Just a five-minute walk away from the new Bo Innovation, in what used to be the home of iconic European-style restaurant Jimmy’s Kitchen, Alvin Leung, aka the "Demon Chef", is opening another restaurant that fully leans into a nostalgia for the Hong Kong of yore. 

Demon Celebrity is a double billing of Leung and Cheng Kam-Fu, the executive chef of one-Michelin-starred Celebrity Cuisine. Though Cheng is known for his faithful execution of Cantonese dishes, at Demon Celebrity, both chefs will offer their elevated take on the “soy sauce Western” cuisine unique to Hong Kong, which was no doubt influenced by the colonial-era dishes that were served at Jimmy’s Kitchen over a nine-decade-long lifespan.

Diners can anticipate the likes of lobster à la King and glutinous rice balls stuffed with crab roe grace the menu, alongside a roster of Cheng’s Cantonese dishes like stuffed chicken wings with bird’s nest, fried pork maw with black beans, and sweet and sour pork fried in a soft batter—an artefact of old Hong Kong cuisine that is only found today at Chinese takeaways in Canada, says Leung.

“Don't expect any foam powders or nitrogen. It's about more about comfort and taste, while activating a bit of excitement,” he says, describing the menu of Demon Celebrity as very much the product of a “happy marriage” of ideas between himself and Cheng. 

“We’re very giving, we have a lot of respect for each other. He always puts me first and I try to put him first.”

Demon Celebrity, South China Building, 1 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong; booking@thedemoncelebrity.com

First opened in LKF Tower almost two years ago to the date, Black Sheep Restaurants' intimate eight-seat omakase bar, Sushi Haru, makes a return after a long hiatus. Gone is opening chef Motoharu Inazuka, who now helms Sushi Hare on Bridges Street; now, Sendai native Hirokuni Shiga, who hails from a family of culinary professionals, having grown up in his father's kappo restaurant, has assumed the role of itamae. Shiga has worked across a number of cuisines including kaiseki, tempura and yakitori, but was drawn back to Edomae-style sushi for the connection it provides to producers as well as customers.

“I don’t want the experience to be unapproachable," he says. "In Japan, there are so many hard, long faces behind the counters, a sort of seriousness that can sometimes appear angry. I like to engage more; I want my guest to enjoy their experience and leave filled with that joy, this is what makes true hospitality.” 

Sushi Haru, Mezzanine, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2111 1450

Taking over Co Thanh’s old spot in Kau U Fong, Yashima joins Hong Kong’s ever-growing list of Japanese restaurants with a kaiseki, or traditional multi-course, omakase menu. The restaurant takes its name from the flat-topped volcanic plateau in Kagawa and uses a Japanese character (杣) to represent the art of woodwork which is also reflected in the hinoki wood interior and Kyoto zen garden-inspired design. 

Helmed by Tokyo-born chef Kōya Takahashi, the restaurant offers two seasonal menu options for lunch and one for dinner that may change from day to day depending on the ingredients available. Some mainstay dishes, however, include signature sushi; seasonal vegetables with abalone, prawn and Hokkaido uni topped with Russian caviar; grilled Japanese lobster marinated with kinome white miso; tempura Hokkaido hairy crab; and Ayu sweetfish topped with roe with somen.

Yashima, G/F, 2-4 Kau U Fong, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2328 8089

Taking over Rubia on Hollywood Road, Schnitzel & Schnaps is a new restaurant by the same group and takes its name from two of the most well-known dishes and spirits from Central Europe. The restaurant has two levels with a cocktail bar on the ground floor offering a wide range of schnaps, beers and wines and an upstairs dining room that offers a menu with a sizeable schnitzel selection and more.

The schnitzels here are coated with bread crumbs from dried German kaiser rolls and a mixed herb blend before it is shallow fried for a crisp cutlet that remains tender inside. Highlights include the classic wiener schnitzel made with milk-fed veal; schnitzel à la holstein, a pan-fried pork chop with a fried egg; and the yellow corn-fed chicken thigh jägerschnitzel served with chanterelle mushroom gravy. The menu also has a range of sausages from the region to try with cabbage slaw, sauerkraut and potato salad.

Schnitzel & Schnaps, G/F, C Wisdom Centre, 35 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2889 1199

Love the skyline? Check out Kaboom, a Southeast Asian-inspired rooftop bar and restaurant newly opened in Tsim Sha Tsui, with killer views of the harbour. Featuring an expansive patio replete with thatched parasols and rattan chairs, guests can squint their eyes and imagine themselves on a tropical island. The menu borrows heavily from Southeast Asian cuisine, with dishes like golden fried rice topped with grilled pork chop and spiced tomato gravy, typhoon shelter-style crab pasta, and five-spice roasted crispy cauliflower; while a menu of 12 house cocktails features head-scratching names like “No More OT Please!”, “I Need to Keep Fit” and “Damn Piss Off!”.

