Are you someone who likes to sate their appetite and tempt their taste buds, whether it’s at home or abroad? Then you’re in luck.
From authentic dim sum and innovative mixology to elegant fine dining and crowd-pleasing family feasts, Asia’s culinary scene continues to be a force to be reckoned with, and this July is no exception, with a raft of exciting new openings coupled with inspiring new menus from some of the region’s leading chefs and bartenders.
Whether you’re looking for a new local or are on the hunt for dining tips before that next weekend escape, this July’s round-up of the best dining experiences in Asia is perfect for passionate foodies on the move.
Sol & Sao Bar – Spanish Inspiration in Hoi An (Central Vietnam)
If you have a hankering for great cuisine paired with sand between your toes, a new coastal opening in Vietnam just might be the ticket.
Sol & Sao Bar is a new day-to-night beachside sanctuary at Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai. By day, this vibrant space serves homemade gelato (you have to try the Classic Dame Blanche with chocolate leaf, toasted almonds and cacao nibs), Vietnamese coffee from the central highlands and a wide range of tropical concoctions.
As the sun dips, the new restaurant turns into an elegant Spanish-inspired lounge with a delectable tapas menu (don’t miss the Sriracha tuna tartare) and an enviable Sherry-forward cocktail list (in fact, the venue has the country’s largest sherry collection, including 40 rare and aged varieties).
When hunger strikes, opt for the Hoi An Chicken Satay, a stylish spin on a local classic, and the Eco Nam Hai Garden, a healthy dish crafted with seasonal ingredients from the Resort’s own herb and vegetable farm.
HamaSei – Authentic Japanese on the Island of the Gods (Bali)
If you’re on Indonesia’s Island of the Gods, be sure to check out the sensational new Japanese dining destination at the luxurious Hilton Bali Resort, which combines Japanese culinary tradition with views to die for.
Marrying the talents of Jakarta’s award-winning Sushi Sei Group with Japan’s timeless gastronomic heritage, HamaSei offers an interactive and family-friendly dining experience that combines three of Japan’s most beloved culinary styles – teppanyaki, robatayaki, and Sushi and Sashimi.
With an intimate sushi counter (be sure to order the fantastically fresh flying fish roe) as well as live teppanyaki and robatayaki stations, HamaSei showcases the bounty of the land (the Wagyu striploin is to die for) and the Indian Ocean.
My recommendation is to book ahead for one of the seats at the coveted teppanyaki, where you can be close to the action as the chef’s grill and flambé morsels to perfection and the team pairs dishes with an extensive sake selection.
Bluhouse – an Italian Gastronomic Renaissance (Hong Kong)
You can now appease both your appetite and your conscience with BluHouse’s new a la carte menu and its collaboration with Hong Kong social enterprise Inherited Sports.
Rosewood Hong Kong’s innovative Italian food hall has launched a refreshed menu by chef Giovanni Galeota that reflects Italy’s culinary richness. As the city slips into the balmy days of summer, opt for the Pantesca, a classic Mediterranean dish of confit bluefin tuna, French beans, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella and red onion; or the Vitello Tonnato, cold-roasted veal topped with a creamy tuna, anchovy, and caper sauce — a Piedmontese staple that balances land and sea.
If you’re a pizza lover like me, you can’t go past the Roman-styled Pizza Gamberi E Zucchine, sweet king prawns with creamy burrata and zucchini, one of four new pizza additions, while new pasta arrivals include the Mezze Maniche ai Frutti di Mare laced with prawns, squid, mussels, clams, and octopus in a lobster-tomato sauce; and soul-soothing Rigatoni alla Carbonara with guanciale, Pecorino Romano, and egg yolk for a creamy depth and peppery finish.
And if you order the ‘BluPlate’ – Gnocchetti Sardi con Gamberi e Zucchine, a Sardinian-style pasta featuring broccolini purée, fennel sausage, and a spicy anchovy-sausage sauce – the restaurant will donate HK$20 to Inherited Sports, which empowers ethnic minority youth through sport-based career development.
Il Ristorante – Niko Romito – Romance is in the Air in Uluwatu (Bali)
Another newbie I recommend on Il Ristorante – Niko Romito, which has opened at the ultra-luxury Bulgari Resort Bali.
This intimate new hideaway (it only seats 24 diners for dinner), perched atop Uluwatu’s dramatic sea cliffs, promises a contemporary yet classic Italian dining experience, one punctuated with timeless techniques and high-quality ingredients, many sourced locally from across Bali or grown in the Bulgari Resort Garden.
