three new branches, guests will receive a HK$100 dining voucher for dinner.

---

LMO Freshly Baked Special Edition – pop-up at LANDMARK

This special edition of Michelin-starred chef Richard Ekkebus’ LMO Freshly Baked places the spotlight on burnt Basque cheesecake. Four reimagined flavours of this classic Spanish pastry have debuted this month (original, double bourbon vanilla, matcha and kabocha pumpkin), to be followed by a a range of mystery festive flavours launching in December. These cheesecakes, crafted with local ingredients, are the joint creations of Chef Ekkebus and Executive Pastry Chef Carles Codina of The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, a recent transplant to Hong Kong with a wealth of experience at Michelin-starred establishments around the world. To add a tasty spin to the series, there are four homemade toppings to embellish the cheesecakes; these include forest berry compote, mikan marmalade, Conspiracy 75% dark chocolate Dak Lak sauce and bourbon vanilla Chantilly. Online orders are also available.

---

Mr Wolf – new chef Fred Sistelo debuts a new winter menu

Now heading up Mr Wolf’s modern European kitchen is Chef Fred Sistelo, who has a diverse range of experience at top restaurants around Hong Kong. Most recently, he founded atelier turned private kitchen Mesa, drawing inspiration from his Portuguese roots. On Chef Sistelo’s new à-la-carte winter menu at Mr Wolf, available until March next year, are fresh, creative dishes like warm zucchini and pumpkin salad with brown butter and almond vinaigrette, grilled squid with spiced burnt tomato and finger-lime salsa and Ibérico pork rack with polenta, Madeira and grain-mustard sauce.

---

Plaa x KHAAN (Bangkok) – 4-hands menus by Santipap “Tor” Tonkanya + Sujira “Aom” Pongmorn

This is a special opportunity for diners to experience the breadth of Thailand’s culinary landscape, with Chef Santipap “Tor” Tonkanya of seafood-centric Thai restaurant Plaa welcoming Chef Sujira “Aom” Pongmorn of Bangkok’s modern Thai eatery KHAAN (it’s worth mentioning that Chef Pongmorn was named Thailand’s first-ever recipient of the Michelin Young Chef Award in 2021 for her achievements at one-starred Saawaan). The lunch and dinner tasting menus feature creative dishes by both chefs – including a joint dish of 48-hour dry-aged and grilled threadfin fillet with kale sauce and crispy fish.

---

Plaisance by Mauro Colagreco – new marine-inspired French dining destination in Central by Chef Mauro Colagreco of three-starred Mirazur (Menton, France)

Surely one of the most anticipated openings of the year, Lai Sun Dining will this month unveil their passion project with celebrated chef Mauro Colagreco of three-Michelin-starred Mirazur on the French Riviera, which also held The World’s Best Restaurant title from 2019 until 2021. The chef is committed to sustainability, and at the end of last year, he was the first chef nominated to be the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity. It is with these impressive credentials that Plaisance by Mauro Colagreco has come to life.

The three-storey venue is inspired by the different layers of the ocean, with each floor offering a one-off culinary experience. On the ground floor, P Lounge by Plaisance is a relatively casual all-day-dining affair offering lunch, afternoon tea, cocktails and more. The first floor houses the stunning fine-dining restaurant Plaisance, which is dedicated to impeccable seasonal seafood dishes crafted by Executive Chef Héloïse Fischbach, a disciple of both Chef Colagreco and Chef Alain Passard of three-starred Arpège, a trailblazing vegetable-focused haute-cuisine restaurant in Paris (in Hong Kong, Chef Fischbach was most recently the chef de cuisine at two-starred Écriture, which is no more). Finally, the basement is home to a members-only club for private dining and premium whisky experiences.

---

Posso – new Sunday pasta workshops

Italian communal diner Posso, which uniquely specialises in contemporary Venetian-inspired cicchetti, is launching a series of hands-on pasta workshops this month in celebration of its second anniversary. The cappelletti-making workshops are conducted in both Cantonese and English and include free-flow wine, Italian bites (including two pasta dishes crafted by Chef Max Wong himself) and participants’ very own handmade pasta to take home. As a bonus, guests will also be gifted with goody bags containing Posso’s signature dried pasta, a Posso signature recipe, exclusive discounted Posso merch and, for the first 10 workshops, a 15%-off lunch voucher.

