Ho Lee Fook

"Walls covered in gilded maneki-neko, mahjong tiles, pop art and red Chinese floral motifs make this a bold, unorthodox spot for a fun night out. The 80s Canto-pop soundtrack is also a proud expression of its local DNA. The open kitchen on ground level is a spectacle to behold and its creative Cantonese cooking harnesses bold distinctive flavours and wok hei. Try the crispy three-yellow chicken with sand ginger dip, and other wok-fries. Check ahead for dishes that need pre-ordering." - Michelin Inspector

"When a restaurant’s name translates to “good fortune for your mouth,” you know they’re probably on to something. Ho Lee Fook is a modern take on the old-school tea houses of Hong Kong with dumplings, roast meats, and all the bubble tea cocktails you could want." - jess basser sanders

"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."

"While this Chinese/fusion restaurant found its inspiration in the 1960's Chinatown joints of NYC, the kitchen isn't afraid to try new things. Helmed by Chef Jowett Yu, who was born in Taiwan, trained in Sydney (at Testuya's), Ho Lee Fook's popularity is due in part to its exciting menu. The first floor of the restaurant houses its open kitchen, and downstairs, below ground level, is a dimly-lit, club-y dining room."

"Every inch of this restaurant is tongue in cheek, from the entryway wall lined with Japanese lucky cats (which are mistakenly attributed to Chinese culture), to the name, which roughly translates to mouth and good fortune (and sounds like something else in English). But that’s part of the charm of Hong Kong’s most popular modern Chinese restaurant. Here, executive chef Jowett Yu riffs on iconic dishes: He swaps crab for corn in stir-fried typhoon shelter crab with heaps of fried shallots, garlic, and chiles. The only thing he doesn’t mess with is his mom’s “mostly cabbage, a little bit of pork” dumplings. They’re already outstanding." - ByJanice Leung Hayes