In this post, I will share with you all of the restaurants and cocktail bars that we tried in Hong Kong. I did a fair amount of research ahead of time looking for what I thought were the best spots. My search was mainly centered online; however, I did use the Fodor book as well. Usually, I will make one or two reservations and leave the remainder of the nights open to be flexible or for places that do not accept reservations.
1. YARDBIRD: This is a trendy Yakitori restaurant. We went on a Monday night and the wait was 45 minutes for a table. They did take us to a designated standing area in the bar. Because we had not slept since leaving LAX, we decided to have our meal at this standing area. It worked out well for our needs. We had the chicken breast, corn, and the korean fried cauliflower. All were excellent choices! The chef has another restaurant, Ronin, which looked great as well. Seating is limited. Reservations can be made.
2. HO LEE FOOK: This is another trendy restaurant that came up in multiple google searches and was mentioned in the Fodor book. Again, we walked in and they told us a one hour wait. In the interim, we walked down the street for a cocktail at Quinary. Our wait was less than expected, and we came back to start dinner with another cocktail. I tried Kowloon City with chili infused tequila and was surprised at how tasty it was. Our food was equally amazing. Moms dumplings and blank angus beef tenderloin were some of our favorites. I highly recommend this place.
3. L’ATELIER de JOEL ROBUCHON: This restaurant is definitely pricey and our bill was not cheap for two price fixe meals and four drinks. L’Atelier has three Michelin stars. This was just my second experience at a Michelin star restaurant. We sat at the bar, which I enjoyed to see some of the food plating. Make sure you are hungry. The bread basket alone was incredible. Our L’Amuse Bouche was a white truffle and everything from there on out was just a really elevated experience. Check out our plates to see if the appeal is there for you.
4. MOTT 32: All of the above restaurants were fantastic. That being said, I think this was my favorite! It is in a unique setting being in a former storage facility and is just across the street from Statue Square. When you arrive, you immediately go down an escalator and see the amazing interior. The food was wonderful. Ahead of time, we ordered the Iberico Pork. They offer this along with the peking duck for pre-order. The brussel sprouts and soup dumplings were other items we enjoyed. Try the Forbidden Rose cocktail as well.
I would definitely return here on a repeat visit to Hong Kong. They do have this restaurant in other cities and a new location in Las Vegas recently opened. With all the positive, I will say, this is the only restaurant that I felt the service was lacking. Our waitress was not the most attentive, but fortunately, the food and drink made up for it.
Since visiting Hong Kong, I did visit their location in Las Vegas. It was just as good as I remembered. They do have a happy hour which offers their famous soup dumplings at a great price. I tried more of their cocktails, but I still have to say that the Forbidden Rose was my favorite.
COCKTAILS:
1. QUINARY: This restaurant/bar is in very close proximity to Ho Lee Fook and an easy walk. We actually placed our name on the list at Ho Lee Fook and then walked down the street for a cocktail. Or, as an alternative, stop here for an after dinner cocktail. There are endless options of innovative cocktails to sample. I had a difficult time deciding which one I wanted! For reference, we went here on a Tuesday evening and did not have to wait for a table.
2. J BOROSKI: This cocktail bar was my favorite. It has great atmosphere. It can be a little tricky to find, and it is certainly not well marked. When your GPS takes you to the “right corner”, you will walk a short distance down an alley and there is an open unmarked door. Walk down the hallway and you will be at the entry. They definitely have a unique concept, and I have only been to one other bar that operates similarly. There is no menu. You start by picking a liquor, and they will craft a cocktail for you. It is your decision whether you would like something spirit forward vs not. Also, you can give them an idea of what flavors you are interested in. The allure of the next drink kept me entertained for three rounds.
For six cocktails, we paid just under $150. Service here I also felt was lacking. We were not seated at the bar, and I felt this made getting the server’s attention difficult. Every time we wanted a new cocktail I had to walk up to the bar and request they return to our table. This was frustrating. At the end of the night, our waiter asked us if we “like to have fun.” He told us to push on a panel in a remote corner of the room. I was hoping it was another bar, but that was not the case. I will leave the mystery alive and say check it out for yourself. Overall, I enjoyed this experience and would most definitely return on a future trip to Hong Kong.
