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

It’s been a hard-fought couple of weeks at work so I decided to reward myself with a decent lunch at Restaurant Petrus on a Friday afternoon. It’s my second visit to the esteemed French fine-dining institution in 2025 and I recalled my last visit in March as one of the best in recent memory, both in terms of food and service.

Weather wasn’t the best this afternoon but I didn’t get a table by the window anyways.

Scallop carpaccio, yuzu ponzu – This actually arrived ahead of my amuse.

Thick-cut Hokkaido scallop carpaccio (A thick carpaccio, an oxymoron?) was served with yuzu ponzu, puff rice and perilla. The combination of lovely textures was complemented nicely by the burst of acidity. Underneath the scallops were finely diced pickled vegetables and fruits that added a satisfying crunch to each bite. A simple yet incredibly satisfying dish.

At this point in time, my amuse bouche finally arrived. There was the smoked eel tart topped with sour cream, which was packed with smoky flavors. It was accompanied by a flower and herb waffle, flavored with curry.

The waffle was intended to be enjoyed with the herb yoghurt infused with what I thought was coriander oil.

Things started to get busy for me with their homemade brioche (chosen over a French baguette). 

It was served with two types of butter. An unsalted one (left) and a seasoned one with spring onions (right). I have to say, the salted one was pretty addicted.

Oyster velouté, Ostra regal, crouton – Oyster velouté was next, and there was the Ostra regal oyster alongside some crispy croutons.

Once my server finished pouring the oyster velouté, I took a deep breath to inhale the aroma. The creamy soup, made with oysters, fish stock, and lemon zest, was intensely flavorful and rich in oceanic umami but there was also a strong burst of acidity (lemon?) there which I thought was somewhat too dominant.

Three yellow chicken, matsutake, Albufera – Dry-aged and beautifully roasted three yellow chicken with matsutake mushrooms and mushroom purée, and bok choy.

There were two accompanying emulsions for the chicken: first, an Albufera sauce made with chicken and foie gras, which was rich and thick, and then a much lighter chicken foam each delivering a sublime finish to the dish. The mushrooms did a particularly nice job of tying everything together.

Hazelnut, chocolate, smoked vanilla – Dessert was chocolate with smoky vanilla ice-cream, and nutty hazelnut sauce made with Piedmont hazelnut. Nothing fancy, but very comforting and satisfying for the palate.

To round off the meal, some orange peel chocolate strips, chocolate truffle, and French cookie.

During my last two visits, I’ve really sensed that they have upped their game with both their food and service. This is likely the reason for the nice crowd on a Friday afternoon.

Food Rating: 7.7/10

Price: $$$$
Address: 56/F, Island Shangri-La Hong Kong, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Admiralty
Tel: +852 2820-8590
Website: Link
Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 3:00pm, 6:30pm - 11:00pm daily

Bakehouse Bakery & Restaurant Shatin (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

This is really fantastic news for Bakehouse fans that they’ve finally opened a full sit-down restaurant (outside of their Wan Chai flagship) offering a kitchen and, a full food and drink menu, alongside their beloved bakery.

Of course, the takeaway bakery is still very much the heart and soul of Bakehouse.

But the addition of a sit-down dining space with an all-day menu featuring dishes like salads, beef tartare, pork schnitzel, grilled spring chicken, and more? That’s a total game-changer.

Shatin is a bit out of the way for me but I do occasionally come here for business.

Like today, I happened to be in the area so naturally, I had to swing by to pick up a few of our family’s all-time favorites: their amazing sourdough egg tarts. Still just $12.5 each, and still absolutely worth every cent.

Now I just need to come up with a good excuse to visit on a weekend, because this new Bakehouse location is calling my name.

Food Rating: 7/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop 247, 2/F, New Town Plaza Phase I, 18-19 Sha Tin Centre Street, Shatin, Hong Kong

Closest Train Station: Shatin

Website: https://www.bakehouse.hk/locations#Shatin

Opening Hours: 8:00am - 9:00pm (Mon - Thu), 8:00am - 9:30pm (Fri - Sun)

Kwan Hong Bakery 均香餅家 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Kwan Hong Bakery (均香餅家) is a beloved family-run shop in Sham Shui Po (or Shek Kip Mei, depending on how you look at it) with over 40 years of history. It's well-known for blending traditional Chinese pastries with creative, modern flavors.

I first heard about Kwan Hong a few years ago, fresh off the end of the pandemic. What caught my attention back then were their inventive creations especially the double pistachio mooncakes, which were unlike anything I'd seen before.

Last year, around the Mid-Autumn Festival, I tried to hunt down some of their traditional mooncakes but with more than 100 people lined up outside the store, I decided to move on. This year, I was a little more prepared. And since we were already in the area for dinner tonight, I figured we could swing by and finally get our hands on a few of their signature treats.

Banana cake (香蕉糕) – Not many traditional Chinese bakeries make these anymore, which is a shame. This nostalgic snack brought back memories of the good old days — sweet, sticky, and bursting with banana flavor.

Double pistachio mooncake (雙重開心果月餅) – This was the main reason for our visit and it did not disappoint.

Underneath its slightly flaky crust was a layer of crushed American pistachios, surrounding a centre of Italian pistachio cream.

Definitely a pistachio lover's dream.



We also picked up a few of their traditional mooncakes with lotus seed paste. While still enjoyable, I found the filling to be a bit drier and less rich compared to the pistachio version. It just didn’t have the same indulgent mouthfeel.

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: $$$

Address: G/F, 203 Pei Ho Street, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Shek Kip Mei

Tel: +852 2777-0719

Opening Hours: 8:30am - 10:00pm daily