Diners can choose from the four-course “I Classici” tasting menu, an indulgent seven-course tasting extravaganza, or from the à la carte selection, with dishes ranging from tortellini filled with smoked Balinese ricotta, zucchini, and mint parmesan Reggiano sauce, and Coral trout with scallops, prawns and tomato, to gently poached Black cod with cod milk, and a marbled Wagyu beef fillet served with a local black pepper sauce.
Some of the Bali-inspired dishes to look out for include scallops with thyme, marjoram and pink prawn cream; cold handmade tagliolini with sea urchin, parsley and chilli; snapper tartare with green pepper; and handmade Balinese duck tortellini with black summer truffle and Parmigiano Reggiano.
Each dish has been specifically crafted for the Bali restaurant by acclaimed chef Niko Romito and is executed by resident chef Alessandro Mazzali.
Salon Lanson – A Hidden Treasure in Causeway Bay (Hong Kong)
Perhaps one of Hong Kong’s best-kept culinary secrets, Salon Lanson at the intimate Lanson Place hotel in Causeway Bay (a personal favourite!), has unveiled delectable French-forward lunch and dinner à la carte menus that promise an indulgent gastronomic journey for savvy urbanites.
Salon Lanson is a luxuriously elegant dining destination, and the new menus reflect that, with standout dishes ranging from grilled Spanish octopus in chorizo oil, paired with arugula, pickled purple carrot and smoked paprika aioli; and Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with briny pan-fried Argentinian red prawns; to the US Natural Beef Flap steak, which is expertly cooked sous vide and then pan-fried with butter and fresh herbs.
Other dishes to look out for include the 21-day air-dried French duck breast with warm baby spinach salad and tangy homemade raspberry vinaigrette; roasted Bellota Grade Iberico Pork Presa served on a sweet-sour red pepper purée and a bright chimichurri sauce; and the Tagliatelle Mushroom Alfredo, which caters to those who prefer a lighter main course.
Don’t leave without trying the Classic Tiramisu, which has been reimagined with coffee gelato and 72% chocolate flakes for an extra layer of decadence.
Bar Mind – Cocktail Collaboration in SoHo (Hong Kong)
Whether it’s happy hour tipples or after-dinner digestives, one new Hong Kong bar has you covered.
Bar Mind is a minimalist and introspective bar concept on Elgin Street by two of the city’s rising stars, Jo Lo (Instagram: @joooooooooolooooo) and Birs Wong (Instagram: @birstacla), who are driven by a minimalist philosophy that strips away the noise so often found in today’s trend-driven bars and instead focusing on flavour, emotion, and human connection.
The bar’s signature drinks (some served on tap) are designed without visible bottles or branding, further reinforcing its minimalist ethos, and include Whispering Blooms, with gin, jasmine tea, elderflower, hibiscus, and citrus, evoking a spring garden in full bloom; Monk’s Sea Breeze, rum, passion fruit, tomato, and Lillet, inspired by summer days spent in the sun and sea; and A Taste Of Home, with tequila, bitter melon, and lime, enhanced with the aromatic notes of fermented black beans.
Other recommended libations include the Campino Dreams, a combination of yoghurt-washed cognac, strawberry, and white miso that’s topped with two pieces of dehydrated strawberry; the Streetwise Boulevardier, a heady blend of bourbon, Sichuan pepper, chili oil, and hoisin sauce; and the Savory Sipper, with whiskey, Pu’er tea, Cynar, and bonito bitters, a complex and thought-provoking elixir.
Jiang-Nan Chun – Return of a Culinary Icon (Singapore)
Foodies will rejoice as award-winning chef Alan Chan returns to the helm at Michelin-recommended restaurant Jiang-Nan Chun at the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore.
It’s not every day that a chef can return to their roots, having cooked their way around the world. However, for Hong Kong-born chef Alan Chan, his return to the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, where he spent many of his formative years, learning at the hands of Chinese culinary masters, is certainly a reason for celebration.
To mark the multi-award-winning chef’s return to Jiang-Nam Chun, Chan, who has over 30 years of experience working in some of the region’s leading restaurants, will launch an exclusive Chef’s Tasting Menu, a carefully curated selection of his signature dishes reflecting his extensive culinary experience, with each dish a tribute to Chinese gastronomic tradition.
Among the new menu’s highlights are deep-fried scallop sphere with shrimp paste and Australian winter black truffle; baked cod fillet with egg white, quinoa and fish roe; and chef Alan’s signature braised egg noodles with Australian lobster in superior stock, a dish refined over years of international practice.
LucAle – From Sorrento to Sai Ying Pun (Hong Kong)
Hong Kong’s LucAle Italian restaurant has launched a new menu packed with punchy flavours and seasonal flair.
