With plans to relaunch the Hong Kong-Singapore travel bubble on May 26 (although that might change depending on the number of community cases), many Singaporeans are hoping to relieve their pent-up cabin fever with some wanderlust. And sold-out flights in both directions are an indicator of people wanting to end their travel drought. 

What else do we love apart from travelling? Eating, of course. One of life’s great pleasures. And for Singaporeans, it’s even more than that. When travelling, it’s about immersion, experiencing authenticity or just hospitality in general. So if you’re planning your ticket to Hong Kong around the premise of food, don’t worry you’re not alone. We are really gung-ho about making up for lost time too.

Ready to splurge the entire week’s budget on a single meal? Or if value-for-money is more your jam, we got that covered too. The best part is you don’t have to roll the dice.

Penicillin

Hong Kong’s first sustainable bar that champions local flavours through exquisite elixirs.

In a food culture where the concept of sustainability continues to be subverted and distorted, occasionally, a precocious one edifies its true conscience. Penicillin bar walks the talk, focusing on upcycled food and drink ingredients in a bid to plug true Hong Kong flavours.

Push your scepticism aside, and indulge in a delectable drinks menu that lauds ingredients and botanicals sourced only in Hong Kong. Co-founded by bar veterans Agung Prabowo and Roman Ghale (both previously of The Old Man HK) together with their respective partners, Laura Prabowo and Katy Ghale, the bar programme delivers the unexpected with aplomb, including bar snacks are made from leftover potato and cassava peels. The kicker is One Penicillin, One Tree (HK $110) promises to plant one native Mallotus Muticus tree in the Kalimantan rainforest in Borneo with every cocktail ordered. A reforestation effort that may seem relatively minuscule, but speaks volumes about accountability in reducing carbon footprint even for the smallest of operations.

TATE Dining Room

The 2 Michelin-starred restaurant unveils a 6-course vegetarian lunch menu with tea pairing: “Ode to Earth”.

Recently making its debut as Hong Kong’s newest 2-Michelin Star, TATE Dining Room, helmed by Chef Vicky Lau touts a spanking brand new vegetarian lunch menu. It is flecked with Chef Vicky’s signature French Chinese twist and congruent to our previous visit in 2019, we are expecting it to be an ‘edible sonnet’, this time goaded by a wonderful bounty of spring vegetables. The six course menu runs concurrently with a dedicated tea pairing programme.

Salisterra

Elevated Mediterranean cuisine with well-appointed design elements.

Salisterra in the Upper House, Hong Kong only recently pried open its doors to inquisitive, possibly design-savvy guests. The space conceptualised by celebrated Hong Kong architect, André Fu, is a melange of earthy terracotta and burgundy with sprightly touches of mineral blue and dusty turquoise—drawing references to the best Mediterranean landscapes. The menu designed by London-based Michelin-starred chef Jun Tanaka walks in tandem with the voguish design, promising to transport the coastal flavours of France and Italy to the table. Try Tanaka’s speciality hand-crafted pastas or hone in on the Josper grilled large plates.

WING

Newest Chinese fine-dining spot gestated by a French culinary trained chef.

While some restauranteurs are struggling to get their feet off the ground due to stay-at-home measures, Chef Vicky Cheng of 1-Michelin Star VEA has rolled out the red carpet for yet another fine dining venture. WING takes over the former VEA lounge and seats 38 guests within its elegant emerald green and beige interiors. Revolving around Cheng’s Chinese culinary heritage, WING is a platform for him to explore the finest of the Eight Great Chinese cuisines bettered with an interplay of Western culinary techniques. For instance, Cheng employs a German-made dry ageing cabinet to impart more complex and intense flavours into poultry, pigeon, poussin, as well as preserved meat and sausages; modulating the accents of a cuisine perfected over centuries. Expect a highly seasonal menu with a focus on local produce. Order the crispy skin sugarcane glazed pigeon as a communal dish and start with some intriguing bites such as mala lamb belly and razor clams with Yunnan chilli to get your appetite going.

Le Fromage by Ma

Say Cheese, I’m Vegan.

Unlike in Singapore where our diets are still very much centred around meat and seafood, Hong Kong has experienced a sharp rise in veganism over the years. On top of vegan bakeries and ice cream shops, Hong Kong now has its very own 100 per cent plant-based ‘cheeze’ shop.

Jewellery designer turned raw vegan maestro, Tina Barrat is the brains behind Le Fromage by Ma in K11 Musea in Tsim Sha Tsui. Her push for raw veganism and cruelty-free eating materialises in 20 different types of cheeses, each made using the highest quality ingredients to be nutritionally dense. We have our eye on the mild and soft sans-goat log pressed into black pepper and the creamy truffle flavoured ‘Shamembert’ for afternoon tea.