"Duddell’s Two Michelin stars give this restaurantculinary clout, andthe elegant, magazine-worthy decor add style on top. With eye-catching art on the walls andtalks, screenings, and exhibits of international contemporary art held frequently, the two-story restaurant feels like an art collector’s private home. Both breathtaking and welcoming, Duddell’s is a place to savor traditional Cantonese cuisinelikebraised whole South African abalone, or crispy Iberico pork with fried rice, or a double boiled fish and pork soup. Not surprisingly in this atmosphere, the food is plated beautifully. Even if you aren't the type totake pictures in restaurants, youmay rethink that while dining at Duddell's."

"LockCha offers traditional tea service and vegetarian dim sum ina stunning colonial-era building with elegant furnishings, carved wooden panels, and framed calligraphy on the walls. When it first opened in 1991, it was a simple tea shop, but over the years, it evolved intoa haven for tea lovers and connoisseurs, and an important player in the revival of the traditional Cantonese teahouse. From the start, LockCha’s discerning founder, Mr.Wing-chi Ip, did things differently from other shops, buying his tea directly from farmers and focusing on unblended, pure, single-harvest tea. This attracted attention and loyal customers. Today, LockCha not only sells more than 100 different teas but also designs and sells tea wares—teapots, cups, canisters, and so on. There are also concerts every Saturday night, and tea and calligraphy classes on weekdays."

"Cheap, delicious Thai food coming right up. This brightly lit, nondescript joint with no-nonsenseservice is packed witheager foodies and has been for more than two decades. Loyalists come for dishes like the tongue-burning Thai beef salad and the delicoussteamed fish, as well as all kinds of curries, basil fried rice, deep-fried prawn patties, stir-fried morning glory, and lots more—the menu is practically a book. Chili Club isn’t big on carefulpresentation or fancyattitudes; the place thrives by virtue of its food. Period."

"For high-end Chinese dining with out-of-this-world views, Hutong can dazzle the palate and the eyes. Enter the restaurant through a traditional lunar gate, as though entering a secret culinary society, into an artfully designed, softly lit space filled with antiques and traditional furniture. Try the tasting menu—which includes traditional favorites like sweet and sour soup withprawns, and beef stir frys—or à la carte dishes. Chili crab or steamed cod will whet the appetite, or ordersomething more exoticlike roast suckling pig with pancakes, or asweet and spicy glazed eel."

"Named after 32 Mott Street, where New York City ’s first Chinese store opened in 1851, Hong Kong ’s 32 Mott restaurant honors traditions of Chinese cooking and ingredients. The must-trydish is the applewood-smoked Peking duck prepared in a custom-designed oven. Handmade dim sum reflects the restaurant’s focus on Cantonese and Szechuan cooking traditions. The cocktail menu takes advantage of the region’s unique flavors, from minty shiso leaves to star anise, cardamom, goji berries, and ginseng roots. The decor at 32 Mott, a union of a New York City– inspired industrial loft with elements of an elegant Chinese imperial palace, createsjust the right mood."

"Mak’s Noodles Noodles are comfort food tomuch of the world, and Mak’s Noodles does its part to deliver comfort to Hong Kong . The Mak family opened itsfirst restaurantin Guangzhou, China, before WWII, and the first in Hong Kong in 1968. Thefamily now has locations in Macao and Singapore . Mak'sbowls ofHong Kong–style wonton noodle soup are praised for their juicy little shrimp- or pork-filled wontons and springy noodles. The smallbowl offers just four (perfect) wontons, each stuffed with a whole shrimp and a bit of minced pork. The restaurant is unpretentious and wildly popular, so make a reservation or be prepared to wait for a seat."

"8 ½ Otto e Mezzo For Hong Kong 's bestcontemporary Italian, there’s only one choice: 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo, the only three-star Michelin-rated Italian restaurant outside of Italy (the name comes from film director Federico Fellini’s 1963 movie, 8½ ). Chef Umberto Bombana, formerly of the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, is a native of Bergamo, in northern Italy, andamong his many talents is creating culinary masterpieces with white truffles—he’s been called the King of White Truffles. Bombana creates Italian dishes like veal tenderloin with black winter truffle and whipped potatoes, but he doesn’t limit himself to Italian ingredients. Asian ingredients are showcased in dishes likecavatelli with shellfish ragout, andabalone carpaccio, Hokkaido sea urchin, and tagliolini with lobster."

