Janice Leung Hayes

If I’m reading the zeitgeist right, Chinamaxxing isn’t just #trending, the world order has shifted — to China. This is a scary admission for someone from Hong Kong. Don’t get me wrong, HK has lots going for it, but the uncomfortable truth is that if you’re not afraid of China surpassing us — and by us, I mean HK, “Asian Tiger” Asia, as well as the Global North, you delulu. I’ve been visiting Mainland China regularly since I was a teenager (that’s 30 years, folks) and let me tell you, by my toilet index alone (iykyk, sorry not sorry) life is good there. (I’m mentally bracing myself for the “PRC propaganda” trolls now). Meals like this one at @selection_by_du are, to me, not about the marble-laden dining rooms, automated lazy susans, DRC in the cellars and billion-Yuan views, they’re about the insane dedication and obsession with ingredients and how they’re cooked and presented — the diversity of vegetables alone is enough to shock/rock my world (kohlrabi, but really gai lan that is just bred for its stem; water spinach as big as paccheri, peppers that taste like the best padrón peppers but have an obvious but not overpowering capsaicin note; bamboo shoots so crisp and sweet they taste almost like sweetcorn, tiny potatoes the texture of gnocchi…). Then there’s the seafood that Chaoshan (aka loosely Chiuchow/Teochew) food is known for: amazing fish, squid, as well as preserved seafood: salted fish, dried shrimp, shrimp paste, all so ridiculously well sourced and fresh thanks to China’s lightning fast logistics. Mostly, this is made possible by the economics of China (and most obviously to me this time, the economics of Shanghai). These people are rich. Crazy rich. And they will pay good, nay, excellent, money for good food. No expense spared. No obsession too obsessive. No palate too hard to please. I have never, ever had Chiuchow food like this, and it has nothing to do with the traditional luxuries of sharks fin, fish maw, sea cucumber (although there was some of the latter two). The real luxury is having the pick of the crop — any crop, from gai lan, to grouper, to pistachio — and cooking it to preserve, distill and highlight its innate flavours. #e_tingShanghai

I haven’t done a proper tally, but I’m fairly sure my two most frequented restaurants in Hong Kong are @borgoc_hk and @thechairmanrestauranthk . If you’re seeing this, you definitely know about the latter, so let me tell you about the former (again), although they don’t need my help, they’re full every time I go and I’m sure locals would rather I didn’t post about it, lol. The food is so consistent, and actually, kind of upped its game in recent years — the threadfin and pork patty is now my must-order, and the sweet and sour pork is totally up there with some of the best in town. I also love their Cantonese soups, it always tastes 足料 and deep and round in flavour (I looooove Canto soup). I forgot to BYO (it’s free; they’ll lend you a corkscrew and nice glasses) but boss @miaoszeyeah always has cool things for us to try, like this Selosse creation out of Naples. It’s nowhere near where I live but (I think I’m repeating myself) I wish it was, it’s the perfect neighbourhood Canto bistro. You don’t ever need an excuse to go, we go when we miss it (which is often) and when we can’t think of anywhere else to go, and it always hits the spot (we’ve been coming for like… 15+ years?). Oh, and the service is just so fun, they’re the best. I’ve been thinking about drafting a list of HK places to eat at that aren’t on any “lists”; dunno if I’ll ever get to it, but know that this is at the top. #e_tingHK

