It’s not difficult to find fantastic food in Hong Kong – from its best al fresco restaurants to dim sum for every occasion. But if you’re looking to make a closer connection with the city and its people, seek out a private kitchen.
In an interview with Tatler Asia, Kevin Kasparek – the cook (not ‘chef’, at his own request) at Pesto and Lab – says he doesn’t want “people to come here because they’re hungry and then they eat and then they go home and they’re full.” Private kitchens are about more than the food. “[I’m] just trying to find different ways to communicate and share feelings or memories,” says Kasparek.
You’ll find these dining rooms hidden all over the city – in Wan Chai office blocks, air raid shelters in Sheung Wan, and leafy gardens in Sai Kung. And these are the seven best private kitchens in Hong Kong, according to our on-the-ground insider.
Flower Market, Prince Edward. Kowloon, Hong Kong
Pesto and Lab
Best for: seafood dishes you won’t find elsewhere.
This home kitchen inside the colourful Flower Market in Prince Edward is a hot ticket, hosting just one table of diners each night. The food leans clean and is as inventive as anything you would find in a Michelin-star restaurant: savoury beet macarons with horseradish cream, chestnut bisque encased in a squid ink tuile, mole-spiced salmon with hickory smoked labneh.
pestoandlab.com
Dangerous Dinners
Best for: a culinary adventure like no other.
British interior designer Sacha Yasumoto has taken her hobby for urbex (urban exploration) to new levels by creating exclusive pop-up dining experiences inside some of the city’s atmospheric abandoned places. Guests are shuttled blindfolded to cinematic locations, which are kept top secret until the moment of arrival – perhaps a colonial-era mansion in Shatin and a decommissioned floating restaurant in Aberdeen.
dangerousdinners.com
Dangerous Dinners
152 Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong
Pak Loh Chiu Chow Private Kitchen
Best for: celebrating Chiu Chow cuisine.
Established in 1967, Pak Loh Chiu Chow’s third generation of southern Chinese cooks have introduced an elegant private kitchen in Central to the family business. Available for six or more, its multi-course menus offer a wide variety of options that can be tailored into a bespoke banquet. Crowd-pleasers include pan-fried crispy noodles, roast meat platters, and satay beef with beansprouts.
buick-hk.com
Pomegranate
Best for: big private parties and corporate events.
Once home to textile factories and electronics plants, Wong Chuk Hang’s industrial buildings now conceal a hive of art galleries, independent designers, and exciting culinary experiences. Among them is Pomegranate, a pared-back private dining and events space, with North African and Middle Eastern-inspired menus and a pretty rooftop terrace perfect for parties.
pomegranate.com.hk
44 Wong Chuk Hang Rd, Aberdeen, Hong Kong
1–3 Wing Lok St, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Sabor Private Kitchen
Best for: a date night to remember.
Set in a shadowy old air raid shelter in the back streets of Sheung Wan, Sabor is one of Hong Kong’s most unique private kitchens. The authentic Spanish menu is as enticing as the setting. Grab a bottle of Tempranillo from home to pair with dishes like seafood paella, roasted apricot flower chicken, and crème Catalan with citrus and cinnamon.
instagram.com
Masala Bay
Best for: a homemade Indian banquet.
Candlelit tables are set up in flower-filled gardens at the home of Indian-Afghan chef Vadana Anand. Tucked away in Clearwater Bay, groups of eight to 30 guests are regaled with flavourful dish after dish: lamb kebab patties, samosa afghani, and aubergine and chicken daal. Everything is made from scratch, including the breads. Vegetarians won’t go home hungry either.
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Hung Uk Village, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong
239 Hennessy Rd, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Les Saveurs Private Kitchen
Best for: French-Asian fusion fine dining.
Graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy and alumni of three-Michelin-star Amber, Eric Wong has embarked on his own solo venture. Set in a Wan Chai high-rise, the set lunch and dinner infuse French fine dining with subtle Asian influences. Dishes might include zesty king fish carpaccio, wild mushroom consommé, and M6 Wagyu beef tenderloin.
