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Celebrate the most important lady in your life this Mother’s Day with a meal at the latest and greatest culinary establishments in Hong Kong. From a neighbourhood gastropub and comforting Italian flavours to a luxurious omakase experience, here are the most exciting new restaurants, menus, and dining pop-ups in Hong Kong this May.
Indulge in a taste of home at Casa Cucina & Bar, a vibrant Mediterranean restaurant that spans three well-designed floors and multiple thematic dining spaces. Architectural features like stone floors, rustic brick walls, and soft coral colours echo the comfort of traditional Italian villas, while modern design highlights such as geometric lighting fixtures and touches of brass and glass cement Casa as a contemporary destination.
Perfect for a well-rounded experience, Casa effortlessly takes you from elegant post-work cocktails on the open ground floor to an intimate meal on the upper floors, while still being casual enough to stage a backdrop for languorous brunches and weekend coffee dates with the pups (yes, it’s dog-friendly!).
Inspired by cicchetti (Venetian small snacks), the distinctly Mediterranean menu focuses on shared dishes, presented by owner and executive chef Anthony Cheung. After years of training with Richard Ekkebus at Amber, the enterprising chef has branched out on his own, delivering honest, ingredient-driven cooking. Expect to taste classic recipes like the chicken parmigiana and duck ragu pappardelle, as well as more East-meets-West takes like the scallop carpaccio with Hokkaido scallops, pineapple, yuzu, and shiso flower, and the novel tofu panna cotta, inspired by the quintessential Hong Kong tofu pudding—a local favourite.
Casa Cucina & Bar, Shop 8 & 9, 158A Connaught Road West, Sai Ying Pun | (+852) 2887 9666
Helmed by veteran chef Milton Lau, Sushi Yonjugo is the latest omakase restaurant to open in the heart of Central, specialising in Edomae-style sushi, a Japanese preparation technique that has been passed down through the centuries. Veer through the modest shopfront of homespun wood for exclusive front-row seats to a culinary performance where omakase chefs and their hand-crafted creations take centre-stage.
Highlighting fresh ingredients and contemporary techniques, Chef Lau’s distinctive approach to Japanese omakase includes painstaking attention to detail. Hand-selected seafood from markets all over Japan is flown in for his secret recipes, perfected over three and a half decades in some of the most respected restaurants in the world. Guests can anticipate seasonal appetisers, at least five kinds of sashimi and seven kinds of sushi, a hot dish, soup, and a dessert course. Both lunch omakase sets (starting from $1,580) and dinner omakase sets (starting from $2,280) are available, and bookings open on the first of the month for each month.
Sushi Yonjugo, 35B Staunton Street, Central | (+852) 3689 1045
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What started out as an under-the-radar neighbourhood fit for pilots and families has slowly emerged as a dining heavyweight, and the welcome addition of a modern American steakhouse to Tung Chung only proves the point further. The Upper Deck Bar & Grill elevates USDA Prime aged beef as its hero ingredient, presented against the backdrop of stunning sunset vistas and the (now rather quiet) runways of the Hong Kong International Airport.
Led by Moroccan executive chef Faycal El Moujahid, the restaurant combines sophisticated dining with comfort and leisure. Design highlights include sumptuous leather booth seating, retro-inspired lamps and bar chairs, brass accents, and a standard pool table that’s not just for looks—diners are encouraged to play!
From the menu, must-order dishes include the restaurant’s acclaimed beef range, featuring cuts that are aged for up to 30 days. Grilled to perfection in its natural juices, steak choices encompass familiar cuts like rib-eye, striploin, and porterhouse, amongst others. Classic bistro dishes like beef tartare and beef tenderloin carpaccio are also available, as well as burgers, oven-roasted bone marrow, and slow-smoked short ribs. Non-beef selections include the pan-seared sea bass, the slow-cooked Australian lamb rack, and more.
The Upper Deck Bar & Grill, Shop 101, 1/F, T Bay, 9 Yi Tung Road, Tung Chung | (+852) 2777 8980
Hong Kong gastronomic stalwart Woolly Pig—the restaurant group behind perennial favourites like Bathers, Hue, District 8, and Ink, to name but a few—and leading craft brewer Gweilo are coming together for a high-spirited collaboration, due to open this month. Part restaurant, part bar, Grain is a multi-purpose destination that combines the best of an experimental brewery with vibrant international cuisine.
As the only venue in Hong Kong to house both brewing facilities and an on-site restaurant, Grain is poised to become a playful dining and drinking option for craft beer enthusiasts who will not compromise on flavours. Expect comforting dishes, seasonal ingredients, and an innovative approach to beer and food.