When @roucou.hk first opened, I was practically clawing at the door, as I’ve known @jeremy_fromages (I should say, known of, I mean we met, but it’s not like we’re mates, I’m awkward like that) since Caprice opened. To me, the cheese cave was what really helped put the restaurant on the map. I’d only ever sat in the front part of Roucou as the omakase hadn’t opened on my first visit, and when it had, it was just booked solid. I kept going to the front; the menu for me has its ups and downs (up: New Wave Cheeseboard, down: gougères, but the menu for the front has been revamped and these are no more) but the quality of the cheeses are just unmatched, and I couldn’t stop going back. This time, I was invited for their new lunch menu in the omakase bar — lunch dishes are different from dinner, except the camembert, nori and caviar, which has kind of become a signature of the omakase. (There was something similar on the NW cheeseboard but Jeremy explained that the ingredients are dialed up a notch for omakase). The flavour combos are totally unexpected, intentional and insanely good. This isn’t a glorified cheeseboard; it’s a menu designed by someone who loves and deeply understands cheeses and how they work with different ingredients. The balance of acidity and umami are particularly on point. Also, interesting note for those who are lactose sensitive: aged cheeses generally have very little lactose. It was also pretty light overall; you won’t go back to your desk in a food coma (and you won’t need to miss any meetings either, we were seriously in and out in 59 mins on the dot). For me, right now, these are some of the most exciting and beautifully balanced flavour combinations you can get in Hong Kong. A caveat that we were the only ones there that day, but omakase room has only 8(?) seats, so I can’t imagine the execution fluctuating much. But… I hope I can still get a booking next time I want to go! Save me a seat 🥲 #e_tinghk #centralhk #🇭🇰

When you’re a food journo and a mom — there was no way I wasn’t going to try this! Meituan is a food delivery app in Mainland China; I’ve used it before for deliveries by riders for anything from restaurant food to groceries to my hotel, but it was my first time using a drone delivery. I’ve seen them set up in large parks but there are probably other spots too. Yep China is living in 2050, etc. Do you need this at your kid’s playground? 📍Shenzhen North Station Central Park, children’s play area 深圳北站公园儿童乐园

The shorter Discovery menu at @feuillehk is actually a very good idea after CNY — it’s still a treat, but fewer courses makes it easier on the system. You won’t be leaving hungry, just not overstuffed. Every course was pretty much faultless and thoroughly enjoyable: the shiso cracker at the start was fresh, light and delightfully crunchy, the lacy prawn head crackers, the gently cooked grouper, the textbook deep pink pigeon, and of course the fish collagen dill dip… It’s just always good eating here. The wine list is a bit an overlooked strength imo; the by-the-glass list has some interesting pours, and although pretty pricey (reds generally north of HK$200/glass, which is almost the price of a full bottle, retail — they’re not the only ones doing this but still) it was really neat to be able to try something like a Blaufränkisch (Wachter Wiesler Béla Jóska 2021 from Eisenberg, Austria). Also, there’s an HSBC credit card deal going on at the moment (wish they sponsored this but they didn’t lol) that’s something like buy 3 get 1 free at for this menu at dinner, which helps take the edge off those wine prices 😂 #e_tingHK

Don’t let the momfluencers fool you, travel with a toddler is 90% playgrounds, playrooms and parks, and 10% them saying “no” 🫠 We had a couple days free post-CNY madness so we went to my parents’ holiday (?) home in Shenzhen to chill. No plans at all; mostly hung out at MixC Nanshan and MixC Shenzhen Bay Phase 2 (lol). The latter is new and is home to the newest Yongfu Xiaoxian 甬府小鲜 — a mid-range concept but I wouldn’t even call it Yongfu lite, it just doesn’t compare. The market-inspired ordering system was cute: you see all the dishes or the raw ingredients laid out, and pick up a stick with the dish name on it. Take all your sticks to tally up; they spread them out on a sensor thingy that automagically registers all the sticks (ie. dishes), they enter your table number and it’s done! Other new finds this time include 忠曜堂 Chinese medicine herb gelato and yet another tea chain 李茶的茶, which I mostly love for its double finger-tap branding. Anyway, Year of the Horse looks like the year I’m gonna be a high speed rail-Costco-MixC girly (well, mommy). See you on Rednote (nah). Comment if you want any specific info coz otherwise this would be a Youtube video or a Substack post but I don’t have the headspace for either rn — as any toddler mom can tell you, a holiday is just parenting in another location.

