Review / 4 new Hong Kong restaurants reviewed: homestyle Cantonese Yuè, French/Japanese refinement at Bifteck, and meaty treats boiled at Liu’s Chonqing Hotpot or cooked over a fire at Fireside
- Fook Lam Moon alumni chef Au-Yeung Chung Kei has opened Yuè in Times Square, while mainland chain Liu’s Chongqing Hotpot has popped up in Festival Walk
- Fireside, in Central’s H Code, is an on-trend open fire eatery in the tradition of Smoke & Barrel, and Sydney’s Firedoor
Curious about the latest restaurant openings and whether they’re worth your hard-earned dollars? We checked out some of the latest additions to Hong Kong’s dining scene: Yuè in Times Square where a Fook Lam Moon alum is at the helm; Japanese steakhouse Bifteck over in Wan Chai’s QRE; famous mainland chain Liu’s Chongqing Hotpot in Festival Walk and open fire concept, Fireside, in Central’s H Code. Scroll down to see our take on these new openings.
Yuè
Shop 1301, Food Forum, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay
Usually, the idea of a traditional Cantonese restaurant would be a streetside building in a historic district like Wan Chai or Tsim Sha Tsui, but as chefs strike out on their own, it’s inevitable that some gems are going to start popping up at malls. A case in point is Yuè on the 13th floor of Times Square’s Food Forum. An alum of the famous Fook Lam Moon, chef Au-Yeung Chung Kei has had a reputation among the city’s foodies for decades so we were looking forward to what classic dishes we could sample from such an esteemed chef.
We started with a pan-fried Japanese yam in soy sauce (HK$118). Usually used in soups and stewed, this slightly crisp, savoury version whetted our appetite for the night. Next up, the superior bird’s nest, steamed milk, egg white and crabmeat (HK$380) is a large portion of nourishing TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) ingredients, which we loved. Another traditional ingredient, pomelo pith, is marinated with dried shrimp roe and abalone sauce (HK$148), providing a soft texture that soaked up the umami of the shellfish sauce.
Our favourite was the deep-fried crispy chicken with scallions (HK$388 for half portion). While the chicken was undoubtedly crispy and tender, the scallion sauce was aromatic and made the difference. We also enjoyed pan-fried fish head, Shunde style (HK$288), a dish for those who have the acquired taste. The sweet and sour pork in aged vinegar (HK$238) is also a crowd pleaser. As a tribute to the season, we were served crab roe with fried rice in claypot (HK$298); the sound of the fat and carbs sizzling in a pot was music to our ears. Traditional Cantonese has firmly planted its flag in Times Square.
Bifteck
23/F, QRE, 202 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai
While the world starts brushing away the tendrils of lockdown blues, entering Hong Kong still requires enduring a lengthy quarantine period. Residents of the city can only wait for restrictions to relax so we can easily travel again, but we can still go on a journey of flavours with new restaurants opening around the city. An interesting addition is Japanese-French steakhouse Bifteck in Wan Chai, touting Japanese meats and produce with French flair.
Natural light floods the dining room, which has huge windows running along two walls. Granite-coloured marble with minimalist tableware gives this place the understated elegance of modern Japanese and French cuisine.
We started our meal with an A5 Wagyu tataki roll, with Spanish red prawn and amaebi tartare, lobster jelly and pumpkin mousse (HK$268). The perfectly pink Wagyu wrapped around sweet raw shrimps and a dot of pumpkin sauce was sumptuously refreshing.