Editor’s Note

A word about unity

IN THE best of times, and in the worst, we can always rely on the power of a good meal. There’s no doubt that 2019 has been a challenging year for Hong Kong and that’s why, for the 2020 edition of T.Dining, we ran with the theme ‘United We Dine’—an issue dedicated to celebrating the connections between people and food. Our small team has long been committed to bringing the best of gastronomy together on the pages of this magazine, through daily content on our website, and through our now-regular series of events designed to create genuinely meaningful experiences for our community of food lovers. Over the years, this ambition has never wavered—we’ve long believed in championing the hard work of the hospitality industry, and creating opportunities for meaningful exchange.

There have been a few changes in our annual publication this year—our collection of independent restaurant and bar reviews have been neatly packaged into a handy separate guide, and we’re excited to announce our inaugural Rising Star award, given to the individual who has shown great promise and potential within the F&B industry. It joins our other regular awards, including Local Champion, Chef of the Year, and the coveted Best New Restaurant accolade—turn to page 54 for the full rundown of this year’s award recipients and join us in congratulating their achievements.

We also took a look behind the scenes of the hospitality industry, with dining editor Wilson Fok joining three distinct restaurants for their staff meals to better understand the synergy that has kept these top kitchens running at a high level. Turn to page 36 to catch a glimpse of life beyond the pass. Elsewhere, on page 22 we identify three groundbreaking chefs from around the world who are challenging the status quo for fine dining with their enigmatic approaches, and on page 52 wine editor Sarah Heller MW muses about the state of wine in the year 3020—yes, we’re pondering the future of viniculture a hundred years from now. In the name of fun, of course.

Because who really knows what the world will be like in the next five, ten or twenty years? All that we can be sure of is that food will always bring us together. We hope you enjoy this issue and it inspires you to plan your next great meal with your close ones.