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Header image courtesy of Vea
Sometimes, you look at the menu and think, “I wish there were a way that the chef could just prepare me what they think is best.” Well, such a way exists and it’s called a tasting menu. Tasting menus are not an entirely rare thing here in Hong Kong, with many restaurants presenting one alongside their a la carte menus more and more these days.
Still, there are a few places in between those that personify the “we’ll take it from here” experience, with a tasting menu being the only option made available to diners. From modern European cuisine to creative blends of Asian flavours, here are some of the best places to have a tasting menu experience in Hong Kong.
Hansik Goo brings a refined slice of Korea to Hong Kong with dishes prepared by venerated chef Kang Mingoo. Creative takes on authentic Korean food, inspired by humble home cooking as well as royal cuisine, is what awaits diners at this one-Michelin-starred destination. Its new eight-course spring tasting menu ($1,398 per person) teems with seasonal Korean greens and is available for dinner.
Revised signature dishes include the pork duo with yukhweh bibimbap, which carries a tangy note in its grilled pork marinated in ganjang (Korean soy sauce) and gochujang (Korean chili paste), and rice served with aromatic vegetables and beef tartare. Hansik Goo’s samgye risotto 2.0 is another update of a signature dish, served with a balance of flavours in morel mushroom and chicken roulade with slices of steamed abalone.
Hansik Goo, 1/F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central | (+852) 2798 8768
Whether you are dining solo or with friends and family, Whey takes care of you with its spring tasting menu ($1,390) that brims with delicious eats. Its coastal lamb saddle, served is a coffee sauce and sweetbread, is a new addition that is sure to tantalise taste buds. An old favourite that makes a reappearance is the signature Whey’s brioche, made from buah keluak nut—it’s fluffy, sweet, and earthy, and served with homemade butter.
Not necessarily fusion but more of a creative blend of cuisines and techniques, you will be too busy enjoying the mouth-watering food at Whey to care too much about how to classify your meal. Chef Barry Quek more than earned the restaurant’s one Michelin star with his reimagined European plates inspired by his Singaporean roots and travels.
Whey, UG/F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central | (+852) 2693 3198
Pull out your finest duds but leave some reinforcements for your trousers when dining at Vea. Get comfortable at one of the 25 available counter seats, where you will be able to embrace an open kitchen show to watch chef Vicky Cheng as he seeks to bridge his Asian roots with Western culinary training. Garnering one Michelin star for his efforts, Vea promotes an experimentation of flavours with a respect for local Hong Kong culture.
Vea’s six-course menu ($1,880) or the eight-course menu ($2,280) promises delicious and innovative food with its Chinese-meets-French cuisine. Its signature sea cucumber is lovingly braised and served with tiger prawn and 20-year Shaoxing wine. Another jewel of the menu is the fish maw, which is prepared using traditional French cooking techniques with some added Oscietra caviar and quinoa for some high-brow delight.
Vea, 30/F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central | (+852) 2711 8639
Chef Vicky Lau takes flavours that are definitive to Hong Kong and creates a tasting series where a single ingredient takes the stage and is explored to its fullest. At Tate Dining Room, you will find the familiar transformed into an avant-garde, haute cuisine meal.
For lunch from Thursdays to Saturdays, the Ode to Seaweed menu ($1,180) is made up of chapters featuring different interpretations of seaweed, such as the kombu, with local crab with seaweed salad in a Japanese kombu cone, and the hijiki, with white asparagus, local razor clam with braised Japanese hijiki seaweed, and ravioli of seaweed mousse and nuts.
For dinner from Tuesdays to Saturdays, the 8 Moments menu ($2,180) features dishes such as the Ode to Crab and the Ode to Wonton, which combines French and Chinese cuisines with lobster bechamel wonton in Chinese superior broth and golden sprout.
Tate Dining Room, 210 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Central | (+852) 2555 2172
Have you ever wanted to have a farm-to-table experience here in the bustling city of Hong Kong? Well, Roganic has pulled it off with a tasting menu that uses produce from local, organic farms in the New Territories. Depending on how hungry you are, you can opt for the short tasting menu ($780) or the full tasting menu ($1,080).
Roganic’s A4 Wagyu with roast onion, seaweed, and caviar is always a crowd-pleaser as a rich and complex dish. A similarly popular course is the soda bread with brown cultured English butter, which is a malty, fluffy, simple yet delicious pleasure.
Award-winning chef and restaurateur Simon Rogan heads this one Michelin-star eatery that prides itself on sustainability and creativity. For extra special occasions, you can opt for a seat at Aulis, an exclusive 12-seater chef’s table experience where you will be guided through your meal by the chefs with the Aulis sample menu ($1,280).
Roganic, UG/F 08, Sino Plaza, 255 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay | (+852) 2817 8383
Amber’s two-Michelin-starred experience is sure to hit the spot for a special meal. You can choose between the Amber experience ($1,928) or the full Amber experience ($2,568) to enjoy a distinct culinary journey. Relish the aka uni with cauliflower, lobster, and Daurenki Schrenki caviar for an indulgent, perfectly balanced treat, and the milk-fed veal with black winter truffle, Italian parsley, banana shallot, button mushroom, Fuxiang pear, and extra virgin hazelnut oil for a tender, complex dish.
Chef Richard Ekkebus crafts a menu that has been heralded as a celebration of nature’s bounty with a focus on sustainability. At Amber, you can feel better about splurging knowing that it is dedicated to eco-friendly initiatives from its supplies to its food.
Amber, 7/F, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central | (+852) 2132 0066
Unabashed decadence is the name of the game at Caprice. At this acclaimed restaurant under the Four Seasons flag, luxury is proudly on display, with floor-to-ceiling windows framing dramatic harbour panoramas. Using premium ingredients like Alaskan king crab, Kristal caviar, and razor clams with gustatory flourish, chef Guillaume Galliot takes diners on a journey around the world with contemporary French dishes inspired by his travels across the globe, from the Caribbean to Singapore and beyond.
Gourmands can secure a booking at this three-Michelin-starred haven to experience the Connaisseur menu ($3,588 per person). Featuring dishes like duck foie gras with smoked eel and strawberry gariguette jam and Japanese mackerel, rhubarb, and fava bean fricassée, the multi-course meal is a lesson in opulence. Leave room for the cheeses at the end of the meal, which comes from Caprice’s very own cheese cellar.
Caprice, 6/F, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, 8 Finance Street, Central | (+852) 3196 8882
Born in Korea and raised in Hong Kong, Min Ji spends most of her time wishing it were a little bit colder. A fan of low-key yet meaningful experiences, she can be found watching movies with her dog, taking photographs, and listening to any and all kinds of music.
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