A little lunch spot appreciation post. I’m not from a Chiu Chow (Teochew) family, so I didn’t grow up with food like this, although of course kueh 粿 is also found at most dim sum restaurants (usually just one, 潮州粉粿, which tells you how dominating Guangzhou-Cantonese is as a culture in Hong Kong! If you didn’t know, Guangdong Province is actually made up of quite a few distinct culinary (and linguistic) cultures). They make both sweet and savoury kuehs, you can take the raw ones away or stay and they’ll pan-fry them to order. My go-to order is the Chinese chive kueh — I don’t usually like chives but something about the saltiness and lardiness of it all has me hooked. Their beef ball soup is beautiful too — just five little juicy, tender morsels in a clear and again very umami and salty seaweed, pickle and coriander broth, it’s probably full of MSG, so if you’re intolerant, look away. I’m pretty sure everyone who works at the stall is part of the same family; they’re all sprightly and loud when they need to be (which is often 😂)

Trust @chefvickylau to go on another deep dive and put out a bistro filled with such beautiful details — @jijabyvickylau at @kimptontsimshatsui is a gorgeously intricate take on southwestern Chinese cuisine (Yunnan being a big part of that, rightfully, with all the amazing produce that chefs and diners in HK have grown to know and love). It’s casual yet sophisticated, and family-friendly: newly-minted three-year-old @amelianhayes was heartily received with her own wine glass filled with a bubbly welcome drink. I loved all the pickles and fermented foods, which I know are so “on trend” right now, but in fact, just part and parcel of the cuisine from that area, and really appreciated the subtle tweaks influenced by chef’s (western) classical technique, such as the liver parfait served with a take on scallion bread/pancake, bisque-like prawn soup, and the gorgeous raspberry dessert. The cheese spring rolls were kind of like a Yunnan mozzarella stick, a real crowd-pleaser and great reminder that we also eat dairy in China. I also absolutely loved the chive stir-fry, which was such a glorious mashup of Yunnanese ingredients and Cantonese wok hei. If this Chinamaxxing trend is going to do some good instead of just creating borderline offensive content, I hope it opens minds to food and regions like these. It’s all so fresh, and this interpretation so elegant, it’s really brought something new to Hong Kong’s already wide-ranging food scene — no easy feat. Thank you @companioncommunications @leadingnationhk for having us!

The algo kept pushing me shopping posts in Japan, but none of them were about shopping for kids (a toddler in my case), so here’s one for you. I was in Kyoto, but these should be available in any city (or town). 1. Hyoshiro reduced-salt dashi packets & onigiri-sized nori. I love dashi packets for instant flavour and use it for everything from noodle soups to stocks for cooking. Hyoshiro probably isn’t the only brand that does reduced salt, but this is super easy to find and the ingredients are real, clean and simple. For nori, I favour ones in resealable packaging, and I also like onigiri sizing because it’s more easily ripped or cut into snack sizes on the go. Nori used for sushi/onigiri is best as it has no additives (as opposed to most nori “snacks” which have added oils and flavours). Nori is one of my go-to on-the-go snacks for toddlers as it weighs almost nothing, takes up no space in your bag, and has stuff like iodine and iron which is handy (watch the amount, don’t overdo it). Both are available at supermarkets. (Fancy/department store ones are more likely going to have the Hyoshiro dashi). 2. Hydroxyapatite toothpaste from Apagard — now this is truly crunchy mom territory, so if you’re into fluoride, you’ve been warned, dont @ me. If you don’t know, hydroxyapatite toothpastes are touted to remineralise enamel, reverse early tooth decay, help with tooth sensitivity, keep the oral microbiome in balance etc. It’s favoured by holistic dentists, but probably not conventional ones. Anyway, I use an adult Apagard, so was glad to find one for kids. Available at drugstores and multistores like Bic Camera. 3. U-shaped silicone toothbrush. Huge caveat that this should not be the only toothbrush your child uses, as its cleaning powers are questionable. I let my daughter use this on her own, you don’t risk poking etc. and primes her for when I stick a real toothbrush in. I also like the shape for mouth exercises that I try to get her to do to prevent mouth breathing (more crunchy mom stuff going on here, I’m not a dentist — look it up if you’re interested). From kids store Nishimatsuya. 4 & 5. continued in comments. And none of this is medical advice, duh.