"Chef John Javier (previously at Sydney restaurants Noma, Momofuku Seiobo, and Master) is a neo-Chinese culinary wizard and the brains behind the fun, neon-splashed Happy Paradise. Javieruses traditional techniques as well as modern methods to reimagine Cantonese classics and forgotten dishes. HisYellow Wine Chicken is arustic Hakka-inspired dish flavored with Shaoxing wine, glutinous rice wine, and black mushroom in a chrysanthemum broth with stir-fried mushrooms, ginger, scallion, and rice. The tea-smoked pigeon is marinated in a five-spice rub, then deep fried and smoked with jasmine tea leaves. The artisanal cocktail selectionalso plays withChinese tradition—thehighly recommended Durian Painkiller blends homemade toasted coconut cream with fresh pineapple, orange, and durian-infused dark rum."

"Lee Lo Mei Among the East-meets-West, old-meets-new fusion restaurants around Hong Kong now, Lee Lo Mei (a crudely funnynamein Cantonese) plays the nostalgia card very well with its creative Hong Kong street food and hip decor. Nods to tradition are everywhere, withcolored glass window panelsand old-style menus, porcelain bowls, and teacups. An overlay of modernity—bunches of brightly colored chopsticks on the tables, comics-inspired murals, and loud funky music—keeps things fresh and young. The lunch menu is made up ofappetizing "sets"—the prawn set comes with black pepper prawns, a crispy steamed bun, and condensed milk, and the gold coin set hasslow-cooked chicken breast, fries, and baby vegetables.The cocktail menu is alsoinventive: Order a Jade Garden and you’ll get a cocktail of cachaça (a sweet Brazilian spirit), pandan green tea, pandan syrup, and calamondin juice."

"Few call this restaurantby its actual longand somewhat odd name, preferring simply Happy Valley Dim Sum or Dim Sum in Happy Valley. Look for thegreen retro sign with the words Dim Sum running vertically in gold under big red Chinese characters. Thiscozy 1950s-style Shanghai café—with snug wooden booths underoldmovie posters—serves some of the best dim sum in Hong Kong. Orderfrom a menuthat includes lots of vegetarian options as well as panfried shrimp and chive dumplings, lobster and shrimp dumplings, and fried rice rolls with soy sauce."

"Lú Fēng The views from the Peak are breathtaking if the skies are clear. So if you’re lucky to get both a window table atLú Fēng, a new two-story restaurant atop the Peak, and a clear day, count your blessings and dig in. To-die-for dishes include the sweet and sour pork and the crispy rice with seafood, which involves the server upending a bowl of piping hot rice into a delicious seafood soup. The tasty all-day dim sum will be a real problem consuming in moderation, from char siu rice rolls to ha gaw shrimp dumplings with bamboo shoots and the classic roasted goose. If you can manage to look up from the array of dim sum baskets on your table orthe view of the harbor below, you’ll notice Lú Fēng is decorated inthe current favoriteHong Kong restaurant stylewithretro neon signs, tiledfloors, and panels of corrugated metal roofing."

"This flashback to a 1970s kung fu academy serves traditional HK food with a kick! Or is it a chop? Probably more of a slurp. The MO is playful—in presentation, kung fu–inspired decor ( nunchuck door handles), and the wordplay of the name (in Cantonese, the character for dragon can also mean lobster ). But the food is seriously good. Hong Kong classics with a fresh spin include lobster soup noodles—hand-pulled Lanzhou noodles in broth slow-cooked for five hours with chunks of Boston rock lobster. The barbecue char siu is popular, as arethe lobster dim sum and thePeking duck, a young bird roasted with applewood chips and served three different ways: crispy skin with raw sugarcane; meat with fresh garlic sauce; and meat and skin with pancakes."