Grain, Shop 1, New Fortune House, 2–5A New Praya, Kennedy Town
Flower cafés have been floating around Hong Kong for a while now, but we must admit, few do it as well as Natura, a new paradisical coffee shop tucked away in the maze of narrow Wan Chai streets. Replete with floral installations designed by the team behind accomplished decoration house Origami Florist, Natura combines desserts with speciality coffees and an international dining menu skewed towards the health-conscious.
Making full use of local and Japanese ingredients, the menu caters to flexitarian diets, offering up a purposeful selection of plant-based foods. From the all-day breakfast ($78) with portobello mushrooms and truffle scrambled eggs, to locally grown hydroponic vegetables to the hōjicha waffle ($138), the savouries at Natura are imaginative and novel. Personally, we think the desserts at Natura are its greatest strength—if you’re one to let your camera eat first. Pair things off with a well-balanced signature latte with soy milk ($55).
Do make sure to come back often—the flower installations are scheduled to change on a seasonal basis, so you’ll always have something new and beautiful to snap a photo of and share on Instagram. Natura’s inaugural flower installation, called “The Droplets of Sakura,” draws parallels between the iconic blossom and clouds.
Natura, Shop 1 & 2, Tai Tung Building, 8 Fleming Road, Wan Chai | (+852) 2816 1601
Brought to us by the awesome twosome behind Twins Kitchen—responsible for beloved F&B concepts such as Interval and Common Ground—Cut is an underground sando bar that allows for inventive food, hand-selected wines, and independent music to come together in a harmonious marriage. Under the direction of twins Caleb and Joshua Ng alongside Hong Kong-based sommelier Wallace Lo, Cut presents a petite space that’s little more than a few standing tables—all the better to bop to the music curated by Arthur Bray from Yeti Out.
Expect a focused menu of bite-sized delicacies centred on all things sando, from options like tamago sando and octopus sando to tofu sando, as well as snacks like okonomiyaki fries and head cheese fritters.
Cut, Shop 2, 8–10 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central
After Aqua Nueva’s successful pop-up stint at sister restaurant Statement, the modern British establishment is now introducing its sophomore efforts with Aqua Kyoto. A London export that brings contemporary Japanese dishes to the fashionable dining space in Tai Kwun, Aqua Kyoto is now open for a limited time only.
Famed for its creative sushi maki and blending of East Asian ingredients with European flavours, Aqua Kyoto promises flavourful creations like the meticulously prepared salmon & smoked daikon maki ($138) and salmon, beetroot & sea buckthorn berry maki ($148). Other notable items include the suckling pork belly with eel ($228), slow-cooked in a white miso broth for over three hours; the miso-cured sea trout ($98); and the cured red snapper with truffle ($118). Finish off with moreish taiyaki waffles ($88) in three flavours.
On weekends, Aqua Kyoto is offering the Kanpai brunch ($488), where guests can enjoy choices of yakitori skewers, tempura dishes, Japanese sandos, and more. Free-flow drink packages can be added on for a small charge, and the light brunch ($288) is available on weekdays for guests to indulge in weekend favourites.
Aqua Kyoto pop-up, Police Headquarters Block 01, Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central | (+852) 2848 3000
With summer (and seasonal typhoons) fast approaching, one must take advantage of rooftop bars and restaurants whenever possible to make the most of Hong Kong’s balmy weather. Perched atop The Park Lane Hong Kong with stunning views of Victoria Harbour and Victoria Park as backdrops, Skye is one such destination, and its à la carte menu has undergone a recent facelift courtesy of British head chef Lee Adams.
Focusing on springtime ingredients and seasonal freshness, Chef Lee pairs ingenious cooking techniques with unconventional flavour combinations. Dishes like the Provençal asparagus with poached egg dressing ($200) and the seared Japanese scallops with courgette basil emulsion ($250) are delicate and melt-in-your-mouth, while the main courses of New Zealand lamb loin confit ($450) in Ibérico lamb fat, served with artichokes, edamame purée, baby white turnips, and veal lemon jus will make your taste buds dance in delight.
For the full experience, opt for the six- or eight-course signature degustation menu (starting from $980). From oceanic delights like raw Gillardeau oysters and Canadian lobster & British langoustine to the Jack Daniels-smoked beef tartare and Wagyu MB5 beef fillet, you’ll be treated to a well-rounded taste of Skye’s best dishes.
Skye, 27/F, The Park Lane Hong Kong, 310 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay | (+852) 2839 3327
Born in Hong Kong, raised in Germany, and educated in the US, Jen is an award-winning creative with a background in illustration, communication design, art direction, and content creation. When she’s not getting lost in a good book, you’ll find her doing crosswords, eating dim sum, covering all sides of a “Hamilton” number, and taking naps.
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