Culinary Speakeasies: Private Kitchens in Hong Kong

You don’t have to try too hard to eat well – really well – in Hong Kong. From five-star restaurants to streets overflowing with food stalls, Hong Kong is a foodie’s paradise. But if you refuse to settle for the average dining experience, you’ll have one mission while you’re in the city: dine at one of the brilliant private kitchens in Hong Kong.

They’re like the speakeasies of the foodie world, shrouded in secrecy and operating from residences and office buildings. Local amateur chefs pour their passion into these private kitchens, which often go unadvertised and without signage. If you can manage to discover one, book a reservation and actually find the location come dinnertime, you’re sure to enjoy one of Hong Kong’s most unique dining experiences.

Whet your appetite with these four private kitchens in Hong Kong.

Yellow Door Kitchen

Aptly named for its bright yellow door, this private kitchen serving Sichuan-style fare is an easy choice for the first-time private kitchen diner. A Michelin-recommended find, Yellow Door is known for its Sichuan ribs, stuffed duck and pepper noodles. It’s one of Hong Kong’s oldest private kitchens and a must-try for foodies.

KimChi Private Kitchen

Although the name would have you thinking this private kitchen is dishing out Korean cuisine, KimChi (actually a play on the owners’ names) focuses on Chinese food with a fusion twist, all served up in small bites of molecular gastronomy. Items on the menu include truffle risotto with asparagus, half-boiled pigeon eggs with white mushrooms and braised deer tendons.

Kea’s Kitchen

What sets this contemporary private kitchen apart is its setting: a 63-foot yacht on the waters of Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter. The menu here is decidedly Thai-inspired, with home-cooked dishes like baby lamb curry, Tom Kha risotto and teriyaki trout laab. Chef Kea also offers cooking classes from her private kitchen, which includes shopping for ingredients to create a few of her fabulous Thai dishes.

Mandy’s Private Kitchen

A taste of the Caribbean in the heart of Hong Kong? Add in sweeping views of the sea from an intimate patio and you have Mandy’s Private Kitchen, where you can feast on signature dishes like Mandy’s five-day marinated leg of lamb, Caribbean jerk chicken or soca stew, all set to the sounds of crashing waves in the hills of Sai Kung.

Featured image by Matt Ryall