Infused with seasonal flair and modern creativity, the refreshed menu brings imaginative twists and luxurious textures to the table, including new starters like slow-cooked egg with topinambur, porcini mushrooms, artichoke and a silky Avezzano potato foam; and pan-fried scallops with a cauliflower cream laced with liquorice. Pasta lovers will be able to revel in the ‘Big Raviolo’ with prawn mousse, Genovese pesto, and lobster bisque; and homemade tortellini filled with a heavenly carbonara sauce and topped with pork cheek and zucchini.
Another standout to look out for is the Italian Seabass “en papillote”, steamed in an earthy clam broth with potatoes, Taggiasche olives and basil bell peppers.
For a sweet touch, try the Millefeuille with inventive Szechuan pepper panna cotta foam, a zesty mandarin granita and a cocoa nib wafer, offering citrus and spice in a surprising east meets west pairing; and the hazelnut and peanut semifreddo topped with sesame and orange wafers and salted caramel.
Shoo Loong Kan – Some Like It Hot (Hong Kong)
Fans of the numbing spicy flavours of Chengdu will flock to the Shoo Loong Kan, a new Sichuan hot pot restaurant opening in Causeway Bay.
The acclaimed brand from Chengdu, famed for its signature “Tianfu Yeast-Preserved” soup base, a complex blend of nine distinct spices and natural lactic acid bacteria, is bound to prove popular with chilli-ophiles this season, with its diverse menu of specialty soup bases and fresh, premium ingredients.
Highlights include the “Supreme Beef Tallow Spicy Broth”, a secret recipe of blended chillies and spices, and the milder Xinjiang Yellow Tomato Broth, made with sun-dried Xinjiang tomatoes for a refreshing sweet and sour taste.
Other options include the Yunnan Wild Mushroom Broth, a nourishing blend of premium mushrooms, and the Chengdu Pig Trotter Broth, a milky-white broth that’s rich in collagen.
Other must-try dishes include the Volcanic Spiced Beef, coated in dried chillies for an exhilarating spice hit; as well as staples like premium beef short plate; spiced beef tongue, crispy pork throat, goose intestines, handmade prawn paste with fish roe, and tender duck blood curd, all of which can be paired with Shoo Loong Kan’s signature oil dipping sauce to enhance the flavours of the hot pot and mitigate the spiciness.
Ming Pavilion – A Dim Sum Feast at the Shangri-La (Hong Kong
One of my favourite Chinese dining destinations, Ming Pavilion at Hong Kong’s Island Shangri-La has created a new Sunday Dim Sum Brunch that’s perfect for families looking to catch up over soul-pleasing yum cha classics.
Laced with soulful Hokkien and Fujian flavours, the new Sunday brunch, the creation of head chef Jack Lam, invites guests to embark on a vibrant tasting journey that pays homage to the rich culinary heritage of Southern China. With 20 dishes blending time-honoured techniques with regional nuance, the focus here is on Minnan-style dim sum, with highlights including steamed prawn dumplings with a bright pickled spicy yellow capsicum sauce; pan-fried taro dumplings filled with minced pork and lobster; and steamed dumplings with Agaricus Blazei, sugar pea, and spinach.
More unique dishes range from the Yongchun aged vinegar jellyfish terrine and Qinghong rice wine-marinated razor clams to Xiapu seaweed soup with pork dumplings and regional signatures like stir-fried sea whelks with shiso leaves and tea-smoked crispy pigeon. The brunch concludes with traditional sweet treats such as sweet taro paste with soymilk pudding and Minnan peach gum and white fungus sweet soup, offering a gentle and nourishing end to a leisurely Sunday affair.
Flat Iron Opens in Sheung Wan (Hong Kong)
Hong Kong beef mecca Flat Iron Steak has moved to new digs in Sheung Wan’s elegant The Chelsea building, delivering premium cuts to Jervois Street, an area that’s becoming one of my favourite little foodie destinations in the Fragrant Harbour.
The new location, set across two floors, will continue to serve what Flat Iron is all about: high-quality steaks at accessible prices, in a relaxed and welcoming setting that includes a private room for functions and events. The Sheung Wan outpost will include classic Flat Iron dishes and specials, including Tomahawk Thursdays and Surf & Turf Wednesdays, while USDA Prime Mondays is a new weekly special launched in partnership with the USDA to offer premium cuts at accessible prices.
In addition, the steakhouse will welcome The Powder Monkey, an intimate 25-seat craft beer pub located just behind the restaurant on Burd Street. Created in partnership with Powder Monkey Brewing Co. from Gosport in the United Kingdom, the speakeasy-styled pub will serve imported British beers and classic pub favourites such as fish and chips and hearty sausage and mash.