SOL Restaurant (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

It’s been a little while since I last dipped into the local casual fine-dining scene, so right after my medical appointment in Central, I decided to sneak in a quick lunch somewhere nearby.

SOL Restaurant is one of the latest additions to the city's upscale dining landscape, fusing Korean flavors with French culinary techniques. The kitchen is helmed by Chef Kim Gwan-ju, who previously worked at three-Michelin-starred Odette in Singapore and L’Amant Secret in Seoul. Pastry chef Kylie Yang comes with equally impressive credentials, having trained at three-Michelin-starred Mingles in Seoul and the recently shuttered Alma in Singapore. That was just about all I needed to know before making my reservation.

For a restaurant that only recently opened, it was more buzzy than I expected for a Thursday afternoon. But at $388 for a full tasting menu in a polished setting, it’s easy to see why.

Gaji Namul – Our amuse-bouche was a dainty eggplant tart topped with pickled perilla leaves, doenjang (大醬), and marinated chicken liver. A tiny bite, yet bursting with bold, fermented flavors. An exciting start.

Gyeran-jjim – Next up was Korean steamed egg, layered with mushroom sabayon, sherry vinegar gel, and a pine nut emulsion, topped nicely with local morel mushrooms for some contrasting texture. Silky, earthy and comfortingly refined.

Saewoo Jang – A beautifully plated starter of soy-marinated raw shrimp (醬油蝦), with pickled perilla, cherry tomatoes, onion, and cream cheese. There was a nice interplay of sweetness and acidity, though I wasn’t entirely convinced all the components sang in harmony.

Maesaengi – I dropped a few bucks to check out this signature disk from Chef Kim and it did not disappointed.

Jeju Island abalone, cooked to a perfect crunch, was layered with garlic and bamboo shoots, and served with two distinctive seaweed sauces. A rich, buttery maesaengi seaweed emulsion, made with a prized variety harvested off Korea’s southern coast, and a lighter miyeok foam, offering a briny, almost sea mustard-like whisper.

The abalone had incredible texture and natural sweetness. Easily the best dish of the afternoon.

Siraegi – The meat course featured Korean-style pork jowl (韓式豬頸肉) marinated in doenjang, made with Spanish Iberico pork for extra succulence. 

But the unsung hero was the siraegi or dried radish greens which appeared both as a garnish and in a side dish.

A small bowl of steamed rice with radish was served alongside to round out the course.

Bori – Dessert was a combination of tonka bean ice cream and chocolate mousse, paired with a thick, gluey barley sauce. The nutty, slightly smoky tones of tonka worked surprisingly well with the deep chocolate and mellow graininess of the barley. 

After the meal, we had a small drink made with lemon, lime and rosemary to sooth our palate.

Two mignardises to finish things off, first a mango yuzu tart.

And a chocolate cream puff.

Many of Seoul’s high-end restaurants like Eatanic Garden use ingredient cards to explain their dishes, minimizing the need for verbal explanations. SOL uses a similar system, but what impressed me most was how well the staff still took the time to walk us through each course.

Service was warm, polished, and well-informed — frankly better than what I’ve experienced at some of the top Michelin-starred spots in town.

All in all, SOL is a very solid addition to the modern Korean dining scene in Hong Kong, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on it especially if they continue on this trajectory.

Food Rating: 7/10

Price: $$$

Address: 5/F, 8 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Central

Tel: +852 2530-2226

Website: https://www.solsticehongkong.com/sol

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 3:00pm, 6:00pm - 11:00pm (Mon - Sat)