Where to Eat: Top Restaurants to Try This September

This month, we celebrate the return of some of our favourite restaurants in town.

Ship Kee Relocates to Hopewell Centre

After a successful tenure on Ship Street – which saw the Michelin Bib Gourmand establishment garner a Healthy following of regular customers – Ship Kee has now left its former location and moved into the sixth floor of the neighbouring Hopewell Centre. Aside from now occupying a much larger space to accommodate more diners, the restaurant has also added a host of new dishes to its beloved menu, such as chicken oil and pigeon clay pot rice, steamed pork patty with fresh threadfin and Chaoshan seafood clay pot congee. As you’d expect, they’ve also retained all their signature dishes, including their honey-glazed barbecued pork, chicken oil and huadiao wine steamed flower crab, Shunde-style braised goose with taro, and my personal favourite: typhoon shelter-style fried prawns with longjing tea leaves, bell peppers and celery. A whole myriad of dim sum are also available during lunch hours. – Jeff Yeung

Clipper Lounge Reopens at the Mandarin Oriental

If you, like most other Hong Kongers, love a good buffet, then the relaunch of Mandarin Oriental’s Clipper Lounge is something you definitely can’t miss. A timeless icon within the hotel, the restaurant has long been a staple for locals and tourists alike, and now the buffet experience has come back stronger than ever before through its revitalisation. Led by J Candice Interior Architects, the new interior is a reflection of our city’s maritime legacy, inspired by both the bustling seafood markets dotted around our coastline and our vibrant fishing fleets dating back to the 1970s. Naturally, this also translates to an emphasis on providing exceptional seafood, ranging from poached Boston lobsters, local Hong Kong abalone to French oysters and New Zealand green lip mussels, many of which are sourced from MSC-certified sources that ensure top quality and responsible fishing practices. If you’re planning to visit on a weekend, Clipper Lounge is also offering a Sunday Champagne Brunch, where you’ll be able to indulge in glasses of 2015 Moët & Chandon. – Jeff Yeung

Clarence Introduces New Lunch Set Menu

With a focus on making French cuisine lighter for local palates, renowned chef Olivier Elzer’s H Code restaurant Clarence has now introduced it’s latest set lunch menu. You’ll be able to pick from two courses, three courses or four courses – coming in at $288, $388 and $488 respectively – the latter of which allows you to choose from either two starters or two desserts. The new menu features everything from artichoke barigoule with foie gras shaving and arugula, eggplant escabeche with poached egg and treviso leaves, and mussels in cream and garlic sauce with sweet potato fries, to yellow chicken cooked crapaudine with basquaise garnish and chicken juice, spinach and ricotta cannelloni in tomato and basil sauce, and the croffle with salted caramel and Normandy milk ice cream, though my favourites during our visit were the tuna in two spices with avocado puree and shallot dressing, the skate wing cooked on the bone with spiced brown butter, the roasted duck breast with poached peaches and spiced caramel, as well as the hot camembert with baguette and honey. Those looking for an extra kick to their lunches can also opt for a two-glass or three-glass wine pairing at an additional $258 and $388 respectively. – Jeff Yeung

Hutong Hong Kong and Hutong Dubai 4 Hands Collaboration

Do chefs ever think about social media when creating a new menu? It certainly seems so if the new four-hands tasting menu at Hutong is anything to go by. The 8-course dinner, a collaboration between Hutong Dubai and Hutong Hong Kong, was full of dishes that didn’t skimp on the wow factor. Named Hai Na Bai Chuan, which translates as “embracing diverse cultures,” the menu features both Shanghainese and Sichuan dishes and is available in both Hong Kong and Dubai locations. Perhaps keeping this international clientele in mind, the dishes showcased the greatest hits of said region’s cuisines without ever getting too spicy. We loved the tea-smoked pigeon that arrived in a whirl of mist; the wagyu beef char siu flambéed with rose liqueur and rum was especially fun, while beloved favourites such as dim sum platter and spicy suckling pig are sure crowd pleasers. While some tasting menus can sometimes feel like a marathon, this dinner was suitably decadent without veering on excess; luckily, we had space for the Golden Fortune dessert, featuring lychee puree and ginger sorbet; it’s said to symbolise “prosperity and celebration.” Priced at HKD998, with options for sake and non-alcoholic pairing, the menu is available until the end of the month. – Madelaine Clark