20 best dishes of 2025, in chronological order: 1. Tomato tart @cristalroombyasp 2. Pork dumplings @yongfuhk 3. Strawberry chiboust kakigori @azukitokouri x @censu_hk collab 4. Char siu @thechairmanrestauranthk 5. Confit bell pepper and burrata because of the wine pairing (I think? it was Comte Abbatucci Faustine VV 2022) @louisehkg 6. Taiwanese beef noodle, especially the classic clear soup by @regenttaipei at @hongkongregent 7. Pork patty steamed with threadfin @borgoc_hk 8. Xiaolongbao (and all the dim sum) @hongkongcuisine1983 9. Toothfish, seaweed @amberhongkong @mo_hkg 10. Ham and cheese pastry @thebakerandthebottleman 11. Almond, rocket, uni linguine @estro.hk 12. Nasi lemak but also this cendol at @thecoconutclubsg 13. Tropical Paradise mango float @lizandtori_hk 14. Roast goose pie @duddellshk 15. Isaki fish and manganji pepper sauce @monorestaurant x Crony collab 16. Pittenweem surf clams @kinneucharinn 17. Fresh out of the oven madeleines @kinneucharinn 18. Cottage pie @rochellecanteen 19. Red prawn pasta @medora_hk 20. Lucknow tori chaat @leela.hkg There were delicious, beautiful moments in 2025 but it came with a whole lot of sadness in the wider world, so to that I say, onwards! Here’s to better things in 2026 🙏

‘Twas a very Merry Christmas. Christmas Eve, we cooked, and Christmas Day dinner was at @borgoc_hk where the food was stupendous, the treats just kept rolling in (Gillardeau oysters! Whiskies! Cookies!). Last few visits we’ve ordered the ma yau steamed with pork patty and despite it being my worst picture (forgot it had to be vertical), it was the best it’s ever been. You HAVE to have it with rice and eat it while it’s very warm so that all those fishy, porky juices coat your rice and form beautiful mouthfuls. But I mean, what more can be said, this is my most frequented restaurant of 2025* and will probably be in 2026 and beyond too 😆 *Ok I was just reminded that it might be The Chairman but I think they’re tied. I’ll need a few days to fact check, LOL. But point remains, I come here often 🤤

One of the things I was fascinated by at @torikaze.hk was how on earth the glass in front of the two charcoal stoves stayed pristine the whole time I was there. I think that’s just one of the details that makes this place stand out. Yes, Hong Kong is full of yakitori spots (I mean, charcoal, chicken, sticks, and Japanese food — it’s like Hongkonger catnip) but it’s the things other than chicken that really impressed me: the vegetables (THE OKRA! ADD THE OKRA!), the chicken mince, gingko and matsutake donabe, the pumpkin ice-cream, and yes that crystal clear glass 😂 I would have loved it if they were able to use Japanese chicken like in Tokyo (currently they’re using HK three yellow chicken) but alas there are avian flu-related import restrictions, and I’d say, to be as transparent as that glass (she won’t stop banging on about that glass), it does put a teeny damper on the actual “tori” part of yakitori experience (don’t get me wrong, it’s still good, but I was hoping for a “wow sooooo juicy” moment that often comes with charcoal cooking and it just never happened for me), but when you consider the price (sets are around the HK$400 mark for lunch and $780 for dinner), as well as the prime location, it’s a pretty great package. Given how hard it is to get into Torishiki in Tokyo, the immediate excitement around it is unsurprising, and I’m definitely going to head back when I can nab a reservation, especially seeing as I can bring @amelianhayes for a treat (this kid loves chicken, and barbecue, and come to think of it, vibes, which Torikaze has in spades). #e_tinghk