"If the cheeky name doesn’t grab your attention (it means "good fortune for your mouth" in Cantonese), then it’ll have to be the loud music, waiting crowds, and terrific food. Informed by the old-school Hong Kong cha chaan tengs (teahouses) and the late-night Chinatown hangouts of 1960s New York, Ho Lee Fook is unpretentious, unfussy, and focused on the food. From the open kitchen, chef Jowett Yu and his staff cook up signature dishes like roast Wagyu short ribs with a soy glaze, and favorites like crispy chicken, prawn toast, pork belly with Taiwanese caper salsa, and green beans with shimeji mushrooms and five-spiced tofu. That wait to get inside? It's worth it."

"Beefbar This Michelin-starred restaurant isunapologetically all about beef. Even the minimalist decor, which relies on an understated organic color scheme, puts the focus squarely on the food. The à la carte menu features hard-to-resist mini burgers—with foie gras, or bacon and lemon sauce, or paprika and sesame seed sauce. There's also a raw bar, with tartares includingmilk-fed veal filet, tuna and sea bass, and traditional beef with caviar. The Great Meat menu showcasesthe main stars, namely American beef, Australian "Wagyu-crossed" beef, Kobe, and Korean shorthorn beef. Each type is offered in different cuts, sizes, and preparations. For any non–beef eaters tagging along, there are other options—pork, fish, risotto, pasta, and all the classic steak-house sides."

"Tokio Joe's for Japanese Has Real Staying Power A legend in its own time, Tokio Joe’s has maintained a loyal following for more than two decades, which is a rarity in the restaurant world. The reasons are plenty: knowledgeable, efficient service; a comfortable, laid-back ambience; and of course, excellent delicate sushi, sashimi, and an expertly curated omakase menu, with fish from Japan, Norway, Brazil, and other parts of the world. The menu changes every six months, though signature dishes like the beloved tuna salad and spicy tuna roll remain year after year. Other perennialfavorites include the seared toro, fresh crabmeat, and avocado roll, and the House Special roll—made with deep-fried soft-shell crab, avocado, cucumber, crab roe, and mayonnaise. Everyone loves the fried egg and mushroom don (noodles), and Joe's special seafood ramen will never go out of style."

"Australian-Vietnamese celebrity chef Luke Nguyen has put his energy into creating fresh, modern, healthy renditions of Vietnamese street food and traditional family recipes at Moi Moi, his new Hong Kongrestaurant. A master at balancing sweet and sour tastes as well as spicy and bitter, Nguyen gets big raves for his food, especially thepanfried rice cakes topped with tiger prawns and caramelized pork neck. Other hits includegreen tea–smoked duck in rice-paper rolls,citrus wild salmon, caramelized Kurobuta pork belly, a pho made with raw Wagyu beef, and slow-braised free-range chicken drumsticks with coconut juice, fish sauce, ginger, and garlic. Moi Moi has an extensiveand creative cocktailmenu to accompanythe feast."

"Chef Billy Chung has made his name with his melting pot of pan-Asian cuisines and his twist on the classics. At the new Old Bazaar Kitchen in Wan Chai (a previousincarnation closed a few years ago), favorites from the menu include sweet and sour pork with pineapple andChung’s signature customdishes, including Hainan chicken casserole, Malay-style curry king crab, and hand-shredded chicken with truffle fried rice. The choices area bit simpler at lunch when noodle dishes dominate—choose your type of noodle and the sauce or soup you want them served in. More than a dozen rice dishes are served, too,including white curry with brisket and Malaysian yellow curry with grouper.Be forewarned:The prices are steep (at dinner, there’s a HK 700, about $80, per person minimum), and diners are asked to preorder when they make their reservation."

"Before Shane Osborncame to Hong Kong, he was the first Australian chef to have earned one and then two Michelin stars at London's Pied à Terre. Athis elegant restaurant Arcane, the focus is on modern European fusion cuisine with ingredients sourced from Japan, France, and the U.K. At a time whenmany other Hong Kong restaurants are focused onkitsch or over-the-top style, Arcane is refreshinglydignified and puts the food atcenter stage. Main courses include a panfried John Dory with baby squid, fennel purée, zucchini,and bouillabaisse sauce, and a sautéed potato gnocchi topped with fresh morels, pine nuts, truffle cream, and wild garlic leaves. The Pyrenean milk-fed lamb with eggplantpurée, chickpeas, chorizo, choi sum , and rosemary jus is another mouthwatering option. Dining here isn’t cheap, but the service is excellent and the food is out of this world."

