Hong Kong’s hottest new openings, from Amalgamate to Happy Samurai
Amalgamate brings its ‘beyond West, beyond East’ menu to Causeway Bay, while plant-friendly Happy Samurai is set to make the cut in Central
Bistrot du Vin
After 13 years, French stalwart Bistrot du Vin has decamped to Sai Ying Pun, taking over the former Bâtard site at The Fine Wine Experience. Aside from the spacious setting, the draw here is the retail-plus-dining model, allowing guests to browse a cellar of 7,000 labels and pay shop prices at the table. Chef Guillaume Losguardi serves unpretentious, wine-friendly fare such as pâté en croûte and marble goby in puff pastry.
G/F, 165-166 Connaught Road West, Sai Ying Pun
Amalgamate
Causeway Bay welcomes Amalgamate, a boundary-blurring concept led by chef Kasey Chan, formerly of Cafe Bau. Eschewing traditional labels, the menu leans into “beyond West, beyond East” territory, resulting in dishes such as beef tartare served in tofu-skin shells and cheong fun stuffed with king crab and Sichuan dan dan sauce. The menu is rounded out by mixologist Will Man’s cocktail programme, featuring chocolate-infused Negronis and signature gin immersions. Dim sum and afternoon tea menus complete the all-day dining experience.
7 Lan Fong Road, Causeway Bay
Roru Baru
Wan Chai’s latest opening is a phonetic play on “roll bar”, bringing Tokyo’s handy hand-roll culture to Hong Kong. Chef Joey Chan focuses on tactile contrast: warm rice paired with exceptionally crisp Japanese nori. The menu balances tradition with local grit, featuring a typhoon shelter softshell crab roll alongside a Sichuan-inspired mala negitoro. With its exposed granite walls and “draught-and-go” highball service, it’s best suited for a quick lunch as well as an open-ended evening.