After the expansive feasting of the winter holiday season, the new year brings the tradition of setting new goals and resolutions. So, with mindful and clean eating in mind, we round-up the best eats and drinks in the city that not only taste good, but feel good
Man Ho Chinese Restaurant
The Michelin-starred Man Ho Chinese Restaurant at JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong has revived its acclaimed Five Elements Menu. Guided by the principles of the five elements’ generative and restraining cycles, executive Chinese chef Jayson Tang intertwines millennia-old traditional Chinese medicinal wisdom with the artistry of Cantonese gastronomy to create an elegant dining experience that nurtures both the body and spirit.
Drawing inspiration from the ancient philosophy of “The Medical Classic of the Yellow Emperor” (Huang Di Nei Jing) that correlates the five elements with vital organs and corresponding colours – white for the lungs (metal), green for the liver (wood), black for the kidneys (water), red for the heart (fire) and yellow for the spleen (earth) – the menu features handpicked seasonal ingredients aligned with the five colours.
For example, there’s the verdant Mashed Green Bean Tart, Chilled Kale Juice to help soothe the liver; yellow Deep-Fried Quail Egg Yolk Pastry in Sweet Corn Sauce strengthens the spleen, featuring a balance of savoury and sweet notes; and black Roasted Baby Pigeon Leg Stuffed with Chives, Aged Dried Radish and Mandarin Peel to tonify the kidneys.
Where: 3/F, JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty
Roganic Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s first Michelin Green Star establishment, Roganic Hong Kong is the eastern outpost of the original London restaurant by celebrated British chef Simon Rogan. Rooted in Rogan’s farm-to-table, zero-waste ethos, the produce that powers the cooking is used in the height of its season and locally sourced from the restaurant’s network of trusted growers and farms built over the past years. Each ingredient as much as possible is used in its entirety, from skins and seeds to tops and tails, to avoid food waste.
Take, the Wah Kee Farm pork with whey cabbage, pickled walnut and sauce finished with fats and apple mead. Wah Kee Farm pork, brined in koji for 24 hours, is cooked over coal then glazed with soy and house XO. Served with pressed local cabbages, pickled walnut purée and a sauce enriched with pork fat and apple mead, it’s a dish that balances depth, sweetness and smoke – a reflection of local produce elevated through craft.
Where: Shop 402-403, 4/F, Lee Garden One, 33 Yun Ping Road, Causeway Bay
Mora
Mora by chef Vicky Lau celebrates the versatility of soy – a fundamental and nutritious ingredient in Asian cuisine. Shaped by French influences, the hyper-seasonal menu focuses on texture-driven dishes that elevate soy in all its forms, from house-made tofu to soy milk, skin and more. Each plate is a refined balance of tradition and innovation, offering a plant-forward menu that transforms humble ingredients into something elegant and expressive. Think, Cold Geoduck Noodle served with cold soy milk clam bouillon and fresh tofu skin, Roasted Duck with red fermented tofu and preserved plum, and Tofu Pudding with white lotus seed paste and jasmine green tea ice cream.
Where: 40 Upper Lascar Row, Sheung Wan
Arcane
An elegant, Michelin-starred haven helmed by Australian chef Shane Osborn, offering refined modern European cuisine with a focus on fresh, ethically sourced ingredients as locally as possible. The menu, plant-forward – but by no means vegetarian – evolves with the season, so there’s always a reason to come back.
Try the Japanese fruit tomato, intensely sweet and balanced served with sweet pea hummus, sesame tofu mayonnaise, red endive and pomelo citrus dressing. A favourite among regulars, this season’s edition of the Sautéed potato gnocchi is paired with fresh morel, dau miu, shaoxing wine velouté and grated black truffle. Make sure you save space for the Yuzu and lemon posset – smooth, creamy and with balanced acidity.
Where: 3/F, 18 On Lan Street, Central
Yuan
Nestled in the heart of Central, Yuan is Hong Kong’s trailblazing modern Chinese vegetarian fine-dining restaurant. Here, executive chef Ronald Shao blends traditional Chinese techniques with elevated European influences to create visually stunning plant-based dishes that honour nature’s finest. All allium-free, standouts include the signature Chrysanthemum Tofu, Matsutake, where delicately cut silken tofu floats in clean, flavoursome matsutake broth like a blooming chrysanthemum, flaunting exquisite knife work.
Where: Shop 2, G/F, Chinachem Hollywood Centre, 1-13 Hollywood Road, Central
Matchali
Homegrown matcha specialist, Matchali, has expanded their presence in the city with a new store on Central’s Lyndhurst Terrace. Echoing the serene aesthetic of its Moon Street location but reimagined by Brash Atelier through natural wood, tile and stone elements, the space consists of eight indoor bar seats and an outdoor bench for guests to pause, connect and enjoy the ritual of handcrafted ceremonial-grade matcha.
The menu features signature Matchali offerings with location exclusives, like the Banana Bread Matcha Latte, a rich, creamy drink combining ripe banana and ceremonial-grade matcha; and Spanish Matcha Latte, layered with creamy condensed milk for a luxuriously sweet, velvety texture. Alongside, guests can find a selection of health-conscious, matcha-infused delights, from nourishing breakfast bowls to satisfying lunch options. This includes the Matcha Ricotta Strawberry Toast accented with lemon zest; bright Matcha Yogurt Granola Bowl with yuzu apple oolong jam, granola, fresh fruit and cacao nibs; and Green Tea Soba Salad.
Beyond the café offerings, the Lyndhurst Terrace store also offers retail matcha and hojicha powder as well as matcha sets, perfect for gifting or enhancing at-home rituals.
Where: Shop 2, 12-14 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central
See also: Akira Back on how he ended up cooking and his Hong Kong restaurant