"Kennedy Town's Favorite Fusion Joint Missy Ho'scool, anything-goes vibe starts with itsfun name and continueswhen you step intothe space, a mash-up of an English pub, Grandma’s attic, and a college dorm room. The chefturns out shareable dishes so good that the spotty service can be overlooked. Favorites on the menu include fried chicken, tender and juicy little pieces served with mustard sambal aioli that go down like a bucket of popcorn. Everyone loves the Wagyu cheeseburgers, miso cod tacos, leek and pork gyoza dumplings, and hickory smoked pepper duck with tamarind ponzu sauce. If you can get a table and cope with the chaos, this place will rock your palate.Therestaurant’s buzzy vibe continues evenafter the kitchen closes for the evening, when a swing near the bar isunfurled from the ceiling and patrons begin to try on costumes."

"Spring Moon When classic formal Hong Kong Cantonese fits the bill and the occasion, then the Peninsula Hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant is the go-to.In keeping with the age and era of the hotel itself, the decor of Spring Moon was inspired by a 1920s Shanghainese dining room, with teakwood floors covered byOriental rugs and wall treatments showcasing art deco–inspired stained glass windows in dark oranges and yellows. Known for its dim sum and XO sauce made with a secret recipe, Spring Moon offers an à la carte menu withtimeless favorites like Peking duck, wok-fried lobster with black bean and chili sauce, wok-fried premier Korean beef filet with honey-pepper sauce, and pan-fried dumplings filled with pork, cabbage, and mushrooms. Therestaurant's signature oven-baked fortune chicken with shredded pork and preserved vegetables mustbe ordered 24 hours in advance."

"Yardbird The name brings to mind either the seminal 1960s English rock band, the jazz great Charlie Parker, or a chicken. In this case, chicken is the right reference. Yardbird is an izakaya —aJapanese gastropub—and specializes in chicken yakitori, or poultry grilled on skewers. The vibe is casual and relaxed, like a family-style neighborhood bistro. Chef Matt Abergelusesallparts of the chicken in his cooking, including wings, heart, liver, rib, and parts you never knew a chicken had, like knee. Thereare also options like KFC (Korean fried cauliflower, of course), fish cakes, and duck fried rice. The cocktaillist includes sake, shochu (a distilled spirit made from rice that’s stronger than sake), and Japanese whiskey."

"The sweeping views of Victoria Harbour are as much a part of dinner here as the modern European fare. A standard-bearer since it opened in 2009, the posh Café Gray Deluxe, led by chef Gray Kunz, is at the top of the Upper House, one of Hong Kong’s most exclusive boutique hotels. Kunz'svast experience cooking in European, Asian, and American kitchens and his mission to serve organic seasonal ingredients meanunfussy dishes rich in flavor, such as steamed grouperwith pickled mustard greens and pak choi; grilled organic chicken with citrus tabbouleh; or a prime Kansas strip steak served on aplank with onion rings and creamed spinach. Before or after themeal (or instead of!), try to get into the Café Gray Bar for a drink or two. The bar’s 46-foot-longwhite marble bar is legendary, and so are the views."

"208 Pizza The eclectic two-story 208 takes the industrial steel and warm woods of a hip downtown New York loft space and gives ita Hong Kong twist—blue and white ceramic tile with Chinese illustrations. The bar downstairs is fun and bustling, while there’s a quieter dining room above, both with some alfresco seating overlooking busy Hollywood Road. Choose from a packed menu of pasta, meat dishes, salads, cured meats, and antipasti. If youwant pizza, this is the place: Thecustom-designed Napoletana pizza oven was shipped over from Italy. A dozen very appealing pies include the Gamberi, with mozzarella, prawns, chili, and salsa verde, andthe Tuscan, topped with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, crispy bacon, and garlic."