Hong Kong’s Best New Restaurants, Shops, and Bars

  • Yardbird dinning room looking from outside.

    Yardbird dinning room looking from outside.

  • Shelly Hayashi at her vintage shop General Store.

    Shelly Hayashi at her vintage shop General Store.

  • Preparing for the lunch-time rush at Lupa, Mario Batali’s newest outpost.

    Preparing for the lunch-time rush at Lupa, Mario Batali’s newest outpost.

  • Vintage posters at Museum Context.

    Vintage posters at Museum Context.

  • Indonesian restaurant 1968.

    Indonesian restaurant 1968.

  • Tung Street in Sheung Wan is home to several chic boutiques, including ceramics shop Loveramics.

    Tung Street in Sheung Wan is home to several chic boutiques, including ceramics shop Loveramics.

  • Konzepp Space’s hard-to-miss storefront on Tung Street.

    Konzepp Space’s hard-to-miss storefront on Tung Street.

  • Se Sa Me’s signature Dragon’s Breath is a Sichuan-inspired bowl of dried red chilies served with a choice of ingredients, from soft-shell crab to lamb chops.

    Se Sa Me’s signature Dragon’s Breath is a Sichuan-inspired bowl of dried red chilies served with a choice of ingredients, from soft-shell crab to lamb chops.

  • The dining room at Se Sa Me, which presents a menu created by U.S. celebrity chef Rodelio Aglibot.

    The dining room at Se Sa Me, which presents a menu created by U.S. celebrity chef Rodelio Aglibot.

  • Doppio Zero’s chef Jake Addeo with one of his kitchen crew.

    Doppio Zero’s chef Jake Addeo with one of his kitchen crew.

  • Wan Chai shop Wudai Shiguo specializes in top-quality reproduction Americana and hipster duds.

    Wan Chai shop Wudai Shiguo specializes in top-quality reproduction Americana and hipster duds.

  • Outside L. Place, an ever-expanding dining complex in Central where both Indonesian restarant 1968 and “Japanasian” eatery Se Sa Me are located.

    Outside L. Place, an ever-expanding dining complex in Central where both Indonesian restarant 1968 and “Japanasian” eatery Se Sa Me are located.

  • A tasting session at the Nose Wine School.

    A tasting session at the Nose Wine School.

  • Looking in on Sheung Wan’s Yardbird.

    Looking in on Sheung Wan’s Yardbird.

  • Batter-fried shallots and toasted brioche accompany the chicken-liver mousse at Yardbird in Sheung Wan.

    Batter-fried shallots and toasted brioche accompany the chicken-liver mousse at Yardbird in Sheung Wan.

  • The same neighborhood is home to a Lomography Gallery Store, which makes an ideal stop for hipster shutterbugs.

    The same neighborhood is home to a Lomography Gallery Store, which makes an ideal stop for hipster shutterbugs.

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Sheung Wan

The frowzy old neighborhood of Sheung Wan continues to thrill visitors and locals alike with its loveable combination of coffin shops, bric-a-brac markets, antiques stores, trendy cafés, and contemporary art spaces. Galleries like Sin Sin Annex, Cat Street, and The Space were among the first to venture west, and that continues with fun venues like the Lomography Gallery Store, a reincarnation of the neighborhood’s original Lomo camera shop. The space, which serves as a meeting point for local as well as traveling Lomographers, is ideally situated in the heart of Sheung Wan, where some of the city’s best moments can be captured.

Other moments will be well spent perusing the storefronts along Tung Street, which has emerged as something of an arts community in its own right. Diane Beatrice Nitte opened her chic Ellerman flower shop here, just a few doors down from bijou ceramics boutique Loveramics and concept store Signed-By, which brings in sexy collections from the likes of Ccchu, Droog, Molo, and Jaime Hayon. More eye-popping yet is Konzepp Space, or at least its angular, egg-yolk-yellow facade. Conceived of as a place where the city’s artists could share ideas and cross-pollinate with like-minded people, the boutique changes its line- up every few months, with merchandise following an artistic theme. Head in after brunch for a cup of Marriage Frères green tea, served with locally harvested honey and Mays cookies, and browse the racks of design magazines and shelves lined with creative lifestyle products—Nasomatto fragrances, Fennec iPad covers, stylish Mute watches.

On the culinary front, the hype in Sheung Wan at the moment is focused on Yardbird, a cool little Japanese eatery that emphasizes quality and simplicity. No reservations are taken, and dishes are only available for as long as the (sometimes rare) ingredients last, but the menu is a nice departure from the over-complicated fare of some of the area’s other restaurants. Start off with the KFC (Korean Fried Cauliflower, lightly battered and sprinkled with sesame seeds) before sampling the kitchen’s sweet-corn tempura and chicken-liver mousse, delivered to the table with batter-fried shallots and toasted brioche. With a great selection of sakes, shochus, Japanese whiskies, and cocktails, Yardbird has also earned a reputation for its drinks—look out for Old Fashions made with a 10-year-old Yamazaki single malt and black sugar, or the Whisky Lemonade with Yuzu sake and soda.

Japanese seems to be the cuisine of the moment in Sheung Wan, with Arashigawa Yakitori also opening on Jervois Street and serving addictive skewers of yakitori at reasonable prices. For a spot of people watching, a light lunch, and maybe a cheeky glass of wine, try Heirloom, which has opened at the western end of Hollywood Road. The two-level venue has been described as “Mexican-Balinese fusion,” but its menu is really just a well-composed selection of palate-pleasing morsels, from fresh zesty salads to one of the few fish tacos in town.

Don’t leave just yet—there’s still Doppio Zero, on Bonham Strand. In a convivial space of muted tones and Art Deco decor, classic Italian dishes like deep-fried oysters with black-truffle aioli, fritto misto laced with mussels and squid, and pillowy beetroot-and-gorgonzola ravioli are matched with an enviable selection of Italian wines. The ambience is as well suited to a table of eight as it is to a couple seeking romance and privacy. Speaking of which, if you’re looking to make an impression, book the room’s end booth, which comes with its own curtain.

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