So many new restaurants this year have been the talk of the town—so many that these underrated gems may have slipped your radar. By HK Staff

DAP JP
We love the original Dap, the French restaurant in Jordan that’s one of the best-kept secret among foodies due to its exceptional quality, reasonable prices, elegant décor and friendly service. And boy, they just can’t seem to mess up. Their new branch in Wan Chai serves high-quality Japanese and European cuisines with a modern twist, has elegant décor that somewhat resembles the original, and includes trailblazing dishes such as the wagyu lamb. They’ve won us over—again.
23/F, QRE Plaza, 202 Queen’s Rd. East, Wan Chai, 2572-3228

Yamm
Despite having one of the most popular buffet restaurants in town, the Miramar Hotel never used to top our list because, well, buffets tend to be more about stuffing your face than fine dining. But after a complete makeover (behold The Mira), this classic hotel has totally transformed itself with modern, dramatic décor—and Yamm. Yamm is their new buffet restaurant, but it’s unlike anything they’ve done before. There are buffet tables, but you have a choice of either getting the food yourself or ordering from your table and asking the wait staff to bring it over. Your meal also includes an entrée chosen from the menu. No wonder the waiting list is weeks long.
G/F, The Mira (formerly the Hotel Miramar), 118-130 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, 2315-5111

Beo
Beo debunks all patronizing presumptions about organic dining. We guarantee you won’t be chewing on a lettuce leaf surrounded by hippies. Instead, what Beo offers is fine organic dining in an enviable venue, with curved walls and huge open windows. Décor aside, the food is pretty good too. Head chef Mike Rickman creates a rotating menu to match what’s in season—with organic ingredients, of course. We recommend the grilled scallop and lamb chops as well as the $150 lunch sets, perfect for those looking for an organic break in their day.
16 Arbuthnot Rd., Central, 2868-0625

OVOlogue
Don’t get us wrong—we were totally against the idea of tearing down more of old Wan Chai for yet another Urban Renewal Authority “redevelopment.” But when we visited OVOlogue, an uber-stylish Chinese restaurant housed in a 120-year-old pawnshop, we thought they may have done something right for once. Sure, all eyes are on its neighbor, British gastropub The Pawn, but this is the hidden gem. Opened by furniture shop OVO Home, this may be the prettiest Chinese restaurant we’ve ever seen, decked out with wooden screens, birdcages, French windows, high ceilings and stone archways. The food and drinks there are just as delightful—the modern Chinese dishes, dim sum and special cocktails are served with amazing presentation. Sounds over the top? Maybe, but the best thing about this place is how cozy and relaxing it is. Definitely one of the nicest surprises of the year.
66 Johnston Rd., Wan Chai, 2527-6088

Yin Yang
Another venue in up-and-coming Wan Chai. This time, advertising executive–turned–self-taught cook Margaret Xu Yuan is at the helm. Xu, who first opened a private kitchen in Yuen Long, has launched her third restaurant, this time in a heritage building (yet another saved by the URA). Xu is keen on re-interpreting classic dishes and so far, they have all been hits. A must-try is the aromatic fish rice—barramundi marinated overnight and cooked on rice in a cast-iron pot. Serious foodies appreciate the love and effort Xu puts into preparing the dishes, and there sure are a lot of them in this town. If you haven’t booked a table yet, prepare yourself for a long wait.
18 Ship St., Wan Chai, 2866-0868

A sad farewell to...

Despite their popularity, several places were finally axed this year. We say goodbye to some of our favorites.

Golden Myanmar
Last address: Shop 8, 379-389 Jaffe Rd., Wan Chai
With the closure of Golden Myanmar goes our last chance to get Burmese food in Hong Kong. Its stir-fried Burma prawns with tea leaves and classic mohinga (fish vermicelli in soup) with a cup Burmese tea were just excellent. Next time we’re craving Burmese, we’ll have to get the ferry to Macau and have it there instead.

El Mundo 
Last address: 9-13 Heard St., Wan Chai
El Mundo was full of promise: a celebrity chef, tasty tapas, bargains and an open, comfortable setting. This tapas restaurant on Heard Street was the baby of celebrity chef Jacky Ma and it should have worked. The tapas were consistently good, the wine was a good selection and the clientele seemed to be regulars. But online food blogs told a different story. Food quality was shaky at times and its inconvenient Heard Street location made it a trek to get to.

Havana
Last address: 35 Elgin St., Central
Why can’t Cuban food work in this town? Havana was one of our favorite restaurants with its friendly service, good food and excellent drinks. If only its owner Eclipse didn’t decide to jump on the Vietnamese food bandwagon and turn it into Café Annam. Like we need yet another Viet
joint in SoHo.

Ming Ya Fe
Last address: Unit 6, 13/F, Langham Place, Mong Kok
Sometimes life ain’t perfect. You might have the perfect décor, perfect clientele, perfect venue, perfect food and drinks—and it’s still no guarantee of your restaurant’s lifespan. Ming Ya Fe is a good example. Located at the top of Langham Place, it redefined Chinese dining with its super-stylish, dark-red décor; unbelievably good Shanghainese dishes; tasty Chinese wine cocktails and even live Mando-pop at night. It was our best-kept secret—so well-kept it seems, that it eventually had to close down.