Zuma Brings Free-Flow Sparkling Tea to Weekend Brunch Menu

Zuma has long boasted one of the most popular brunch menus in town, its never-ending array of fresh sushi and sashimi selection and izakaya-inspired Japanese bites, coupled with 2.5 hour free-flowing champagne, wines, beers and more have brought in generations of and family and friends looking for a good time, because you can guarantee, good times are to be had at Zuma. Now, continuing to elevate the bunch experience, Zuma is offering a new beverage package and seasonal dishes to continue to delight its patrons. Noticing that guests are looking for non-alcoholic options, Zuma has added a non-alcoholic package to its brunch menu at HKD 828 that features the delicious Saicho hojicha sparkling tea, soft drinks and apple and cranberry juices. Delightfully fizzy, with smoky-sweet notes from the hojicha, Saicho’s sparkling tea had none of us feeling like we’re missing out on champagne. New seasonal dishes included exciting vegetarian options like Sweetcorn Tempura with Nori Sea Salt and Grilled Broccoli with Panko Shiso Butter – both delicious. We also absolutely loved main courses like the Barley Miso Marinated Chicken Oven Roasted on Cedar Wood and the Spicy Beef Tenderloin with Sesame, Red Chili and Sweet Soy. To finish it all off – and have us loosening our belts – the shared dessert platter piled high with fresh fruits, ice cream and sweets. – Stephanie Ip

Wa-en Kappo Celebrates 3rd Anniversary with Late-Summer Menu

There’s no questioning Hong Kong people’s love for omakase. We don’t have to Travel all the way to Japan – although we will – just to get an authentic experience right here in the city. But more than just omakase, which refers to a multi-course sushi experience, why not try Kappo cuisine where a broader range of dishes are offered and guided by the chef? Wa-En Kappo, established in 2021, is one of the best restaurants we’ve discovered that offers a true Kappo experience, high up on the 29th floor of the Connaught Marina and boasting spectacular view of the sea. As we head into autumn and feel the subtle change in the weather, Wa-En Kappa’s menu now features seasonal flavours such as Kinki soup with winter melon, smoked silver cod, Japanese lobster and summer truffle with uni rice – this was so delicious we scraped the pot and tried to get seconds. Wa-En Kappa’s executive chef, Masaki Nishioka, is constantly innovating new dishes too – don’t miss out on his latest creation, an unforgettable Sea Cucumber Tempura that comes with a molten filling and is paired with an abalone sauce for an umami boost. Catch the late summer menu before it ends this month! – Stephanie Ip

La Petite Maison Gets a Riviera Revamp

Hong Kong’s French community will be pleased to know that the beloved La Petite Maison has reopened its doors after closing for the month of August for a riviera-inspired revamp. The small improvements include updated interiors, hand painted murals, updated artwork, a larger terrace, and the addition of a semi-private room for group dinners, as well as new dishes and drinks on the menu. And given how buzzy the restaurant was on its second Sunday since reopening, you can tell the punters are more than glad to be back. Newly introduced is the restaurant’s La Vie En Rosé brunch menu, which is available every Sunday from 12-2pm. Not only does it include free flow packages, with the option of mocktail (688 HKD) and champagne (998 HKD), but also free flow starters too, including anything from eggs to tartines, salads, and ceviche. Next a choice of one hearty main and dessert – order the French toast early as it’s so popular it tends to sell out – and for good reason. For those who love settling into a long lunch on the weekend, this is the perfect spot to while away a very merry afternoon. – Madelaine Clark