Cover Dining news: Mama Tiger rebrands with an expanded menu of Thai street food plates (Photo: Mama Tiger)
Dining news: Mama Tiger rebrands with an expanded menu of Thai street food plates (Photo: Mama Tiger)
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From product launches to limited-time collaborations and menus, here is the latest dining news in Hong Kong
This week, seasonality takes centre stage across Hong Kong’s dining scene. Restaurants roll out summer menus shaped by regional nuance, while dessert purveyors look to local palates and everyday dining habits for fresh inspiration. The result? Thoughtful flavour combinations, precise rituals and an unmistakable sense of origin in every bite.
At the same time, collaborations are heating up with regional talents and rising stars stepping into kitchens alongside established chefs. All of which bodes very well for anyone planning to eat, drink and explore this week. Read on for the full lineup and consider this your sign to book a table (or two).
Let’s taco about it
Above Ricardo Chaneton (left) and Miko Calo (right) will present a four-hands taco omakase experience at Chef’s Room, Upper House Hong Kong
Ricardo Chaneton (left) and Miko Calo (right) will present a four-hands taco omakase experience at Chef’s Room, Upper House Hong Kong
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Dining is a social affair for South American and Filipino culinary cultures, both of which value food that brings people together. Drawing on this shared love for communal dining, Ricardo Chaneton, chef of Mono and house culinary advisor of Upper House Hong Kong, will host chef Miko Calo of Manila’s Taqueria Franco at Chef’s Room for a three-night collaboration that blends French technique with regional flavours.
Envisioned by Chaneton, Chef’s Room is an intimate space that forgoes the formalities of fine dining and brings guests closer to the buzz of the kitchen. On May 12, 14 and 15, Calo will join Chaneton to present a four-hands taco omakase experience led by bold, thoughtful pairings, think abalone taco with Venezuelan sofrito and Yunnan morel taco with mole rojo and mushroom XO sauce. The four-hands taco omakase is priced from HK$988 per person.
Chef’s Room
Address: 49/F, Upper House Hong Kong, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong
The joys of spring
Above The savoury soy milk with king crab offers an umami start to the meal
Above Aged soy braised pigeon with sand ginger threads and a tea-smoked chicken egg
The savoury soy milk with king crab offers an umami start to the meal
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Seasonality defines Chinese cuisine, and as Hong Kong steps into warmer days, Yong Fu Hong Kong heralds the arrival of summer with a new celebration banquet menu that showcases the season’s representative flavours. Led by chef Liu Zhen, dishes collectively highlight Ningbo’s coastal flavours, preservation techniques and lighter textures better suited to the warmer months.
The menu begins with a trio of appetisers that includes ginger-cured king crab with Sichuan preserved vegetables and ginger-infused rice, followed by savoury and rich soy milk with king crab and first-harvest seaweed. The five-spice beef cheek stands out with the distinctive aroma of Sichuan flower pepper powder, while the pea shoots and baby bamboo shoots balance the meal with tangy flavours and crisp textures. A refreshing dessert of homemade yoghurt with pistachio and wood lotus jelly concludes the meal on a sweet note.
The banquet menu is available from May 10 to June 9 and is priced from HK$2,888 per person for a minimum of four guests. Yong Fu will launch a rotating series of summer daily set menus from June 15 to September 14.
Here’s the scoop
Above Chef Andrew Wong (right) has crafted a new gelato flavour with head chef Samantha Short (left) for Messina’s inaugural The Scoop collaboration series
Chef Andrew Wong (right) has crafted a new gelato flavour with head chef Samantha Short (left) for Messina’s inaugural The Scoop collaboration series
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This summer, Messina is expanding its gelato collection to include dog-safe options. Crafted with lactose-free milk, unsweetened Greek yoghurt and fresh fruits, the Messina Pup Cups series brings three new flavours: Rocco’s peanut butter and banana, Rollo’s boysenberry and yoghurt and Luna’s coconut and mango.
The gelateria is also debuting The Scoop, a collaboration series that celebrates Hong Kong’s culinary voices. The inaugural edition brings self-taught young chef Andrew Wong to Messina’s kitchen to craft a new gelato flavour inspired by his signature bread service. The Sourdough BB flavour reimagines the simple bread-and-butter profile with layers of toasted sourdough gelato and brown-butter whipped cream, swirled with sourdough croutons for added texture.
Messina’s pup cups are available from May 17 and are priced at $60 per scoop. Sourdough BB is available from May 19 to June 2, at HK$70 per scoop.
Messina
Available at locations across Hong Kong
Siu siu French
Above Toro Takano (right) and Cédric Tsia (left) will present two collaboration menus
Toro Takano (right) and Cédric Tsia (left) will present two collaboration menus
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Babette Social Eastery welcomes Siü Siü for a two-night collaboration that blends modern izakaya fare with comforting bistro classics. A six-course tasting menu leads both evenings, where dishes move fluidly between French techniques and Japanese sensibilities.
