Get to know the Hong Kong talents vying for the top spot in ‘Chef of China’

Frankie Wong leads Ankôma, a Tatler Best 2026 Spotlight restaurant, with a clear, identity-driven approach. The young chef’s culinary journey began in childhood, when frequent gourmet travels fostered a love for food that has since matured into his signature style.

At Ankôma, the menu moves confidently across French techniques, Japanese precision and Cantonese soul. The slow-cooked confit oyster arrives at the table after a meticulous overnight infusion with a spiced soy marinade; the classic beignet comes stuffed with Matsuba crab; while Hokkaido sea urchin and squid tartare balance the sweetness of brioche French toast with ocean umami.

CFO-turned-chef Sandy Keung is the mind behind Table, the only seafood restaurant in Hong Kong that uses in-house depuration to treat the seafood it serves, a specialised method that allows it to purge waste and contaminants in an ozone-rich environment. The use of this niche technique signifies a commitment to freshness that borders on the obsessive, one that goes beyond seafood.

At Table, Keung executes Asian flavours and Hong Kong ingredients with European techniques. Think angel hair pasta dressed in a typhoon shelter-style sauce, claypot rice topped with Hokkaido sea urchin, Hanwoo ribeye and US prime short rib, and jumbo tiger prawn marinated in Shaoxing wine.

Table
Address: 23/F, H Queen’s, 80 Queen’s Road Central, Central, Hong Kong

Eric Räty has created a distinct Nordic-Japanese cuisine for Arbor, another Tatler Best 2026 Spotlight honouree. The chef first arrived in Hong Kong in 2014 and has since worked his way across the city’s prestigious institutions before launching his own venture.

Arbor is the culmination of Räty’s time in Asia, intricately woven with the simplicity of Nordic cuisine. The menu shifts naturally from edamame to caviar, from langoustine to genmaicha. Dishes are served with quiet confidence and surprise in equally subdued fashion. The signature pigeon is rich, deep and beautifully handled in each seasonal presentation; the Nordic sushi swaps rice for Swedish new potatoes; the Akagai clam refreshes with ocean umami.

Behind contemporary French restaurant Épure, a Tatler Best 2026 Spotlight awardee, is Singaporean chef Aven Lau. Following tenures at acclaimed restaurants in Singapore like Saveur and Odette, Lau made his way to Hong Kong in 2018, refining his craft in the kitchens of Belon and Bâtard before taking the helm at Épure in 2023.

Lau leads the restaurant with an inventive approach to French gastronomy. Classic discipline exists as a flexible framework, allowing plates to move between tradition and invention with ease. From frog legs presented with Singaporean flavours, orange duck prepared with aged tangerine peel and Nepalese pepper, to white asparagus cold noodles with sweet shrimp and yuzu.

Located in Landmark, Tatler Best 2026 Spotlight restaurant China Tang captures the allure of old-world glamour, from a dining room clad in dark lacquer and velvet furnishings to a menu featuring well-executed regional Chinese plates. In the kitchen, Cheung guides the experience with technical mastery, honed across Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and Mongolia before he arrived at China Tang in 2019.

The menu strikes a balance between tradition and innovation, featuring dishes presented with a personal touch and distinctive flourish. The roasted squab arrives crispy, juicy and perfumed with the aroma of aged tangerine peel; the fattiness of the Old Fashioned charcoal char siu melts naturally into the sweet smokiness of the glaze; while the deep-fried jumbo bun stuffed with chicken, a time-honoured dim sum classic, is elevated with prized ingredients such as abalone, sea cucumber and fish maw.

NOW READ

Mid-Autumn Festival 2026: the best mooncakes in Hong Kong

What’s new at Shenzhen Bay MixC: a guide to new dining openings

Roots that wander: Justin Yang on heritage, innovation and the soul of Min cuisine