Kaboom, 20/F, Prince Tower, 12A Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong; +852 3708 8114

Opened in 1999, this Kennedy Town favourite has expanded to a second location in Quarry Bay to serve the Taikoo office crowd. The restaurant, with its distinctive neon sign and green tiled frontage, is helmed by chef Wongsrithat Yongyut, a native of Thailand's northern Isaan region who has adapted many of his homeland's classic dishes for the local palate, with prodigious use of fresh herbs, raw ingredients and pla ra—a traditional Thai seasoning made by fermenting boiled fish with roasted rice flour and salt, then further fermented in a closed container for at least six months.

At Cafe Siam, expect aromatic dishes like pork larb (pickled minced pork served with lettuce and herbs), nam tuk nua (spicy beef tenderloin salad), three-yellow BBQ chicken marinated with yellow curry and Thai aromatics, and Isaan charcoal grilled skewers.

Cafe Siam, Shop 8-9A, 12 Westlands Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong; +852 6469 0760

Found just north of Shanghai, Jiangsu province boasts a long and storied culinary tradition that is regarded as one of China's eight great regional cuisines, defined foremost by precise temperature control, highly seasonal ingredients, and a focus on seafood thanks to the region's coastal proximity. In Hong Kong, the newest establishment to serve this cuisine is Jiangsu Club in Sheung Wan, where three veteran chefs combine their talents to serve authentic representations within an elevated setting. There are cold dishes like fried eel and freshwater with vinegar glaze; elaborate poultry creations like the Eight Treasures Duck; as well as iconic dishes like thick-cut braised pork belly. A dim sum selection will also keep diners satiated during the day.

Jiangsu Club, 2/F, Alliance Building, 130-136 Connaught Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong; +852 6230 8973

Look past the rather bland name, and you'll find utterly contemporary leanings at this newly revamped Happy Valley mainstay. Upon the restaurant's 10-year anniversary, and observing a lack of new talent entering the market, owner Baldwin Cheng sought to revamp Hong Kong Cuisine's menu and kitchen culture to be more divulging of the often closely-guarded secrets of the old hands. The result is a tasting menu that doesn't shy away from molecular gastronomy touches like foams, smoke, mousses and more. 

Within the degustation, chef Silas Li flexes his creative muscle in dishes like braised boneless duck web stuffed in chicken wings (a play on the Chinese idiom 鷄同鴨講, or “chicken speaking with duck”); bird’s nest stuffed winter melon ball with roasted duck sea cucumber sauce; and layered steamed egg white, crab meat with Huadiao wine and lily flower root foam served in an egg shell. For those who still want their Cantonese fare done the traditional way, Hong Kong Cuisine's a la carte menu still offers family-style sharing dishes for larger gatherings to enjoy.

Hong Kong Cuisine, 1/F, Elegance Court, 2-4 Tsoi Tak Street, Happy Valley, Hong Kong; +852 2893 3788

It seems Hong Kong can't get enough of Japanese-style barbecue either with the opening of Miyazaki Niku Honpo. The new yakiniku restaurant is the first overseas branch from the Kyushu brand and exclusively imports its Wagyu—the full cow and rare cuts—from the award-winning Ouka farm. Aside from Miyazaki Wagyu beef, the menu also has Kyushu A5 Wagyu beef, Kagoshima Kurobuta pork, Kumamoto chicken, salads, snacks and other seasonal Japanese produce and ingredients to try. The menu has a semi-buffet option too so you can just keep beefing it up or sample signature dishes such as the beef bone broth ramen and Wagyu dumplings.

Miyazaki Niku Honpo, 6/F, Sugar+, 25-31 Sugar Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong; +852 3568 5330 or WhatsApp +852 6880 8908

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Replacing Le Pain Quotidien in Pacific Place is The Hawk & Aster, a new venue by the Leading Nation hospitality group (Wagyumafia, Elephant Grounds, Morty's) that is the first in a line of "Grand Cafes"—all-day restaurants that will be open seven days a week serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's also a collaborative effort across the group's portfolio: La Rambla's Rafa Gil ideated the opening menu of approachable European-inflected dishes like steak frites, Ozaki wagyu burger, and baked escargot; while The Diplomat's John Nugent is responsible for the wine and cocktail menu. An Elephant Grounds kiosk completes the package, serving espressos and lattes alike to the denizens of the mall.

The Hawk & Aster, Unit 008, Level LG1, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong; +852 3501 8557, thegrandcafes.com

After a year's hiatus, the Champagne Bar at Grand Hyatt Hong Kong has reopened to the public with a reinvigorated team and menu. No surprises for guessing the focus of the bar here, with an impressive 16 champagnes available by the glass, and a whopping 80 labels by the bottle ranging from Krug and Ruinart to boutique producers like Jeeper, Vilmart & Cie, and Roger Coulon. Aside, more esoteric options include Méthode Champenoise sparkling wines from around the world, yet made using the traditional wine-making technique in the Champagne region of France. An easy-drinking happy hour also entices with champagne spritzes mixed upon ordering with house-made fruit liqueurs.

Champagne Bar, Lobby Level, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Hong Kong; +852 2584 7722

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