The series kicks off at Siü Siü on May 5, the latest teppanyaki-izakaya destination by Censu Group, where head chef Toru Takano welcomes executive chef Cédric Tsia of Babette for an evening led by Japanese flavours. Highlights on the menu include drunken prawns by Siü Siü, foie gras by Babette and collaborative dishes such as the Geoduck. A second evening at Babette follows on May 19, where Tsia will host Takano for a refreshed menu that includes snapper sashimi, beef tartare and an okonomiyaki-inspired croque monsieur.
Dinner begins at 6pm on May 5 at Siü Siü and May 19 at Babette. The menus are priced from HK$688 per person, with a three-glass wine pairing available at Babette and a three-glass sake pairing available at Siü Siü from HK$258.
Siü Siü
Address: G/F, The Strand, 49 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Babette
Address: Shop G3, G/F, Nan Fung Place, 173 Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong
Slice of heaven
Above Mr Cheesecake will introduce the popular rich tiramisu cheesecake to its Hysan Place store
Above Sakekasu Coconut draws on two core flavours of Japanese and Hong Kong dining cultures
Mr Cheesecake will introduce the popular rich tiramisu cheesecake to its Hysan Place store
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Mr Cheesecake is launching a Hong Kong-exclusive creation and a beloved flavour from its Tokyo catalogue on May 1. Chef-founder Koji Tamura has crafted a limited-edition Sakekasu Coconut cheesecake for the city that pairs the umami flavours of sake lees with fragrant notes of coconut, balanced by the refreshing sweetness of lychee puree. Tamura recommends enjoying this summer flavour in a half-thawed state, where the acidity of lychee gradually melts into the smooth combination of coconut and sake lees.
Also debuting alongside this city-exclusive is the popular rich tiramisu cheesecake from the brand’s Tokyo flagship. Crafted without gluten, gelatin or alcohol, this aromatic treat layers cocoa and coffee with hojicha and browned butter for a complex, roasted flavour profile. Both cheesecakes are available from May 1.
See also: The man behind Mr Cheesecake: Meet the chef behind one of Japan’s most viral desserts
Mr Cheesecake
Address: Shop B110, B1/F, Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
A sizzling new chapter
Above Mama Tiger’s expanded menu includes dishes like the fried duck leg with green curry
Above Pan-fried scallops in yellow curry enriches the menu with regional, coastal flavours
Mama Tiger’s expanded menu includes dishes like the fried duck leg with green curry
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Mama Tiger Noodles is rebranding simply as Mama Tiger, with an expanded menu that goes beyond noodle bowls to include plates that embody the convivial spirit of Thai street cooking. Led by Bangkok-born head chef Thanit Changchai, the restaurant will serve its signature noodle dishes alongside a dedicated skewer selection, refreshing appetisers, curries and rice.
Starters lean into the contrasts that define Thai cooking with items like the smoked duck namtok (meat salad) and spicy grilled eggplant with soft-boiled duck egg, while the stir-fried flat noodles with Thai mushrooms, egg and sriracha add wok hei to the existing noodle selection. Curries bring regional touches to the table with dishes like pan-fried scallops in yellow curry with pineapple and lychee, and tom yum kung with tiger prawn, lemongrass and galangal.
Mama Tiger Noodles
Address: 12 Kau U Fong, Central, Hong Kong
You may also like: The bold, balanced and expressive cooking of Hong Kong’s Thai restaurants
A luxurious departure
Above Grab a fresh croissant to go from Lady M before catching your flight
Above For something sweet, the airport exclusive financiers are not to be missed
Grab a fresh croissant to go from Lady M before catching your flight
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Lady M Hong Kong has opened a new boutique in the Hong Kong International Airport in collaboration with heritage French butter artisan Échiré. The dessert brand is integrating Échiré’s AOP-certified butter into its artisanal recipes, where the traditionally churned component adds a subtle nutty aroma and smoother texture to baked goods.
A must-try is the airport-exclusive Lady M x Échiré financier series, featuring six flavours: classic, homemade hazelnut gianduja, pistachio and raspberry, mont blanc, sugar-glazed lemon curd and earl grey. Each financier is meticulously crafted on-site to ensure extra freshness. The collaboration also includes two savoury series; the artisanal croissant collection leads with a classic brown butter croissant, while the brioche buns selection features garlic cheese and mentaiko cheese fillings.
Beyond fresh items, the boutique also spotlights Lady M’s souvenir collection featuring frozen and premade specials designed for enjoying on the go or at home.
Lady M Hong Kong International Airport Boutique
Address: Shop 70, South, Departures Level 7, Passenger Terminal 1, Hong Kong International Airport, Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong
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Formerly a lifestyle editor, Celia is now an Associate Dining Editor at Tatler Hong Kong, where she covers local dining stories with a strong sense of narrative and cultural context. She focuses on the people, places and moments shaping the city’s food scene, bringing a storytelling-led approach to restaurant features, chef profiles and on-the-ground coverage.