---

Rue Du Liban – new contemporary Lebanese restaurant in Jordan

The brainchild of restaurateur Imran Khaleel and Egyptian chef Maged Makram, who boast over four decades of F&B experience between them, Rue Du Liban is a tribute to the fresh, heady flavours of Lebanon. The beautifully designed restaurant with its hanging-garden ceiling presents an authentic Lebanese menu offering an array of authentic hot and cold mezze, grills and wines from Lebanon, one of the world’s oldest wine-producing regions. The weekday set lunch menu (from HK$108/person) offers incredible value-for-money dining; it includes a main of your choice along with soup of the day, a selection of freshly made mezze such as hummus, tabbouleh, muhammara and falafel, Lebanese rice, pitta, dessert and a drink. Yalla, habibi!

---

Smoke & Barrel – Smokehouse Masters Unleashed series with guest chef Esdras Ochoa of 11 Westside

The second edition of Smoke & Barrel’s new once-a-month collaboration series with top culinary talents from around town, this month sees Chef Esdras Ochoa of K-Town Mexican eatery 11 Westside (and The Final Table fame) strutting his stuff at the restaurant’s infamous wood-fired smoker, The Beast. Chef Ochoa is set to showcase his signature creations along with fun twists on Smoke & Barrel’s existing BBQ-driven offerings (the chef is known as LA’s “Taco King”, so we expect a taco or two to make a welcome appearance).

---

Soft Thunder – new flagship bakery-café in Wanchai

Soft Thunder has taken Kennedy Town by storm since its opening there in 2021, and now, the artisanal brand has debuted a flagship 2,000-square-foot bakery and café concept in Wanchai. The French-style viennoiserie – like croissants, cinnamon rolls, palmiers and colourful “unicorn” puffs – is exemplary, with flapship exclusives including crème caramel danish, filled bagels and coffee drinks courtesy of home-grown coffee roaster roastwork. The dine-in area is inspired by the laid-back charm of the American West Coast, and we expect it to soon become a popular stomping ground for those who live or work near Three Pacific Place.

---

Takumi Mixology Salon – new Japanese cocktail bar in Causeway Bay

PONG Group has officially launched this stunner of a cocktail bar on the same floor as their duo of refined Japanese-dining newcomers, Sushi Houzan and Teppanyaki Mihara GOTEN. It’s at intimate 18-seat Takumi that Chief Group Bartender Rayven Leung crafts bespoke cocktails that align with each guest’s preferences, from base spirit to flavour profile – even down to the type of ice, glassware and garnish utilised. Seasonal ingredients are paramount at Takumi, as is the concept of omotenashi, the Japanese principle of intuitive hospitality. For those less inclined towards customisation, a list of signature cocktails offers trusted customer favourites; we’re partial to Zen, a smoky tipple inspired by the serenity of zendō (Japanese meditation halls), made with Takumi sandalwood vodka, blended house vermouth, blended scotch and hojicha.

---

Te Quiero Mucho – pop-up at Ovolo Southside

For a limited time, Southsiders can head to Ovolo Southside for a taste of Te Quiero Mucho’s authentic tacos, classic Mexican cocktails like margaritas and palomas and more traditional eats from Guadalajara. The lunch sets – HK$158 for two courses or HK$178 for three courses – are particularly recommended.

---

Terracotta Lamma – new bar & terrace restaurant on Lamma Island

Billed as “your seaside home away from home”, Terracotta Lamma is a chilled Lamma newcomer that comes to us from the folks behind Shady Acres, Honky Tonks Tavern and Quality Goods Club. The waterfront spot, which is set inside a charming village house, features both a bar and restaurant terrace serving up easy-drinking cocktails and Mediterranean fare, with a charcoal grill taking centre stage. This is exciting news for day-trippers to Lamma who are looking for quality food and drink pre- or post-hike or beach session. Later in the year, we can also expect the launch of Terracotta’s “abobe”, where guests can stay overnight.

---

TokyoLima – new Intoxicating Collection menu

TokyoLima is shaking things up with the unveiling of the Intoxicating Collection, an innovative menu created by Culinary Director Chef Arturo Melendez and Head Chef Justin Lo. By exploring the world of edible perfumes, the Japanese-Peruvian restaurant hopes to enhance its already deeply aromatic, bold Nikkei flavours. Standout dishes include the ceviche aromatico (HK$175), showcasing an extremely fragrant edible perfume made of lemon leaf, and the langosta ahumada (HK$480), pictured above, which is a smoked and butter-poached lobster bathed in an oak-aged bourbon-bisque sauce.

---

RELATED: New Restaurants, Pop-Ups, Menus & More: October 2023

For more guides like this, like Foodie on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Threads