Dining news: Cristal Room welcomes Beijing’s Qu Lang Yuan, Shinji Kanesaka returns this January, and more

December presses on, and Hong Kong’s dining scene remains firmly in motion. This week’s news leans into well-timed arrivals and short-run moments, from visiting chefs in town to collaborative menus designed to be experienced now rather than bookmarked for later.

There’s a sense of precision running through it all: tightly framed omakase showcases, guest-led dinners that prioritise craft over scale, and new formats that shift how and when we eat without overcomplicating the point. It’s a reminder that even in a busy month, the most interesting stories are often the most focused. Keep reading for more.

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French Precision, Chinese Expression

Li Zhanxu of Beijing’s Qu Lang Yuan

Marc Mantovani of Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic

Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic and Beijing’s Qu Lang Yuan, both named to the Tatler Best 100 Restaurants Asia-Pacific 2025, come together for a focused, two-night collaboration on January 12 and 13. Li Shanxu joins Marc Mantovani for a one-off tasting menu priced at HK$2,280 per guest, shaped by French precision and modern Chinese expression rather than excess.

The menu opens with a run of refined snacks including oyster with charlotte oil cream, wakamé tacos with smoked pike roe, and smoked tea jelly, before moving into a tomato tartelette scented with longjing and geranium, a quietly luxurious crab chawanmushi, and the restaurant’s signature les berlingots asp served in an oolong- and smoked vanilla-infused mushroom consommé. The savoury arc deepens with abalone in tri-pepper sauce and a venison saddle marinated with black garlic and coffee, followed by a dessert sequence built around passion fruit, coconut, chocolate truffle and Buddha’s hand.

The ‘Blossoming Bliss’ afternoon tea set at The Lounge, inspired by Marimekko’s spring 2026 prints

JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong teams up with Finnish design house Marimekko for the ‘Blossoming Bliss’ afternoon tea, available at The Lounge from January 5 to March 31. Drawing on Marimekko’s spring 2026 prints and Nordic roots, the set balances playful visuals with solid kitchen craft, pairing sweets such as vanilla blood orange, strawberry inspiration, blueberry yoghurt cheese and green tea yuzu with savouries that nod to Scandinavia, including skagen and tobiko tart, pickled herring with onion dill salad, Norwegian smoked salmon on blinis and roasted wagyu beef on rye toast. The experience finishes with cranberry and plain scones served with raspberry jam and clotted cream, alongside Tea WG teas or coffee, with the option to add a glass of champagne. The collaboration extends beyond the table with a limited-time stay package featuring Marimekko-designed guestrooms and exclusive take-home pieces.

The Lounge at JW Marriott Hotel Hong KongAddress: Lobby, JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong

Bottled Heat

Malameow chilli-crunch is handmade in Hong Kong with six varieties of Chinese chillies

Hong Kong-born brand Malameow launches its signature chilli-crunch just in time for festive cooking, positioning it as both a pantry staple and a giftable souvenir. Made in small batches locally, the chilli-crunch blends six varieties of Chinese chillies with slow-cooked garlic and shallots for layered heat and deliberate crunch, designed to lift everything from noodles to roast meats. Vegan, nut-free, and free from added sugar and artificial preservatives, it comes in a single jar or a boxed trio, finished with customisable Hong Kong shophouse stickers, leaning into its sense-of-place packaging as much as flavour. The product is available online at malameow.com with pricing starting at HK$99.

Peak Indulgence

Fresh homemade tagliolini finished with Alba white truffle

Lucale marks the end of the year with a focused white truffle menu built around Alba truffles, served across a series of seasonal dishes designed to let aroma do the heavy lifting. Highlights include Japanese liquid scrambled egg with Parmigiano Reggiano, pumpkin cream slow-cooked egg with Avezzano potatoes, fresh homemade tagliolini, and an extra-large ricotta-stuffed ravioli finished with liquid egg yolk and pea cream, each shaved with a minimum of five grams of truffle. For those after something more robust, the Rangers Valley op rib steak receives the same treatment. The menu is available for a limited time through the end of December at the Sai Ying Pun restaurant.

Shinji Kanesaka, one of Japan’s most influential Edomae sushi masters

Edomae sushi master Shinji Kanesaka will be in Hong Kong for a two-night showcase at Kanesaka Hong Kong on January 23 and 24, offering diners a rare chance to experience his approach to traditional Edomae sushi at the counter. Known for a style built on restraint and balance, Kanesaka’s omakase focuses on gently cured seafood designed to draw out aroma, texture and umami rather than mask it. Across the two evenings, guests can expect a tightly paced progression of nigiri crafted with seasonal Japanese ingredients, shaped and served in real time, placing technique, temperature and timing firmly at the centre of the experience.

The new weekend brunch spread at Leela, designed for sharing and long lunches

Leela has introduced a new weekend brunch format, running every weekend and public holiday to offer a more relaxed way into chef-owner Manav Tuli’s modern Indian cooking. The set-menu brunch is built for sharing: guests choose multiple starters, tandoor and grill dishes, followed by shared mains with naan or aged basmati rice, before finishing with a dessert platter created exclusively for brunch. Highlights range from fish cheek rasam soup, asaf jahi chicken tikka and lamb seekh kebab to signature smoked butter chicken, paneer makhani and vegetable kofta curry, with brunch-only sweets including masala chai egg tart and milk ice-cream with tutti frutti. Optional add-ons and curated drinks packages extend the experience, but the core appeal remains a long, flavour-driven Indian lunch designed to stretch comfortably into the afternoon.

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