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Header image courtesy of Nez
Summertime has arrived in Hong Kong and new restaurants are gearing up to excite eager taste buds. Here’s where to eat and drink in Hong Kong this June, from yakitori omakase concepts and an upscale French wine bistro to elegant Italian dining.
Get ready for an exciting yakitori concept from Osaka! Opened in 2010 in Kitashinchi by experienced chef Shin Kawaguchi—whose family background in the chicken trade propelled his early skills—Yakitori Yamato’s first overseas branch continues the tradition of using the restaurant’s signature free-range Japanese jidori chicken for its skewers. Its Hong Kong outpost will be led by chef Ogura Tadashi, a long-time student under Chef Kawaguchi.
Guests are spread across a 12-seat dining room and eight-seat private room over two floors, and the restaurant’s intimate size ensures a unique experience centred around the charcoal grill. In an upscale, zen-like environment driven by wabi-sabi aesthetics, skilled chefs prepare the exclusive jidori chicken from Nara over specially designed stoves heated by binchōtan from Kishu to draw out its natural umami flavour and chewy texture. Yakitori Yamato’s omakase menu ($1,680 per person) highlights various chargrilled skewers and chicken dishes, as well as Western-style appetisers and an organic vegetable salad.
Yakitori Yamato, Shop 3–8, The Oakhill, 28 Wood Road, Wan Chai | (+852) 5239 1899
Another tori concept from Japan lands in Hong Kong this month, this time hailing from Tokyo. Kicho, an acclaimed kappo restaurant from the Ebisu and Ginza districts, is notable for its use of Kuro Satsuma-dori from Kagoshima, prepared in a sustainable “comb to claw” fashion where every part of the chicken is used in cooking. Executive chef Chikashi Yoshida leads the kitchen effort, expertly grilling the prized umami-rich chicken over binchōtan made from Japanese white oak and other dense hardwoods to deliver a fragrant result.
Kicho’s omakase menu ($1,000 per person) covers a multi-course experience of soup, appetisers, yakitori, vegetables, rice or noodles, and dessert, guided by seasonal ingredients. Its “comb to claw” approach is showcased in broths, pastes, skewers, and more, in the form of dishes like baked monaka oozing with chicken-liver paste, grilled chicken breast topped with salmon roe and swaddled in seaweed, chicken neck with mustard, chicken heart in a ginger and scallion sauce, and slow-cooked chicken comb.
Kicho, Shop 2A, 1/F, Manning House, 38–48 Queen’s Road Central, Central
H Code welcomes Nez, a sophisticated wine bistro concept inspired by the casual eateries of Paris and the humble, authentic cooking served within. Named after the French word for “nose,” boutique and rare labels are the highlights here. Catering to oenophiles, the wine programme is curated by award-winning sommelier Victor Petiot, whose background equips him with a deep understanding of the entwined relationship between wine and food.
Chef de cuisine Don Wong brings 25 years of hotel experience to Nez, serving up classic French dishes such as the beef tartare ($328) topped with a quail egg and Burgundy snails ($208) roasted with garlic and parsley butter. Local poultry shines in the organic yellow chicken with green asparagus, morel mushroom, and yellow wine sauce ($458) while the bavette de boeuf Wagyu ($498) plates up a melange of savoury flavours. Go for a sweet finish with the profiteroles ($128) and tarte au citron ($148).
Nez, 2/F, The Steps, H Code, 45 Pottinger Street, Central | (+852) 2550 9605
Local brewer Carbon Brews has opened a brick-and-mortar location in Central to bring its range of craft beers to the heart of the city. In a fun and modern space designed to echo the branding and aesthetic of the employee-driven brewery, the taproom-slash-gastropub is poised to deliver creative draughts alongside elevated pub fare.
Head chef Sean Yuen, formerly of Caprice, designed the food menu around the theme of “fermentation,” looking to global cuisines for inspiration to create dishes like whitebait fish ($85), fried chicken drumettes ($95), crab meat and taramasalata ($120), pan-seared lamb belly ($235), beef brioche burger ($165), and sticky date pudding ($65)—all of which were developed to pair with craft beers from the 28-tap system. Recommended flavours include Sour Punch (starting from $47) and Feels Good, Man (starting from $38).
Carbon Brews, Shop 1, G/F, The Centrium, 60 Wyndham Street, Central
Rosewood Hong Kong has joined hands with Naples-born chef Giovanni Galeota to present Bluhouse, transplanting the liveliness of Italian cuisine to the waterfront of Victoria Harbour. Ranging from casual to elevated, Bluhouse and The Dining Room by Bluhouse promise two distinct dining experiences, bookended by authentic Italian cooking and pairing wines.
Set in a space developed by London-based interior design firm Afroditi, the restaurants spotlight a nostalgic take on the simple elegance and charms of Italian colours and textures, supported by white marble and blue lava stone counters, soft textiles, traditional woodcraft, mosaic patterns, and spherical lighting fixtures. In addition to the culinary experience, Bluhouse also bolsters the local community by committing to reducing waste and donating to NGOs like Run Hong Kong and The Zubin Foundation.
Bluhouse, Rosewood Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui | (+852) 3891 8732
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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