100 Top Tables 2026: celebrating Hong Kong’s best restaurants, bars and F&B talents

Cheng’s efforts away from the kitchen also set him apart. When chefs get drawn into television or other ventures, it often distracts from their day jobs. That has not been the case for Cheng. His restaurants have gone from strength to strength, while his work on the culinary reality competition The Divine Dish, alongside Nicholas Tse, has raised the profile of Hong Kong’s fine dining scene among millions of viewers. His involvement with the Eastern & Oriental Express, alongside celebrated Taiwanese chef André Chiang, is yet another accomplishment to add to his name.

Best New Restaurant

Roucou

In a restaurant landscape as saturated as Hong Kong’s, where new pasta bars and sushi restaurants are a dime a dozen, original concepts are hard to come by. That is part of what makes Roucou stand out. As a self-described “cheese omakase bar”, there is nothing else like it in Hong Kong.

The entire experience is a delight. There are comforting brunch classics and the cheeseboard is as varied and extensive as you’d imagine. Then there’s the cheestail drinks that skilfully combine cheeses with tropical flavours, and the sushi dishes that miraculously pair sea bream sashimi with a ponzu-goat cheese emulsion, or binchotan-seared toro marinated with natural Camembert. Every one of Evrard’s creations is both original and delicious.

Rising Star

Mina Güçlüer