Forum

Forum is the sort of restaurant where time seems to slow down slightly once you sit down. The room carries the stability of a place that has spent 49 years perfecting the same idea: that Cantonese cooking, when handled with rigour, needs very little embellishment. The legacy of master chef Yeung Koon Yat still hangs lightly in the air, now carried forward by executive chef Wong with the same measured precision. Abalone remains the centre of gravity here. Slow-braised Japanese specimens arrive burnished and deeply savoury, the sauce built layer by layer until it becomes something almost architectural in flavour. But the real pleasure of Forum lies in everything around that signature dish. Dim sum is crafted with a steady hand, while pork scented with aged mandarin peel demonstrates the Cantonese talent for coaxing complexity from deceptively simple combinations. There are no theatrics here, just a kitchen that knows exactly what it is doing, and has done so for longer than most restaurants manage to remain relevant.

Tatler Tip

Some of the most coveted dishes, including the stuffed and roasted chicken wings, are prepared only by pre-order. Book ahead if you want the full Forum experience.